Senior Supply Chain Engineer.

Job Description

Job Title: Buyer/Planner I, II, III (Supply Chain Engineer), IV (Senior Supply Chain Engineer

Reports to: Materials Manager

Department: Operations

Exempt: ? Non-Exempt: ?

Date Created:

Job Summary:

The Buyer/Planner is responsible for the material planning and procurement of raw material, expense items, and equipment in support of manufacturing operations. The Buyer/Planner works to drive improvement and achieve key daily goals in Safety, Quality, Delivery, Inventory, and Productivity (SQDIP) to allow the manufacturing team to produce medical devices for our patients.

In addition to supporting the factory through purchasing, the Buyer/Planner plays a key role in product lifecycle management and performs the materials planning for new product development, end-of-life planning, and sustaining engineering changes. This position requires the ability to indirectly lead in the manufacturing organization and to build strong working relationships across functional areas and with suppliers. The Buyer/Planner works closely with suppliers to implement actions plans focused on meeting the Company’s quality, reliability, and delivery requirements.

Responsibilities (Specific tasks, duties, essential functions of the job)

• Communicate and coordinate with the manufacturing team to ensure continuous supply of product, meeting quality and delivery standards.
• Participate in daily management and brief the status of Key Performance Indicators.
• Calculate and maintain Kanban order quantities and target inventory levels.
• Order raw material using a Kanban pull system and audit the Kanban system.
• Resolve general problems with suppliers (i.e. - receiving errors, invoicing problems).
• Identify and escalate strategic supply issues.
• Monitor and improve line-down part shortages and supplier on-time delivery.
• Establish and achieve inventory reduction goals for raw material through detailed inventory analysis and action plans.
• Implement and sustain improvements in inventory 5S and visual management to improve inventory accuracy, flow, and availability.
• Responsible for onboarding and integrating new suppliers.
• Negotiate with vendors for materials, supplies, equipment, and services used by the Company, where contract pricing is not established.
• Coordinate the transition of raw material during the launch of new products and engineering change orders.
• Maintain regular and punctual attendance.
• Comply with all company policies and procedures.
• Assist with any other duties as assigned.

Buyer/Planner II

In addition to the responsibilities above, a Buyer/Planner II may also be responsible for the following.

• Focus on designing and implementing continuous process improvement strategies.

• Perform supplier development as part of a team.
• Lead simple supply chain improvements individually or serve as part of a team for complex improvements.
• Perform supply/demand analysis to identify future requirements.

Buyer/Planner III (Supply Chain Engineer)

In addition to items listed for Buyer/Planner II, a Buyer/Planner III (Supply Chain Engineer) may also be responsible for the following.

• Evaluate supplier performance by working closely with Engineering, Manufacturing, and Quality to prioritize improvements needed for procurement of incoming products and/or services
• Managing supply chain projects from start to finish including project vetting, team formation, planning, execution, stakeholder alignment/communication, and capturing deliverable values.
• Determine and apply the appropriate safety stock methodology to achieve target in-stock levels.
• Develop and update procedures and standard work for end-to-end supply chain processes.
• Measure and improve forecast accuracy.
• Analyze the supply chain current state and identify and prioritize improvement projects.
• Measure supplier performance and perform supplier development as part of a team.

Buyer/Planner IV (Senior Supply Chain Engineer)

In addition to items listed for Buyer/Planner III (Supply Chain Engineer) a Buyer/Planner IV (Senior Supply Chain Engineer) may also be responsible for the following.

• Train and mentor junior buyers with a focus on developing problem solving, decision-making, and negotiating skills.
• Conduct ABC analysis and assist in the development of inventory reduction targets to achieve turns goals. 
• Perform statistical analysis of historical datasets to help determine inventory planning targets.
• Conduct gap analysis to drive the company towards our ideal future state.
• Negotiate supplier stocking agreements and lead time reduction targets. 
• Perform multi-tier supplier risk assessments.

• Work with suppliers on root-cause problem solving for on time delivery and quality issues.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• High sense-of-urgency, work ethic.
• Strong analytical and planning ability.
• Highly organized.
• Attention to detail.
• Effective conflict resolution and communication skills
• Ability to problem-solve complex solutions both daily and long-term.
• Lean manufacturing practitioner.
• Ability to effectively interface with different departments within the company.
• A willingness to spend significant time on the factory floor problem-solving and collaborating.
• Ability to effectively interface with different departments within the company.
• Solutions-oriented problem solver.
• Excellent planning, communication and organizational skills.
• Ability to effectively interface with different departments within the company.

Qualifications (Experience and Education)

Level I

Buyer/Planner I

• Bachelors degree in Business Management, Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Logistics, or related technical discipline such as Economics or Engineering, required.
• 0-3 years of experience in purchasing and inventory management, required; Medical device manufacturing, preferred.
• Intermediate proficiency/knowledge in Microsoft Office included Excel, required.
• ERP Systems experience, preferred. 
• A combination of training, education and experience that is equivalent to the qualifications listed above and that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.

Level II

Buyer/Planner II

• Bachelors degree in Business Management, Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Logistics, or related technical discipline such as Economics or Engineering, required.
• 3-5 years of experience in purchasing and inventory management, required; Medical device manufacturing, preferred.
• Intermediate proficiency/knowledge in Microsoft Office included Excel, required.
• ERP Systems experience, required.
• APICs certification – Supply Chain Professional (CSCP), Productions and Inventory Management (CPIM) or American Purchasing Society Certified Purchasing Professional (CPP), preferred.
• A combination of training, education and experience that is equivalent to the qualifications listed above and that provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities.

Level III

Buyer/Planner III

(Supply Chain Engineer)

• Bachelors degree in Business Management, Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Logistics, or related technical discipline such as Economics or Engineering, required.
• 5+ years of experience in purchasing and inventory management, required; Medical device manufacturing, preferred.
• Intermediate proficiency/knowledge in Microsoft Office included Excel, required.
• ERP Systems experience, required.
• APICs certification – Supply Chain Professional (CSCP), Productions and Inventory Management (CPIM) or American Purchasing Society Certified Purchasing Professional (CPP), preferred.
• A combination of training, education and experience that is equivalent to the qualifications listed above and that provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities.

Level IV

Buyer/Planner (Senior Supply Chain Engineer)

• Bachelors degree in Business Management, Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Logistics, or related technical discipline such as Economics or Engineering, required.
• Demonstrated competency with supplier management, development, and negotiation.
• 7+ years of experience in purchasing and inventory management, required; Medical device manufacturing, preferred.
• Advanced proficiency/knowledge in Microsoft Office included Excel, required.
• ERP Systems experience, required. 
• APICs certification – Supply Chain Professional (CSCP), Productions and Inventory Management (CPIM) or American Purchasing Society Certified Purchasing Professional (CPP), preferred.
• A combination of training, education and experience that is equivalent to the qualifications listed above and that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.

Disclaimer

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel so classified.

Physical Job Demands

Job Classification/Family – Administrative

The physical job demands are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Frequency Code: The following abbreviations denote the frequency an activity is performed daily.

N = Never (0 hours)

O = Occasionally (>0 hours and <3 hours)

F = Frequently (<3 Hours and <5 hours)

C = Continuously (>5 hours)

Physical Demands

Frequency of demands during Essential functions

Code

Code

Code

Sitting

C

Kneeling

N

Carrying

O

Standing

O

Crawling

N

Reaching:

N

Walking

O

Climbing

N

Above Shoulders

N

Bending

N

Balancing

N

At/Below Shoulders

N

Stooping

N

Finger movement (repetitive)

O

Oral communication, clear speech

F

Squatting

N

Pushing

N

Seeing (far/near)

F

Pulling

N

Hearing acuity

F

Object Manipulation

Code

Fine Manipulation

F

e.g., writing, typing, picking up a paper clip, page turning

Simple Grasp

O

e.g.; turning a doorknob, picking up an object <5 lbs., phone

Firm Grasp

N

e.g., Lifting and handling objects >5 lbs.

Lifting

Weights/Pounds

Below Waist

Waist/ Chest

Above Shoulder

Examples of Objects

Up to 10

O

O

O

Office supplies, laptop, ream of paper

11-25

N

N

N

26-50

N

N

N

Box of material

51-75

N

N

N

76-100

N

N

N

Over 100

N

N

N

May be exposed to the following conditions:

Environmental Conditions

Indoor, electrical hazards, slippery surfaces, travel to other Inogen facilities, potential ergonomic hazards

Safety equipment/attire

Clerical equipment