Buyer/Planner

Primary responsibility for the Buyer/Planner is for accurate and complete purchase of certain raw materials and production supplies. Further responsibilities are for all purchasing functions related to the procurement of goods or materials as assigned including source selection, negotiation, order placement and follow up. Focus on category specific items. Execution of category strategies. Support PPV activities and new project launches. Follow up on all supplier’s issues regarding quality, delivery, and price.  Focus on creating a flow of materials to meet the manufacturing needs, while keeping costs and inventory within the annual budget. Manages the activities of purchasing and material inventory control.  This includes the responsibility of monthly physical inventories and a year-end (tagged) physical inventory of raw and wip materials. These duties will be done in coordination with the finance department to ensure the integrity of financial controls. This position will also work closely with the production and engineering department to help increase the quality of raw materials and supplies as well as a support role to maintain labor efficiencies. The Buyer/Planner position will be responsible for working with suppliers to help them become reliable and affordable, while maintaining a high level of quality.  

Essential Functions

• Ensuring proper supplies and raw materials are provided to the production floor and facility.
• Accurate ordering/receiving/maintenance of product into the accounting system.
• Maintain an organized filing system for purchase order, receivers, and supplier information.
• Communication with suppliers in a professional manner.   This would include the following:   
  1. Ordering/price negotiations/supplier relations/product improvement.
• Precise and interactive communication to Production leads and supervisors.
• Close interaction with the Accounting Department to ensure accurate purchase order/receiving process as well as proper costing of products.
•  Manage monthly and year-end inventories.  Including, preparing count sheets, stock room inventory counts, data entry, and review/audit final counts
• Manage consignment and VMI programs.
• Keep accurate and complete records of the chain of custody documentation of all purchases.
• Timely responsiveness to price increases to support materials and ensure a constant flow of production parts to manufacturing.
• Provides procurement expertise on cross functional teams, including input to sourcing strategies
• Provides support to Strategic Sourcing group in pricing and contract development
• Issues and administers Request for Proposals (RFP), including RFQ process
• Supports supplier selection process with Strategic Sourcing and key stakeholders
• Purchasing of finished goods and raw materials based on sales forecasting 
• Assures PO/contract compliance and insurance adequacy is maintained when necessary
• Item Master Maintenance to include build of materials, set up, control, accuracy and pricing
• Maintaining Inventory levels to meet consumer and retail partner demands
• Controlling Inventory costs via price negotiating to ensure profitability targets are achieved
• Vendor contact and relationship building, as well as sourcing new vendors
• Monitoring receipt of Inventory, insuring proper invoices and/or credits are presented to Accounts Payable department
• Liaison between internal and external customers, freight carriers, and shipping department
• Develop and maintain product/service, industry and market knowledge
• Monitors and evaluates supplier performance, including supplier development and process/cost improvement 
• Drive cost savings vs. approved baselines
• Uphold internal and external policies, regulations and laws
• Perform supply market and supplier analysis
• Purchasing/receiving 

1. Raw materials - Purchase order Entry
   1. Order management (RM invent. /cash flow)
   2. Weekly receiving/post
   3. Production supplies - Weekly replenishment (cash flow)
   4. Engineering supplies - Weekly supply needs
   5. Shipping supplies - Weekly (storage management)

• Inventory

1. Manage Budgeted RM/WIP/supply levels
2. Ensure proper RM/supply levels 
   1. Monthly RM/WIP inventory
      • Manage
      • Stock room inventory count
      • Calculate/audit/approve
      • Integrate into ERP system
      • Validate integration
   2. Y/E Physical Inventory - Manage
      1. Prepare procedures/instructions
      2. Pre-inventory procedure meetings
      3. Tag/sheet preparation
      4. Enter tags/audit/approve
      5. Integrate into ERP system
      6. Validate integration
   3. Great Plains (ERP)
      1. Raw/WIP parts management
      2. RM/WIP maintenance
         • New parts
         • Cost maintenance 
         • Vendor maintenance
         • Active/obsolete maintenance
      3. Bill of Materials
         1. New BOM’s
         2. BOM Maintenance
            • Parts accuracy
            • Cost accuracy
   4. Chain of Custody 
      • COC maintenance/auditing
      • New (wood) supplier approval
      • New species COC audit and approval (with Legal)
      • Uphold domestic/international regulations
        1. CITES (Import)
        2. Lacey Act (Personal liability)
   5. Supplier Relations
      • Price negotiations
      • Supplier Risk management
      • Ensuring supply chain
      • Quality improvement
   6. Stock Room
      • Local parts delivery/pickup
      • Part organization (storage/replenish) 
      • Point of use Maintenance (production area)
        1. Replenish min/max re-order points
   7. New parts research
   8. Consignments
      • Manage Vendor inventory
      • Weekly inventory/validation of inventory
      • Ongoing data tracking of vendors’ inventory flow (incoming/outgoing)
   9. High end Custom Guitar Planning/research
      • Design team
      • Parts research/procurement
      • Coordinating with subcontracted specialized/custom professionals and artists

Other duties

• Employee can be asked to perform other duties that are reasonable within the area of expertise

Required Skills/Abilities

• Ability to effectively communicate with purchasing manager, general manager, other department supervisors, and suppliers of materials, supplies, and transportation
• Ability to work with and manage confidential information
• Results oriented, taking ownership of goals and objectives
• Must be a self-started with an entrepreneurial spirit
• Ability to adapt to complex supply chain issues where an in-depth evaluation or analysis of statistical, commercial or technical data is required; capable of performing complex negotiations with suppliers, and performing financial, technical, commercial and performance evaluations of suppliers
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Analytical skills for short-term/long-term planning and follow-up

Knowledge

• Knowledge of professional and computer-based account/financial software (ERP)/Excel
• Knowledge of inventory controls, including point of use supplies, single piece flow, supermarkets, reorder points, etc
• Knowledge of guitar manufacturing and the materials used in the production of guitars

Education and Experience 

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration or Supply Chain Management
• 4+ years purchasing experience and passion for reducing costs – enthusiasm for driving optimum business outcomes

Work Environment 

Internal:

• Manufacturing locations
• Office locations
• Showroom

External:

• Sales office locations
• Supplier manufacturing locations

Travel Requirements 

• Periodic travel to company locations may be required (50%). 

Physical Demands 

• Basic physical stances and actions (sitting, standing, walking)
• Driving may be required between locations