Aspen Custom Trailers is expanding! We are looking for a Senior Buyer - Contract position, to join our dynamic team. As North America's premier supplier of heavy haul transportation equipment, we thrive on tackling the toughest design and manufacturing challenges. We are looking for a motivated individual with a passion for process improvement and managing small procurement projects to contribute to our growing business.
The Senior Buyer is responsible for supporting manufacturing operations by ensuring materials, equipment, and inventory are available when needed and at a competitive cost. This in-office role manages the full purchasing cycle, including running MRP, reviewing inventory requirements, sourcing critical and long-lead materials, issuing, and expediting purchase orders, coordinating inventory transfers, and maintaining accurate information in Visual Manufacturing from Infor.
The position works closely with suppliers and internal departments to resolve shortages, delivery delays, pricing discrepancies, quality concerns, and other procurement challenges. Additional responsibilities include vendor onboarding, new part creation, supplier negotiations, and MRP processing.
Main Responsibilities
- Run MRP and review system-generated requirements to determine purchasing and inventory needs.
- Analyze demand, available inventory, open purchase orders, supplier lead times, and production requirements before placing orders.
- Purchase long-lead-time, critical, and production-related materials to support manufacturing schedules.
- Create, issue, monitor, expedite, and reschedule purchase orders as required.
- Source materials and obtain competitive quotations, pricing, lead times, and delivery commitments from qualified suppliers.
- Negotiate pricing, lead times, freight terms, and other commercial requirements.
- Create new part IDs and ensure supporting quotations, specifications, pricing, and lead-time information are complete.
- Maintain accurate part costs, supplier information, purchasing parameters, and lead times in Visual Manufacturing from Infor.
- Review and correct ERP data discrepancies that may affect MRP, purchasing, costing, or inventory.
- Coordinate vendor onboarding and ensure required documentation is completed before purchasing begins.
- Develop and maintain effective supplier relationships and resolve shortages, delivery delays, pricing discrepancies, and quality concerns.
- Identify alternate suppliers and sourcing options when existing arrangements cannot meet operational requirements.
- Create and monitor intercompany inventory transfers between company sites.
- Review available inventory across locations before purchasing additional materials.
- Collaborate with production, engineering, accounting, inventory, receiving, and other internal departments.
- Identify and implement improvements to purchasing procedures, MRP processes, supplier communication, ERP data accuracy, and procurement workflows.
- Manage procurement projects involving sourcing, supplier evaluation, negotiation, order placement, and delivery coordination.
- Maintain accurate purchasing files, supplier records, quotations, reports, and price lists.
Attributes and Skills
- Strong knowledge of purchasing, MRP, material planning, inventory management, and manufacturing supply chains.
- Ability to analyze purchasing requirements and make sound, independent buying decisions.
- Strong attention to detail with a commitment to ERP and master-data accuracy.
- Excellent organizational, time-management, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to manage competing priorities and tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
- Strong supplier communication and negotiation capabilities.
- Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
- Ability to collaborate effectively with internal departments and suppliers.
- Intermediate to advanced computer skills, including Microsoft Excel, Outlook, Windows, and ERP systems.
- Professional, resourceful, and calm when responding to supply chain challenges.
- Ability to read and understand engineered drawings is considered an asset.
Qualifications
- Minimum of 10 years of progressive purchasing experience in a manufacturing, service, or industrial environment.
- Previous experience as a Senior Buyer, Buyer, Procurement Specialist, or in a similar purchasing role.
- Demonstrated experience with MRP, purchase order management, supplier coordination, inventory planning, and ERP systems.
- Knowledge of purchasing, supply chain, inventory, manufacturing, and accounting processes.
- Experience with Visual Manufacturing from Infor is considered an asset.
- Post-secondary education in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Purchasing, or a related discipline is considered an asset.
- SCMP or equivalent purchasing and supply chain education is considered an asset.
- Purchasing, production, or inventory management courses, or equivalent practical experience, are considered an asset.
Working Conditions
- Work is performed indoors in a regulated environment.
- Regular fast-paced work with tight deadlines.
Shift Availability
- Monday to Friday - 8:00am - 4:30pm(in-office).
- Flexibility to work longer hours when needed.
