The MRO Buyer/Planer is responsible for the purchase of domestic and international raw materials, custom parts, commercial parts, services, tooling, and office supplies required for the operations of Vital Materials. Some materials will be complex and technical in nature. The MRO Buyer/Planner will purchase and negotiate these items based on the best price, quality, payment terms, delivery times, and projected inventory levels required to maintain current operation and production demands. This position reports directly to the Plant Manager.

Job Responsibilities:

Perform cost negotiation, cost avoidance initiatives, and cost benchmarking while balancing quality, supplier reliability, and delivery performance.
Monitor inventory systems for low-stock spare parts and initiate purchase requests to maintain adequate inventory levels.
Add new parts to ERP systems accurately, including descriptions, pricing, lead times, and supplier information.
Maintain working knowledge of shipping and receiving processes.
Receive purchased items physically and systematically, ensuring accurate receipt posting in ERP and QuickBooks.
Notify the respective requestor promptly once purchased items are received and available for use.
Set up new vendors in QuickBooks, collect required documentation, and issue purchase orders in accordance with company policies.
Support Maintenance, Repair, and Operations (MRO) purchasing, which represents the majority of procurement activity.
Work closely with raw material suppliers to negotiate pricing, terms, and lead times.
Understand urgency levels of parts and materials and place orders accordingly to avoid production or operational downtime.
Ensure production and plant operations are not impacted by purchasing delays for known spare parts or materials.
Perform daily raw material inventory counts and submit inventory reports to Accounting as required.
Demonstrate ownership, act with urgency and integrity, and continuously seek process improvements.
Maintain a continuous improvement mindset with a strong passion for excellence.
Willingness to work overtime as required to meet operational and business needs.
Perform all additional duties as assigned by management.

Experience:

3-5+ years of experience in procurement and/or purchasing in high volume manufacturing environment.
Knowledge of MRP concepts and one or more ERP systems.
Thorough knowledge of commonly used concepts, practices, and procedures within the Purchasing field.
Excellent communication skills, written and verbal, with attention to detail and accuracy.
Proficient computer skills and in-depth knowledge of relevant software such as MS Office Suite.
Demonstrated ability to work well with others in a matrix team environment.
Demonstrated capabilities in planning, organization, integration, and control with respect to the buying function.

Education:

Bachelor’s Degree Preferred
Minimum Associates Degree
Must have a continuous improvement mindset and be creative in performing the job responsibilities.

Location:

Bowling Green, Ohio, Perrysburg, Ohio

Working Conditions and Physical Demands:

Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.

Will climb stairs on an occasional basis.

Will lift up to 50 pounds on an occasional basis, according to work requirements.

Required to use hands to grasp, lift, handle, carry or feel objects.

Must be able to comply with all safety standards and procedures.

Ability to wear personal protective equipment as required.

Please note: Potential candidates will meet education and experience requirements provided in this position and excel in completing the listed responsibilities for this role. All candidates receiving an offer of employment must successfully complete a background check, pre-employment drug screen, and any other test that may be required for the role.

About Vital:

Vital Materials is a global materials technology and equipment company. Established in 1995 in China, Vital Materials has vertically integrated industrial and commercial operations located in North and South America (Head Office in US), Europe (Head Office in Belgium), and Asia (Head Office in China) with over 6,000 employees worldwide.

Vital Materials evolved rapidly since our founding, yet we remain focused in the areas of rare-metals-based advanced materials and resource recycling. We are the world's leading manufacturer of selenium and tellurium products as well as being a key producer of gallium, indium, germanium, bismuth, and cadmium products for diverse end markets and hi-tech applications including semiconductors, displays, electronics, photovoltaics, LED, infrared materials, acousto-optics, thermoelectrics, photosensors, radiation detectors, pharmaceuticals, feed additives, glass, ceramics, and metallurgy. In addition, we produce custom manufacturing equipment for many industries like the energy, semiconductor, and automotive industry just to name a few.