Buyer

We invite you to join Takasago, where you can be innovative and contribute to society through technology. The management of Takasago aims to create a company where each employee can experience a sense of fulfillment. Takasago is a major global leader and producer of flavors and fragrances providing innovative solutions in flavors, fragrances, aroma ingredients, and fine chemicals. Takasago is headquartered in Japan and operates in over 28 countries, with manufacturing facilities, research and development centers, and sales offices worldwide. Takasago ranked 8th overall and 1st in Asia on the Global Top Food Flavors and Fragrances Companies. Job Summary This role is responsible for ensuring uninterrupted material supply through effective supplier management, purchase order execution, demand alignment, and inventory support. The position serves as the primary operational contact for suppliers, driving timely order confirmations, resolving supply issues, managing past-due orders, and mitigating material risks that could impact production or customer demand. Key responsibilities include reviewing material requirements, creating and maintaining purchase orders, monitoring shortages, leveraging SAP tools to assess supply risks, and partnering with Strategic Procurement on MRP and sourcing concerns. The role also develops receiving schedules, balances warehouse capacity, and identifies opportunities to improve operational efficiency through optimized ordering and supplier coordination. Essential Job Functions Supplier Relationship & Issue Resolution Serve as the daily operational liaison for suppliers, resolving concerns quickly to minimize disruption to production. Ensure suppliers confirm purchase orders within 48 hours of release; partner with suppliers to resolve exceptions and protect demand fulfillment. Proactively manage past-due purchase orders, driving resolution with suppliers and escalating when necessary. Act on the Buyer Exception Report to address risks and support demand requirements. Build and maintain strong supplier relationships that support daily operations and long-term procurement needs. Ensure supplier documentation and compliance processes are consistently followed. Purchase Order & Demand Management Review and analyze purchase requirements daily to support demand forecasts and production plans. Create, maintain, and release purchase orders based on raw material requirements driven by the Demand Plan. Communicate material shortages proactively, using SAP availability tools to assess supply position and mitigate risk. Identify and escalate MRP parameter concerns to Strategic Purchasing. Maintain a clear understanding of forecast drivers, MRP parameters, and their impact on inventory. Receiving Schedule & Operational Efficiency Develop and maintain the monthly receiving schedule based on forecasted requirements, incoming receipt flow, and consolidated supplier orders. Run and review capacity reports, adjusting the receiving schedule as needed to balance workload and maintain efficiency. Optimize purchase order timing and consolidation to reduce delivery-related expenses and create efficiencies for the receiving team. Reporting & Continuous Improvement Own the weekly KPI process: create, review, and resolve the Buyer KPI Report and associated performance measures. Collaborate with the Manager and Strategic Procurement on special projects and continuous improvement initiatives. Adhere to all documentation, procurement, and operational processes. Qualifications Education & Experience Associate degree in Business, Materials Management, or a related field preferred. Minimum 2 years of purchasing experience required; experience in the Flavor & Fragrance industry or in a related manufacturing environment is strongly preferred. Skills & Competencies Proficient in Microsoft Office, especially Excel, PowerPoint, and Word; SAP experience is highly desirable. Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills. E…

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