Education

• BA or BS degree in Business, Engineering, or Accounting with 3 years of experience in a manufacturing environment desired.
• Experience: 0–3 years of relevant experience.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential job function satisfactorily.  The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills and/or abilities required.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.

Computer Skills:

• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite of products
• JDE Proficiency, or proficiency with other ERP systems

Communication Skills:

• Ability to communicate and interact with all departments and levels within Twin Disc Racine, as well as with outside vendors
• Excellent written and oral communication skills

Technical Requirements:

• Technical knowledge of manufacturing, materials, processes and machining
• Basic product knowledge of products being sourced

Work Environment:

• Work location is Racine, Wisconsin
• Occasional travel to key vendors

Specialized Knowledge:

• Proven negotiation skills with an excellent knowledge of supply chain management
• CPM or CPIM status preferred

Other Requirements:

• Ability to work well in a team environment
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Strong curiosity and learning orientation
• Basic Analytical Skills
• Demonstrated ability to drive improvements in vendor quality, delivery, pricing and overall costs.

Essential Job Functions

1. Direct the procurement of assigned materials and commodities.  Make daily rational purchasing decisions to balance costs and inventory based on business needs. Take full responsibility for the supply of assigned part numbers and the performance of assigned vendors.
2. Ensure the availability of materials to meet production schedules. Maintain proper levels of inventory to ensure costs and delivery performance.
3. Support both direct procurement of production materials and indirect services essential for the operational running of the business.
4. Resolve issues pertaining to quality, expediting, receiving, and invoicing. Identify problems and recommend and/or initiate solutions without being asked.  Make recommendations for process improvements.
5. Establish working relationships with assigned vendors, promoting improved quality and cost reduction efforts. Provide vendors with regular forecasts, business conditions and critical Twin Disc initiatives. Follow-up with vendors to assure supply and demand understanding. Hold assigned vendors accountable for performance quality, delivery, and costs. Drive quality improvement and delivery improvement initiatives with vendors as necessary.
6. Visit key vendors to maintain strong business relationships, business clarity and to hold them accountable.
7. Leverage screens in JDE such as Supply and Demand to highlight issues and drive actions. Maintain Accurate Part Parameters in ERP (lead time, quantity breaks).  Modify JDE part parameters based on performance and business conditions (LT, ord policy, lot size, re-order point).
8. Keep up with all ERP messages.  Stay caught up with all assigned messages (B, O, C, D, E). Analyze the system before acting on messages to make sure the proper course of action.
9. Continually monitor vendor performance and proactively escalate issues that need attention. Quickly escalate potential supply interruptions such as supplier or product issues.  Identify the need to re-source or dual source products due to incumbent vendor performance or capacity issues. Ensure Twin Disc is reimbursed for vendor-related scrap and rework.
10. Maintain a close working relationship with Engineering and Manufacturing personnel in determining sources, component design and framing of specifications. Ensure the complete and timely processing of all Purchasing-related Engineering Change Notices, and work with Engineering to get relief on specifications where it makes sense to help supply.
11. Develop and implement part-specific order policies based on business needs (inventory reduction, capacity, etc.).
12. Control and monitor all purchasing associated costs including commodity price, carrying costs, storage costs, etc.
13. Work closely with the Quality department to resolve issues found at receiving inspection. Request reimbursements for vendor-related scrap and rework.
14. Actively participate in Daily Management meetings, being prepared to provide data and insight to current issues.
15. Fully understand and enforce terms of contracts and agreements.
16. Leverage and promote Twin Disc Supplier Portal.
17. Assist in training, on-boarding and coaching new Associate Buyers. May provide work to Clerks and train, track progress, provide feedback, and make adjustments to work load as necessary.
18. Supervises 0 employees.

Other Job Functions

Participate in cross-functional teams as required.

This job description reflects management’s assignment of essential job functions; it does not prescribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned.

In the performance of their respective tasks and duties, all employees are expected to perform quality work within deadlines with or without direct supervision, interact professionally with other employees, customers (internal and external) and suppliers and work independently while understanding the necessity for communicating and coordinating work efforts with other employees and the organization.