THE COMPANY

Our client is a leading designer and manufacturer of specialty vehicles and related aftermarket parts and services.

THE POSITION

Reporting to the General Manager, this key position is responsible for the management of all purchasing activities. The Purchasing Manager takes ownership of the supply base within the business unit and develops key suppliers through continuous improvement techniques, building contractual relationships and establishing solid / regular lines of communication at the executive / ownership level.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Oversee all purchasing activities, including a team of buyers; 100–200 suppliers; and 2,000–4,000 purchased SKUs.
• Utilize a combination of MRP and kanban to arrive at an appropriate buying strategy for materials.
• Communicate material requirements to suppliers, ensuring supplier capability and timely delivery.
• Establish and report supplier KPIs, including quality, on-time delivery and lead time.
• Establish a supplier scorecard program to ensure communication of expectations.
• Establish and support supplier selection and qualification programs for new supplier onboarding.
• Continuously communicate forecast / demand information to supplier base, ensuring capacity is secured and parts are always available.
• Support new product development initiatives from prototype to full production.

• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, engineering, business, logistics or related field.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive manufacturing operations and procurement experience with at least three years in a supply chain leadership role.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes and MRP systems (experience with AS400/MAPICS preferred), and a background leveraging systems knowledge to optimize purchasing.
• Understanding of Lean Manufacturing, JIT and kaizen.