Buyer

About the Role

A well-established manufacturing firm located in Aurora is seeking a Purchasing & Production Scheduling Coordinator to join their Production Operations department. This position is ideal for an individual who thrives in organizing and synchronizing the numerous facets of manufacturing operations. The role involves securing essential materials and supplies for the plant, liaising directly with suppliers, addressing purchasing challenges, and supporting inventory management.

Key Responsibilities

This role extends beyond typical purchasing duties by offering cross-training in production planning and scheduling. You will gain comprehensive insight into the integration of purchasing, material availability, production capacity, and customer delivery commitments. Responsibilities include building and maintaining supplier relationships, negotiating prices, identifying cost-saving measures, prioritizing daily production needs, and observing the impact of your efforts throughout the facility.

• Procure MRO materials, production supplies, packaging components, inks, chemicals, office supplies, and other plant necessities.
• Verify purchasing requests for completeness, accuracy, and proper approvals.
• Collaborate closely with departments such as Operations, Maintenance, Production, and Quality to align purchasing needs.
• Identify, evaluate, and nurture relationships with new and existing suppliers.
• Request and compare supplier quotes, negotiate pricing terms.
• Assess suppliers based on quality, cost efficiency, service, and delivery performance.
• Create and track purchase orders to ensure timely receipt of goods and services.
• Resolve issues related to purchasing, invoicing, delivery, and supplier performance.
• Support supplier approval protocols and performance assessments.
• Maintain precise records of purchases, contracts, pricing data, and supplier documents.
• Prepare reports on purchasing activities and supply chain metrics.
• Manage inventory levels appropriately for MRO, production consumables, and operational supplies.
• Coordinate with warehouse and operations teams to monitor inventory use and trends.
• Balance material availability to support production while preventing excess inventory.
• Participate in cycle counts and annual inventories; assist in investigations and corrective actions related to inventory variances.
• Assist material planning aligned to production schedules.
• Identify opportunities to minimize inventory and purchasing costs without disrupting operations.
• Receive cross-training in production planning; assist with daily and weekly production schedules.
• Offer scheduling support during staff absences and peak production periods.
• Support issuance and oversight of production work orders.
• Coordinate material availability based on production demands and customer deadlines.
• Engage in daily production meetings to communicate priorities and constraints.
• Monitor production progress, flagging bottlenecks and capacity issues.
• Contribute to achieving on-time, in-full delivery targets through coordinated purchasing and production planning.
• Develop expertise to progressively assume greater responsibility in production planning.

Candidate Profile

• Experienced in purchasing, procurement, materials coordination, or supply chain functions within a manufacturing context.
• Background in buying MRO items, production and packaging supplies, chemicals, inks, or related plant products is advantageous.
• Solid grasp of purchase order management, supplier relations, and inventory control techniques.
• Skilled in supplier sourcing, quotation procurement, and price negotiations.
• Familiarity with production planning or scheduling is a plus.
• Proficient in ERP systems along with Microsoft Office tools, especially Excel.
• Exceptional organizational and analytical abilities with meticulous attention to detail.
• Capable of juggling multiple priorities effectively in a high-paced production setting.
• Strong communication skills enabling effective relationships with suppliers and internal teams.
• Dependable, practical, and solution-oriented work style.

Benefits and Work Environment

• Stable, full-time employment with a reputable manufacturing company.
• Paid vacation entitlement.
• A cooperative atmosphere where purchasing integrates closely with plant leadership, production, warehouse, maintenance, and quality departments.
• Structured cross-training opportunities in production planning and scheduling.
• Exposure to a broader spectrum of supply chain functions beyond conventional purchasing.
• Responsibility and visibility within the manufacturing operation, allowing you to contribute directly to supplier performance, cost efficiency, inventory management, and timely customer deliveries.

Additional Information

This position is especially suitable for individuals who take pride in maintaining organization, enjoy tackling complex problems, and seek to expand their career across purchasing, materials management, and production planning disciplines. Candidates with titles such as Buyer, Purchasing Specialist, Purchasing Coordinator, Procurement Coordinator, MRO Buyer, Materials Coordinator, Supply Chain Coordinator, Production Planner, or Production Scheduling Coordinator are encouraged to submit their updated resumes for consideration.