Supply Chain & Purchasing Specialist

Job description

States considered: Position Summary The Supply Chain & Purchasing Specialist owns site materials availability, inventory strategy, procurement execution, supplier performance management, and inbound logistics activities for raw materials, packaging components, and indirect materials. This position is accountable for ensuring uninterrupted material supply to support manufacturing operations while balancing inventory investment, service levels, supplier performance, and cost objectives. The role exercises independent judgment in establishing inventory planning parameters, negotiating supplier and transportation agreements within delegated authority, managing supply risks, and driving continuous improvement initiatives across procurement and materials management processes. This position serves as a key business partner to Operations, Quality, Finance, Planning, and Commercial teams and provides recommendations regarding inventory optimization, supplier strategies, service levels, and risk mitigation. The Supply Chain & Purchasing Specialist leads cross-functional initiatives, influences stakeholders without direct authority, and serves as the process owner for inventory planning, procurement governance, supplier performance management, and materials readiness activities. Decision Authority & Scope • Establish and maintain planning parameters including safety stock levels, reorder points, lead times, minimum order quantities, order multiples, and inventory policies. • Negotiate supplier pricing, freight costs, payment terms, and commercial agreements within delegated authority. • Determine material replenishment strategies and inventory positioning to support operational requirements and service level targets. • Approve expediting activities and transportation alternatives within established budget parameters. • Recommend sourcing strategies, supplier improvements, inventory optimization initiatives, and risk mitigation plans. • Lead supplier escalations, recovery plans, and corrective action activities. • Own inventory performance, supplier service levels, procurement effectiveness, and materials readiness metrics. Key Performance Indicators • Inventory Turns • Days of Supply (DOS) • Inventory Accuracy • Supplier On-Time Delivery • Supplier Scorecard Performance • Purchase Price Variance (PPV) • Expedite Spend • Material Availability to Production Schedule • Procurement Cycle Time • Service Level Performance Purchasing Strategy & Supplier Management Strategy & Optimization • Develop sourcing and supplier management strategies that support business objectives, inventory targets, and supply continuity requirements. • Evaluate sourcing alternatives including dual sourcing opportunities, approved alternate suppliers, lead time reduction initiatives, and inventory risk mitigation strategies. • Lead supplier performance management programs through scorecards, business reviews, corrective action plans, and continuous improvement initiatives. • Negotiate supplier pricing, commercial terms, transportation agreements, and service expectations to optimize total landed cost. • Monitor market conditions, supplier capacity constraints, and industry trends to proactively identify risks and opportunities. • Develop and maintain supplier relationship strategies to improve service levels, responsiveness, and operational performance. Operational Execution • Own end-to-end purchase order lifecycle execution and governance to ensure compliant, accurate, and timely procurement activities. • Ensure purchase orders are issued, monitored, and managed in alignment with inventory plans and production requirements. • Lead supplier recovery efforts when shortages, delays, quality issues, or service disruptions occur. • Establish controls and resolve systemic purchase order, receiving, and invoice discrepancies in partnership with Finance and Accounts Payable. • Maintain procurement master data, supplier records, contracts, and purchasing documentation within ERP systems. Inventory Strategy & Materials Management Strategy & Optimization • Own inventory strategy for raw materials, packaging components, and indirect materials. • Define inventory segmentation, service level policies, replenishment methodologies, and inventory targets in partnership with Operations and Finance. • Establish and govern planning master data including lead times, safety stock levels, reorder points, minimum order quantities, and order multiples. • Conduct regular audits of planning parameters to ensure alignment with demand patterns, supplier performance, and operational requirements. • Lead inventory risk assessments and develop mitigation plans for critical materials and supply chain vulnerabilities. • Analyze inventory performance and implement strategies to reduce excess inventory, obsolescence, stockouts, and working capital investment. Operational Execution • Monitor inventory health, consumption trends, replenishment requirements, and supplier performance. • Investigate inventory discrepancies and implement corrective actions to maintain inventory accuracy. • Support cycle count programs, physical inventories, inventory reconciliations, and inventory reporting activities. • Develop inventory forecasts and replenishment plans to support future business requirements. Materials Readiness & Batch Management Strategy & Optimization • Serve as the materials readiness lead for manufacturing operations by ensuring inventory strategies align with production requirements. • Analyze demand trends, forecast changes, supplier constraints, and inventory positions to identify risks that could impact production schedules. • Develop mitigation plans and recommend executive trade-off decisions related to inventory, cost, service, and supply risk. Operational Execution • Generate, maintain, and manage batch reports that support material readiness, inventory visibility, compliance requirements, and production execution. • Review production requirements and translate demand signals into actionable purchasing and replenishment plans. • Communicate material constraints, shortages, and recovery plans to cross-functional stakeholders. • Partner with Production, Planning, Quality Assurance, and Receiving teams to ensure material availability for manufacturing operations. Logistics & Transportation Management Strategy & Optimization • Develop inbound logistics strategies that support service, cost, inventory, and operational objectives. • Determine transportation routing, carrier utilization, and expedite decisions within established budget and service guidelines. • Monitor transportation performance and identify opportunities to reduce freight costs and improve service levels. • Develop contingency plans to mitigate transportation disruptions and supply chain risks. Operational Execution • Manage inbound transportation activities and supplier delivery schedules. • Resolve transportation issues, freight claims, carrier performance concerns, and delivery exceptions. • Monitor carrier performance metrics and implement corrective actions when required. • Ensure timely movement and receipt of materials to support operational requirements. Reporting, Analytics & Continuous Improvement • Own supply chain KPI governance, reporting cadence, metric definitions, and performance tracking processes. • Analyze purchasing spend, inventory investment, supplier performance, transportation costs, and service level performance. • Develop recommendations and business cases to support procurement, inventory, sourcing, and logistics initiatives. • Present performance trends, risks, opportunities, and recommendations to Supply Chain and Site Leadership teams. • Lead continuous improvement initiatives focused on procurement effectiveness, inventory optimization, supplier performance, transportation efficiency, and operational excellence. • Identify op