The Project Buyer is responsible for the planning and purchasing of raw material supporting production and distribution. This position will manage select suppliers to ensure on time delivery at competitive pricing while managing inventory levels to prevent shortages and maximize turns. The Project Buyer will report directly to the Sr. Manager of Logistics.
Company and Opportunity Overview Wanzl North America's (WNA) vision is to be a leading entrepreneurial player in terms of market share, agility, and game-changing solutions. WNA is a solution provider, creating value along the supply chain of our customers, from the online purchase to the delivery to their customers.
WNA, which includes the Technibilt and Cari-All brands, headquartered in Newton, North Carolina. With 500 employees and 175 MUSD of sales, WNA focuses on the retail and distribution market segments with marquee customers such as Walmart, Amazon, and the majority of large grocers and retailers.
In addition to being the largest manufacturer of shopping carts in North America, WNA has three (3) additional main product segments as well as a Service business, providing turnkey solutions for customer guidance (Access Systems) and Shelving & Fixtures, as well as Material Handling/Rolling Stock products. Additionally, WNA is active in building a "digital" business line with products for shopping cart containment, smart exit gate technology, and solutions for autonomous and/or semi-autonomous retail stores.
WNA is part of the Wanzl group, headquartered in Germany, and has 12 plants in 8 countries, providing comprehensive, solutions-driven service and expert knowledge of local markets for customers across the globe through their 360° service.
Duties and Responsibilities: · SAP Specific
o Requestioning – Creating, routing, approving
o Supplier Classification and Segmentation
o Intercompany Stock Transfer and Returns
o Request for Price
o Logistics with Third-Party Warehouse Management
o Procurement of Services and Subcontracting
o Supplier Consignment
o Analytics - Purchase Order Visibility and Procurement Spend
o Create and Maintain Preferred Supplier List
o Purchase Contract
o Scheduling Agreements in Procurement
o Consumable Purchasing
o Procurement of Direct Materials
o Supplier Evaluation and Performance Monitoring
· Vendor Sourcing: Identify specialized vendors for custom fixture prototyping and small batch fabrication.
· Technical Liaison: Facilitate communication of technical specifications between R&D and vendors.
· Risk Assessment: Evaluate and mitigate risks in vendor reliability and supply chain.
· Vendor Performance Review: Monitor and assess vendor quality and delivery performance.
· Logistics Management: Ensure timely delivery of prototypes and final products.
· Forecast order planning compared to Safety stock levels & MOQ.
· DIO analysis & Stock level adjustment recommendation
· Large program order planning & purchasing
· Analyze data from the MRP system and place orders in a timely manner.
· Communicate/coordinate shortages that could cause delays with Customer Service, Manufacturing team, production schedulers, and other key personnel.
· Support Available to Plan review of open orders from customer service and communicate acknowledgements dates.
· Coordinate work order release with operations team to ensure timely processing of orders to warehouse for shipment.
· Manage suppliers to reduce costs, improve quality, control inventories, and ensure timely flow of material.
· Monitor and report key performance metrics, including Purchase Price Variance, inventories, shortages, and supplier performance.
· Manage inventories to ensure continuous production while maximizing turns.
· Expedite material orders as needed.
· Develop a thorough working knowledge of required MRP / ERP systems.
· Able and willing to work necessary hours to meet all project deadlines, travel when necessary.
· Develop mutually beneficial, respectful, and effective relationships with peers to ensure seamless coordination between departments, maximize synergy, and maintain a shared vision, strategy, and focus.
· Other duties as assigned – Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
· Assist in on floor cycle counting and inventory reviews as assigned.
· Assist and support annual physical inventory.
Skills and Experience: · 3+ years of SAP ERP experience, S4 Hana Public Cloud preferred.
· Ability to lead cross functional teams.
· Ability to write reports and present results to Leadership.
· College degree or minimum of 5 years' experience in a complex manufacturing environment.
· APICS certification and previous international experience desired.
· Materials Knowledge: Expertise in materials like sheet metal, steel, wood, plastic, aluminum, and glass.
· Fabrication Processes: Understanding of sheet metal fabrication, bending, machining, mill work, and finishing techniques.
· Quality Standards: Ensure products meet industry standards for safety, durability, and aesthetics.
· Supply Chain Management: Coordinate complex supply chains for diverse materials and processes.
· Contract Negotiation: Negotiate terms with vendors to secure favorable conditions.
· Landed cost estimation.
· Strong analytical skills. Effective leadership skills.
· Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
· Ability to maintain an organized process for completing work on time.
· Ability to learn ERP system functions quickly.
· Accuracy in work assignments and a strong work ethic as a part of a team.
