Junior Buyer

Aspen thrives on taking on the biggest heavy haul design and manufacturing challenges in North America. Ready to roll where others fear to tread, the Aspen approach is built on a foundation of tenacity, perseverance, and unwavering determination - just like the people who use them. Aspen is a growing business looking for people with energy, drive and passion to contribute to our team.

The Junior Buyer / Material Planner reports to the Materials Manager and will be responsible for the day to day purchasing of materials for the production of trailers and the consumables required by the various departments.

Main Responsibilities
- Purchase materials for specific work orders and stock based on the Material Planning Report
- Purchase consumables (e.g., Shop tools, fasteners, hand soap)
- Purchase of subcontracted services (e.g., Heat treating) and maintenance services
- Monitor late deliveries and backorders and inform Production & Production Planning of any delays
- Maintain material costs in our ERP system from vendor quotations
- Administer and document the return of goods not required to vendors
- Creation and implementation of freight reduction strategies
- Assist Parts & Service staff with material quotations for their customers
- Assist Materials Manager in achieving annual departmental goals
- Assist Materials Manager in achieving monthly departmental scorecard goals
- Adhere to all Safety regulations set forth by Aspen’s safety program

Secondary Responsibilities
- Liaise with vendors and subcontractors to ensure price, quality and delivery expectations are being met
- Build and foster excellent communications with fellow employees
- Identify trends on inventory & parts supply and communicate to the Materials Manager
- Adjusting system accordingly based on current data. (e.g., Change min/max/safety stock/order point in the ERP system
- Facilitate problem solving and process improvement work internally
- Development and updating our standard operating procedure documents relating to Material Planning

Attributes and Skills
- Strong attention to detail
- Solid organizational capabilities and ability to complete tasks
- Able to work autonomously and uses good decision-making practices
- Problem solving ability in a customer focused environment where your customer may be internal or external
- Possess the ability to find quick solutions to unplanned changes and use creativity to resolve supply problems when they occur
- Organizational and planning skills, experience managing equally important and competing priorities
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Intermediate computer literacy with Microsoft Office (Excel, Windows, Visio, Outlook) and an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) software system
- The ability to read and understand engineered drawings
- Able to maintain a professional and calm demeanor in challenging situations
- Able to identify procedure and process improvements and advise the appropriate stakeholders

**Qualifications**:

- Minimum of two years’ experience purchasing in a manufacturing environment
- Experience with an ERP or database system. Experience with the system we use (Visual Manufacturing from Infor) would be a bonus
- Basic knowledge of Supply Chain and Accounting processes
- Experience communicating with various personality types and various levels of urgency and able to adjust personal style accordingly
- A recognized professional designation is an asset but not required

Working Conditions
- Typical indoor office environment with windows
- Offices with equipment noise and frequent interruptions
- Regular fast pace or work with tight deadlines
- A medium stress environment due to timelines

Shift Availability
- Days - Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm

**Benefits**:

- Competitive Wages
- Extended Health Care & Dental Benefits
- AD&D, Life and STD Disability Benefits
- Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP)
- Great work life balance
- Year-round work
- Stable career with opportunity for advancement
- Family environment and company culture