Purchasing Associate

Summary/Objective The Purchasing Associate plays a key role in supporting the procurement function by developing effective purchasing strategies, maintaining strong supplier relationships, and collaborating with internal teams to meet supply requirements. This position requires excellent negotiation skills, a sharp analytical mindset, and strong attention to detail. The ideal candidate understands market trends and organizational needs to make strategic, cost-effective purchasing decisions. The Purchasing Associate will work closely with the Quality Control Engineer and the Manufacturing/Production Coordinator to ensure seamless operations and product quality. Essential Functions Vendors 1. Work with National and International vendors and currencies 2. Negotiate with vendors on pricing, delivery, payment terms and other factors that help Speck Pumps position in the market place 3. Responsible for seeking out new vendors for materials to ensure that Speck Pumps is purchasing the best raw materials at the best price 4. Maintain and keep current vendor contract pricing in ERP System (Syspro) 5. Handle returns of products to vendors and ensure proper credit is given 6. Incoming Freight Vendors: Monitor performance and ensure vendors are delivering lowest freight costs and best delivery times. Negotiate with National and International freight carriers Materials Planning 7. Work in concert with Warehouse Operations Manager and Manufacturing/Production Coordinator to ensure that processes are functioning properly and system is fully implemented into operations of purchasing, production and inventory processes 8. Work with Manufacturing/Production Coordinator to determine proper inventory levels and forecast ordering for production materials 9. Work with Sales Department to create a meaningful forecast taking Specials, Promotions and Outstanding Quotes into consideration as needed Purchasing 10. Produce domestic and foreign vendor purchase orders and track deliveries using ERP system (Syspro). Expedite as needed to meet production levels 11. Work with Engineering and Sales Departments on new product developments and roll outs 12. Support and work with Warehouse Operations Manager to maintain high quality standards of production 13. Participate in annual pricing updates and input in to ERP system (SysPro) 14. Assist in the development of a quality control program with the Q.C. Engineer, Manuf./Prod. Coord. and Operations Manager 15. In coordination with Quality Control, monitor the quality of incoming materials and work with vendors for improvements to reduce our RMA’s General 16. Work with Accounting to resolve vendor invoice discrepancies and inventory discrepancies 17. Utilize a cloud-based file storage program (Content Central) to properly store and process documents. Manage Queues to ensure documents and forms are addressed and functions prompted by arrival are completed in a timely manner 18. Participate in annual physical inventory 19. Create and generate reports as needed to ensure accurate information is readily available 20. Administer and maintain Speck Pumps databases for serial numbers and work orders 21. Special Projects as needed by Management 22. Review Inventory levels, ensuring all adjustments are properly made i.e., Receiving QTY is correct, UOM are entered and received properly 23. Investigate Inventory discrepancies to determine the cause and correct in order to maintain accurate Inventory levels Competencies Manufacturing and Procurement Communication Proficiency Strong Negotiation Skills Organization Skills Attention to Detail ERP (SysPro a plus) Time Management Supervisory Responsibility This position does not have any supervisory responsibilities Position Type/Expected Hours of Work This is a full-time position. Hours of work are Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with a 30-minute lunch period. The schedule consists of a 40-hour work week. Travel No travel is expected for this position. Requir…

View the full posting and apply