Junior Buyer

The Junior Buyer supports procurement operations in a regulated, high-volume, low-mix military manufacturing environment. This role applies acquired job skills, company policies, and established procedures to execute semi-routine purchasing activities that ensure material availability, cost awareness, and schedule adherence. The Junior Buyer works independently on routine tasks and receives guidance on new or non-standard assignments, contributing through personal effort to team and organizational goals.

Purchasing & Supply Support

• Execute      purchase orders for production and non-production materials in accordance      with approved procedures, contracts, and military compliance requirements.
• Manage      semi-routine buying assignments by selecting appropriate solutions from      defined procedures using sound judgment and prior experience.
• Monitor      supplier delivery performance and follow up on late, incomplete, or      incorrect shipments.
• Support      material planning and production schedules in a high-volume, low-mix      environment to minimize shortages or disruptions.

Problem Solving & Decision Making

• Address      routine purchasing issues that are known, defined, and readily apparent.
• Perform      basic fact-finding to resolve occasional non-routine issues, escalating as      appropriate.
• Ensure      actions taken align with established procurement policies, quality      standards, and compliance requirements.

Cost & Performance Awareness

• Maintain      awareness of material costs, lead times, and service-level expectations.
• Support      cost control initiatives by ensuring accurate pricing, quantities, and      terms on purchase orders.
• Understand      the downstream impact of purchasing decisions on production, inventory,      and customer commitments.

Communication & Collaboration

• Interact      daily with internal stakeholders (planning, production, quality,      engineering, and finance) to exchange basic information and support      operational needs.
• Communicate      professionally with suppliers to convey order details, delivery      expectations, and routine issue resolution.
• Demonstrate      customer service skills, common courtesy, and tact in all internal and      external interactions.

Compliance & Documentation

• Ensure      purchasing activities comply with company policies, military/defense      regulations, and quality management system requirements.
• Maintain      accurate records, documentation, and system data to support audits and      traceability requirements.

Skills & Competencies

• Working      knowledge of procurement and supply chain processes
• Ability      to follow established procedures and instructions with minimal supervision
• Sound      judgment and common-sense decision making within defined guidelines
• Basic      problem-solving and fact-finding skills
• Strong      organizational and time-management abilities
• Professional      communication and customer service skills
• Attention      to detail and documentation accuracy

Experience & Education

• Typically      requires 1–2 years of related purchasing, supply chain, or      manufacturing experience
• Entry      point into skilled procurement roles
• May      require formal occupational training or certification related to supply      chain, procurement, or manufacturing
• Experience      in a regulated or military/defense manufacturing environment is a plus

Level & Impact (Intermediate S2 Alignment)

• Applies      acquired job skills and company policies to complete assigned tasks
• Works      on semi-routine assignments with limited impact, typically within the      immediate team
• Financial      accountability is limited to cost awareness and service-level expectations
• Normally      follows established procedures on routine work; instructions required      primarily for new assignments
• Supports      team and organizational goals through personal contribution in own work      area