Buyer / Procurement & Inventory Coordinator (Entry-Mid Level)
AIIM
3 days ago
Full-time
On-site
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
POSITION OVERVIEW
Reporting to the VP, Finance, The Buyer / Procurement & Inventory Coordinator is responsible for the day-to-day purchasing and inventory control of materials required to support large format print production. This role ensures that substrates, print media, inks, and supplies are ordered accurately, received on time, and managed effectively within inventory.
Working closely with production, prepress, and project management teams, this position plays a critical role in maintaining production flow, preventing material shortages, and supporting on-time delivery. The role requires strong attention to detail, organization, and proactive coordination to ensure operational efficiency.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Purchasing & Order Management
• Process purchase orders for substrates, print media, inks, and production supplies based on production requirements.
• Ensure all materials are ordered accurately with correct specifications, quantities, and delivery timelines.
• Track purchase orders from placement through delivery to ensure timely receipt.
• Follow up with vendors on order confirmations, lead times, and delivery status.
• Resolve discrepancies related to pricing, quantities, or shipments.
• Maintain accurate purchasing records, cost data, and supplier information.
Production Support
• Work closely with production and prepress teams to understand upcoming material requirements.
• Ensure all purchasing and inventory activities directly support production schedules and on-time job completion.
• Ensure material availability aligns with production schedules and delivery deadlines.
• Respond to urgent material requirements to support time-sensitive production and customer delivery deadlines.
• Proactively identify potential shortages or delays and escalate risks that may impact production timelines.
• Maintain a sense of urgency in all purchasing activities to support production timelines and service level commitments.
Inventory Control & Management
• Monitor inventory levels of substrates, print media, inks, and production supplies to ensure availability aligned with production needs.
• Perform and support regular cycle counts and periodic physical inventory counts to maintain accurate stock levels.
• Investigate and resolve inventory discrepancies, including variances between physical counts and system records.
• Maintain accurate inventory records within ERP or inventory management systems.
• Coordinate with production and warehouse teams to ensure proper material handling, usage tracking, and replenishment.
• Identify slow-moving, obsolete, or excess inventory and communicate findings to support better purchasing decisions.
• Support the implementation and adherence to inventory control procedures and best practices.
• Proactively identify opportunities to improve inventory control processes, increasing accuracy, reducing waste, and ensuring materials are consistently available to meet production demands.
• Ensure high accuracy in all purchasing and inventory transactions to minimize errors, delays, and rework.
Vendor Coordination
• Communicate with approved vendors regarding pricing, availability, and lead times.
• Maintain accurate vendor records, pricing lists, and product specifications.
• Support vendor performance tracking by monitoring delivery reliability and order accuracy.
• Assist in sourcing alternative materials or vendors when required.
Cost Awareness & Accuracy
• Ensure purchase orders align with approved pricing and internal guidelines.
• Identify opportunities for cost savings through order consolidation or material alternatives (within established parameters).
Process & Documentation
• Follow established procurement procedures and approval workflows.
• Maintain accurate documentation of purchase orders, invoices, and supplier communications.
• Support the development and maintenance of procurement and inventory SOPs.
• Support continuous improvement of procurement and inventory processes to increase efficiency and reduce errors.
Cross-Department Coordination
• Act as a key point of coordination between production, project management, and vendors.
• Ensure clear communication of material availability and delivery timelines.
• Support alignment between purchasing activities and production priorities.
Job Knowledge & Skills
• Strong communication, interpersonal, and coordination skills
• Analytical and detail-oriented with strong problem-solving abilities
• Ability to manage time effectively, prioritize tasks, and meet deadlines
• Commercial awareness with understanding of how purchasing impacts production and customer delivery
• Ability to work under pressure and respond to urgent requirements
• High attention to detail and accuracy
Qualifications & Experience
• 2–5 years of experience in purchasing, procurement, or inventory coordination (print or manufacturing environment preferred)
• Experience working with purchase orders, vendor communication, and inventory processes
• Familiarity with large format print materials (substrates, inks, media) is an asset
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word)
• Post-secondary diploma or equivalent experience in a related field
Key Competencies
• Purchase order and procurement coordination
• Inventory control and cycle counting
• Vendor communication and follow-up
• Attention to detail and accuracy
• Problem-solving and prioritization
• Time management and organization
What Success Looks Like in This Role
Success in this role is defined by the ability to ensure materials are consistently available to support production, maintain accurate inventory levels, minimize stockouts and ordering errors, and contribute to a reliable, well-organized production environment that meets delivery expectations.
Core KPIs (Optional)
• On-time material availability: ≥ 98%
• Purchase order accuracy: ≥ 99%
• Inventory accuracy: ≥ 98%
• Stockout incidents: ≤ 2%
• Vendor on-time delivery: ≥ 95%