The Buyer Level III supports the purchasing department through the effective procurement of inventory items from domestic and global sources. This individual will take leadership of assigned vendor programs to drive improvement and ensure achievement of company goals. This role has greater responsibility and accountability than a Buyer, and may include people management responsibility

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Review and execute purchase orders for the procurement of inventory for assigned vendor lines
• Manage vendor programs by tracking vendor minimums, ordering days, and item ordering requirements and addressing when they negatively impact procurement
• Own the vendor program and drive improvement
• Root cause issue and develop solutions
• Manage the at-risk SKU process, including escalation and direct intervention
• Perform a variety of general tactical duties as required to support purchasing activities
• Work with internal personnel as well as vendor to resolve vendor performance issues
• Working with management, optimizes procurement and procurement-related resources to support achievement of each unit's overall objectives and Total Customer Satisfaction
• Develop ideas to improve efficiency of procurement process (technical, resources, work flow, etc)

EDUCATION & TRAINING

• A bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience

KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE

• 7+ years experience in purchasing, materials and supply chain management.
• CPIM or CPM preferred.
• Experience in leading and mentoring teams.
• Proven track record of achieving company goals.
• Ability to work with little or no supervision.
• Must possess a drive to be a problem solver
• Experience with JDA Demand/Fulfillment is a plus
• Experience in SQL, Database, or BI reporting a plus

SKILLS & ABILITIES

• Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are communicating; taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Communicating: Conveying information to others in an effective manner. • Judgment & Decision making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
• Time management: Managing one's time productively and efficiently. Ability to organize and prioritize tasks.
• Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
• Mathematics: Using mathematics to solve problems.
• Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems. Service orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
• Oral Expression : The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension: The ability to understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Written Comprehension: The ability to understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Written Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The performance of this position may require exposure to the warehouse areas where certain areas may require the use of personal protective equipment such as steel toed shoes and safety glasses. The primary environment is characterized by ambient room temperatures, lighting and traditional office equipment found in a typical office environment.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. • Reaching above shoulder heights, below the waist or lifting as required to file documents or store materials throughout the workday. • Occasional lifting of items up to 25 pounds (files, computer printouts on occasion)

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by this employee. He or she will be required to follow any other instructions and to perform any other duties requested by his or her supervisor.