Purchasing Associate Ii - Lowbanks, Canada - Innophos

Description

The Purchasing Associate reviews and approves purchase orders for the acquisition of materials and indirect services. Researches, interviews, and communicates with suppliers to obtain prices, specifications, and onboarding information. Provides routine administrative support.

This job can be located at our Cranbury, East Hanover, Geismar, Nashville or Port Maitland locations with a hybrid schedule of 3x/week in office and 2x/week remote.

Key Responsibilities**- Consults catalogs and interviews suppliers to obtain prices and specifications.

• Prepares purchase order from requisitions and Materials Requirement Planning (MRP) reports using MRP system. Follows up on approval process as needed. Communicates Purchase Orders (POs) to the supplier and department originating request.
• Builds relationships with suppliers. Uses relationships with suppliers to ensure that company is able to obtain optimal level of service.
• Vets new suppliers and collects pertinent information for formal, vendor onboarding.
• Guides internal stakeholders on how to follow purchasing policies and procedures; ensures stakeholder compliance of these policies.
• Files and maintains vendor documents and contracts using internal database software.
• Works with receiving and accounts payable to equitably resolve differences between invoices, PO, and delivery receipts.
• Works with maintenance, production, and EHS managers to optimize supplies for maintenance, environmental treatments and other essential parts.
• Assists Senior Buyer or Supply Chain manager in maintaining costs in system (last, landed, standard) to maximize accuracy of company costing systems.
• Uses supplier confirmations to keep MRP and open PO files/systems up to date on expected delivery dates.
• Uses MRP system to maintain and run reports of items purchased or transferred between departments, prices, deliveries, and inventories.
• Uses MRP system to track order timeliness from suppliers, follows up on all late deliveries and keeps dates in system as current as possible. Confers with suppliers concerning late deliveries.
• Compares prices, specifications, and delivery dates from approved suppliers.
• Works with other Purchasing Associates as a team. Senior Buyer may direct much of Purchasing Associate work and areas of emphasis as agreed upon with Supply Chain Director.
• Works with suppliers, carriers and receiving to resolve material damage issues and/or quality of material issues.

Required Education and Experience**- Associates or Bachelor s degree; preferably in Business, Finance or Supply Chain

• 3 or more years of experience; more than 5 years of experience may be substituted in place of a degree

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Excellent MS Office and Excel skills (VLookup, pivot tables)
• Project Management experience
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Solid grasp of mathematics and unit of measure conversion
• Basic knowledge of accounting principles and quality management
• Aptitude to learn MRP and Quality Software systems e.g., JDE

About Innophos

Innophos is a leading international producer of specialty ingredient solutions that deliver far-reaching, versatile benefits for the food, health, nutrition and industrial markets.

We leverage our expertise in the science and technology of blending and formulating phosphate, mineral and botanical based ingredients for our customers.

Our people are the heart of our organization and the foundation of our success. We are driven by our core values of safety, diversity, integrity and collaboration.

Headquartered in Cranbury, New Jersey, Innophos has manufacturing operations across the United States, in Canada, Mexico and China and sells into over 70 countries.