Buyer

­­Position Description

Buyer

Company Overview:

DESTACO, a Stabilus Company, is a global leader in the design and manufacture of high-performance automation, workholding, and remote handling solutions.  The company serves customers in variety of end-markets, including the automotive, life sciences, consumer goods, packaging, aerospace, and nuclear sectors. 

Built on a legacy of over 100 years, DESTACO offers a comprehensive portfolio of products to engineer precise movement, placement and control solutions that drive productivity and uptime for manufacturers around the world.  The DESTACO family of products consists of industry-leading brands such as DESTACO Manual and Power Clamps, Camco and Ferguson Indexers, Robohand Grippers and CRL Manipulators and Transfer Ports. 

DESTACO is based in Auburn Hills, Michigan, and operates globally through ~700 employees across 13 locations.

With nearly 90 years of demonstrated expertise, The Stabilus Group is one of the world's leading providers of motion control solutions for customers across a broad spectrum of industries. 

Stabilus, approaching 1.5B EUR in revenue, is headquartered in Koblenz, Germany and employs more than 7,000 team members across 34 locations in 18 countries.

Stabilus SE is listed in the Prime Standard segment of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and included in the MDAX index. www.stabilus.com

Central Research Laboratories (CRL), the Remote Handling business within DESTACO is a key P&L serving the Life Sciences (pharmaceutical, radio-pharmaceutical and bio-containment) and Nuclear market segments. Our products are recognized in the marketplace under the CRL brand.

Position Summary:

The Buyer for the Red Wing Plant is responsible for obtaining the best quality, service and value when sourcing materials for the organization that enables cost savings, quality materials, and on-time delivery for operational excellence.  S/he will work within the supply-chain team and across the global organization to identify purchasing needs, assist in the selection of suppliers, negotiate rates and arrange deliveries.  S/he will conduct analysis to recommend sourcing decisions to product development and operations.  S/he will be responsible for purchasing a high volume of parts, equipment, services and materials to meet operational needs in alignment with corporate materials management standards. 

The Buyer reports to the Materials Manager, Red Wing. The position is located in Red Wing, MN and requires some travel (up to 10%).  The position requires the ability to work and communicate across the globally across the regions with all levels of the organization, with customers and suppliers, and work in teams worldwide.

Key Job Responsibilities included but not limited to:

• Assists in identifying, assessing, negotiating, awarding and managing suppliers and procurement agreements.  Assesses suppliers on a global landscape to recommend best sourcing.
• Provides cost estimates for purchasing requests in a timely manner, transacts purchases of goods and services including raw materials, machined parts, components or finished goods efficiently with a high level of accuracy and quality to meet manufacturing and product management needs.
• Analyze, understand, and convert MRP messages to raw material purchase orders and plans to meet production/forecast demand.
• Demand analysis for executing MRP signals such as pull-ins, push-outs, and cancellations
• Accountable for maintaining the integrity of MRP planning parameters (costing, lot size, lead times, days of supply).
• Communicates with suppliers, discussing quotes and price increases, negotiating rates, and evaluating service and quality. Maintains updated price lists, ensuring accuracy in invoicing.
• Participates on cost reduction projects and conducts monthly cost reduction and value analysis. Reviews quotes and recommends sourcing decisions to assist with and ensure supplier selection aligns with cost reductions, quality improvements and delivery requirements.
• Reviews purchase order acknowledgements and updates pricing and delivery dates in ERP system. Provides quantities required during parts shortages to ensure sourcing needs are addressed.
• Conducts purchasing activities aligned with the supply chain philosophy and strategy, executing and supporting sourcing projects through selected and approved suppliers.  Designs and implements process improvements with a continuous improvement mind set.
• Recognizes, understands and addresses sourcing problems in a proactive manner.  Meets with suppliers to understand and resolve issues in a timely manner, reducing impact on operations and sourcing needs.
• Collaborates with operations, materials and procurement teams to optimize total value and complete work to support organizational goals.  Communicates and completes work globally, ensuring information, quoting and sourcing is completed with global suppliers.

Leadership Competencies aligned with Stabilus and executed in Destaco with appropriate expectations for the job level:

• Customer Impact: Creates value for customers addressing known and unknown needs. Knows and understands all aspects of the global market, including economics, products and services, channels, the customers and their end-markets.
• Results-Driven: Produces results that exceed Stabilus strategic objectives via a combination of planning and implementation, while living the Stabilus Values.
• Builds and Manages Collaborative Relationships: Establishes and nurtures relationships. Takes action to partner with the communities in which we operate and to be an appropriate corporate citizen.

Job Requirements:

Experience:

• Requires five (5) years of purchasing experience in a manufacturing environment
• Experience in working with suppliers including price negotiations and cost reduction initiatives
• Experience analyzing quotes and conducting value analysis for strategic sourcing decisions
• Experience in global sourcing preferred
• Experience recommending and implementing continuous improvements in sourcing preferred.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Strong negotiating and influencing skills
• Analytical, ability to review and interpret data and make recommendations and decisions
• High attention to detail, ensures accuracy of materials
• Ability to manage multiple projects working independently and on global teams
• Flexible, learns quickly, adapt to changing needs with the varying priorities of the organization
• Ability to work collaboratively and maintain positive relationships with customers and suppliers
• Ability to problem solve and lead others in problem-solving activities
• High integrity and ethics, ensures confidentiality of all pricing strategies for the organization
• Excellent communicator including interpersonal, verbal, and written skills
• Strong business acumen

Education and Certification Qualifications:

• Bachelors’ degree required in supply chain management or related field

Travel Requirements:

Ability to travel up to 10% of the time.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, age, genetic information, or any other factors prohibited by law.