Buyer/planner Jr

Blachford Acoustics Group is the premier designer and supplier of acoustical materials, molded headliners and floor mats for heavy truck, off-highway and other industrial OEM’s. Backed by a state-of-the-art acoustics laboratory and vertically integrated manufacturing plants in West Chicago, IL, Menomonee Falls, WI, Kings Mountain NC, Cambridge, ON and Chesterfield, UK, we offer custom designed solutions. Blachford Acoustics Group is the technology leader in targeted markets having served customers for over 100 years. We provide common, coordinated solutions to North America and Europe. We excel at helping customers make their vehicles attractive, cool and quiet.

Blachford places high value on ensuring every employee has a voice and we stress that each can make a difference in our business. Our Environmental Management System is ISO 14001 registered, and we are committed to being a responsible corporate citizen.

**Job Summary**

The buyer/planner jr, under the direction of the Supply Chain Manager, is responsible for the overall success of the production scheduling, purchasing or raw materials, planning, and production processes. This position leads the scheduling and planning in meeting customer demands; provides leadership, direction, administration, and coordination of all activities; oversees all purchasing, scheduling, and planning functions; and directly purchases raw materials and auxiliary as well as scheduling. Optimize planning to meet service 98% on-time-in-full delivery, and cost, and minimize inventory in accordance with the company's 90-day excess and obsolescence policy. Provide quick responses to production and material problems address issues by shifting resources and ensure that employees and materials are used most effectively.

Follow all internal plant policies in accordance with ITFA, ISO 140001, and EMS systems.

**Essential Duties and Responsibilities**:

- Master production planning in BIS to determine raw material requirements and issue requisition of required raw materials upon review of current inventory levels and requirements.
- To plan, control, and issue production orders in with accordance to customer demand
- Maintain production material inventories in such a way as to meet customer requirements on a timely basis.
- Create, issue, and evaluate purchase order activities to suitable production schedules following strategic purchasing processes and procedures.
- Estimating the material, equipment, and labor required for production.
- Promptly addressing and resolving production issues to minimize production delays.
- Coordinating production operations by material, labor, and equipment availability.
- Recommending viable solutions to reduce production costs and improve production processes and product quality, example, minimum run orders.
- Effecting changes to production schedules and material substitutes to meet production deadlines.
- Promptly informing the relevant departments of changes to current production schedules or raw material issues.
- Monitor material inventories, track production progress, and review all factors affecting production schedules.
- Interface with multiple departments, including sales, manufacturing, order entry/customer service, maintenance, warehouse, and shipping, to coordinate the processing of all orders.
- Achieve performance metrics for the purchasing and planning position and manage raw materials to meet and improve performance metrics.
- Evaluate and analyze purchasing and price trends to identify forecasting demand and minimize purchasing costs.
- Assist senior management in new supplier sourcing and vetting for raw materials.
- Work with senior management to set department budgetary limits based on historical numbers, departmental needs, growth expectations, and company goals.
- Assure the company’s compliance with internal, local, state, and federal rules and regulations related to purchasing and planning activities.
- Participate and fulfill appropriate responsibilities defined in the QMS/EMS/LMS management system manuals.
- Participate in annual fiscal inventory.
- Follow work instructions, procedures, and control plan as appropriate.
- Additional duties as requested/assigned

**Education, Skills and Experience**
- Degree or diploma in supply chain management, or other related field or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Minimum 3 years of experience in production, scheduling, planning, and/or purchasing
- Ability to work well under pressure, individually and as part of a team.
- Experience in a manufacturing setting is a strong asset
- Proficient with computers and the ability to quickly learn computer systems and process.
- Proficiency with MS Office software - specifically Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, & teams
- Able to work successfully and productively in a team environment or independently and multi-task effectively.
- Proven analytical, planning, and organizing skills.
- Excellent problem-solving skills