Buyer

Company / Location Information

A. O. Smith is a global leader applying innovative technologies and energy-efficient solutions to products manufactured and marketed worldwide. The company is one of the world's leading manufacturers of residential and commercial water heating equipment and boilers, as well as a manufacturer of water treatment products for residential and light commercial applications. A. O. Smith is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with approximately 12,000 employees at operations in the United States, Canada, China, India, Mexico, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

Hague Quality Water (subsidiary of A. O. Smith) that exports water treatment solutions to over 50 countries is the longest standing water treatment manufacturer in the United States.

Primary Function

The Buyer reports directly to the Sourcing Director and is responsible for day-to-day effective rebuying and planning of direct and indirect materials. Buyer/Planners are accountable for customer service levels and the material flow in their area of responsibility, as well as development and execution of process improvements activity. Will also be involved with onboarding new suppliers as they are identified to help them understand AOS purchasing practices.

Responsibilities

• Demand Planning of direct and indirect materials required for assembly in the designated areas of responsibility.

• Analyze MRP and forecast data, generate purchase orders, and manage Kanban's to meet production needs with minimal inventory investment.

• Planning efficiently planning of sales order to facilitate flow in responsible areas in order of their priority, taking into considerations the resources & capacity available.

• Reviews Engineering Change Notices and takes necessary actions to manage product transitions while minimizing obsolescence.

• Supports level-loading plan and all material kitting processes defined for the cells in his/her responsibility.

• Inventory management activities including Kanban management, card resizing, material presentation at the cell; assures inventory accuracy by proper inventory transactions and periodic cycle counts.

• Achieve inventory reduction goals while ensuring safety stock minimums are secured and no gap outs of components or materials occur.

• Support 95% on-time delivery to customer request dates.

• Ensures high quality products from suppliers within commodities of responsibility.

• Supports Accounting Department with payments and invoice discrepancies in his / her areas of responsibility. Also ensure compliance with company DPO goals.

• Work with Sourcing team to improve and develop the supply chain in conjunction with our strategic goals.

• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• SAP ERP System knowledge

• Planning or purchasing experience in a Manufacturing environment

• High level of skill with the Microsoft Office programs: Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Access

• CPM/CPIM certification or JDE experience a plus

• Strong, self-directed, and results-oriented

• Excellent oral and written communication skills

• Proactive: bias for action - sense of urgency

• High degree of accuracy and attention to detail

• Ability to work in cross-functional teams

• Strong analytical and problem solving skills

• Understanding of PPAP and/or Quality Standards

• Utilize Supplier Scorecards and provide relevant information to AOS SAP system

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Business Management or Finance