Buyer

Buyer - (2400006M)

Description

**EXPLORE THE POTENTIAL OF BEING PART OF SOMETHING CLEARLY ESSENTIAL**

**We are currently hiring a Buyer to join the team at our Underground Salt Mine in Goderich, Ontario.**

***

Compass Minerals’ Goderich Salt Mine, located 1,800 feet under Lake Huron, is the largest underground salt mine in the world. The mine is as deep as the CN Tower in Toronto is tall. The rock salt produced at the mine is used to keep citizens in North America safe as they travel through winter snow and ice. The salt is shipped to hundreds of communities around the Great Lakes and along the St. Lawrence Seaway. Some of the salt is trucked to the Compass Minerals plant less than 4 kilometers away, to be packaged for distribution and sale at retailers in North America. The salt is also sold in bulk to manufacturers that make plastics, detergents, disinfectants and other important products. Goderich is named Canada’s Prettiest Town and is best known for its stunning sunsets. Goderich is a lakeside community of 8,000 people located approximately 1.5 hours from London and Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario.

**HOW WILL YOU CONTRIBUTE TO THE TEAM?**

This position is primarily responsible for effectively sourcing, negotiating and contracting an uninterrupted supply of MRO materials. The person will also assist in purchasing special project/capital materials as well as assistance with Supplier performance monitoring, continuous cost improvement, process improvement, safety, training and work activities related to the operation with an emphasis on controlling costs, total cost of ownership and inventory systems proficiency.
- Effective purchasing of stock inventory, non-stock material and services and project/capital material and services, ensuring appropriate sourcing, negotiations and contract development and documentation.
- Ensure compliance with corporate supply contracts on MRO purchasing, including loading of contract pricing into the system to permit automated release of contracted inventory items. Ensure site policies, procedures and government regulations are adhered to, including WSIB, liability insurance and WHMIS.
- Follow up and resolve with Accounts Payable any invoice discrepancies, ensuring costs in the system are accurate.
- Analyze inventory levels on stock items and purchases replacement items as required and per established purchasing standards, best practices and production requirements; adjust reorder levels to reflect current usage and effective inventory management. Setup new item numbers as required. Manage obsolete items as required.
- Assist with the management of consignment and committed inventory agreements with suppliers.
- Selects vendors, assesses vendor capabilities, develops alternative sources and evaluates vendor performance.
- In conjunction with the senior buyers and category managers, negotiate price and delivery on purchased goods and services as required. Assist and monitor alliance/contract price agreements. Negotiation and settlement of warranty claims.
- Work with customs brokers on complete and accurate cross-border shipments.
- Assure that open purchase orders are tracked, followed up on and expedited as needed; actively engaged in realizing, capturing and reporting cost savings opportunities.
- Issue purchase orders and maintain positive supplier relations. Work proactively with internal and external customers to maintain a high level of confidence and working relationships; work with maintenance, engineering and operations in quoting and sourcing non stock needs.
- Assist managers in contract preparation and/or review.
- Maintain blanket services agreements.
- Actively participate in Compass Minerals Continuous Improvement Process (CIP) and Catalyst programs and use the tools of CIP to improve work flows.
- Participate in career enhancement programs to attain/maintain professional level buying skills.

Qualifications

**WHAT SHOULD YOU BRING TO THE ROLE?**
- College Diploma or Bachelor’s Degree, or equivalent education and experience, preferably in Business or Associates Degree with relevant supply chain experience.
- Five years of purchasing experience including sourcing, contract development and negotiations
- Certification requirements: CPP, CPSM, C.P.M., S.C.M.P or equivalent preferred.

**Competency**:
**Knowledge - **Inventory operations; general parts or mechanical knowledge a plus. Heavy industrial experience a plus. Mining experience a plus.

**Skills - **Good understanding of and experience with Microsoft Outlook, Excel, Word, Internet. MRP/ERP software experience with JD Edwards, SAP, Oracle or similar an asset. Must have excellent analytical and problem solving skills.

**Abilities - **Multi-task with interruptions, superior organization and follow-up ability is essential. Ability to work well with little supervision. Adaptable to change in demands and priorities.

**Characteristics - **Good communication skills, works well with all levels of ma