Strategic Buyer

Howmet Aerospace - Minnesota Operations is seeking a highly skilled and strategic Buyer responsible for developing purchasing schedules, negotiating and sourcing & purchasing materials, products, services and MRO items, expediting purchase orders, maintaining positive and professional working relationships with suppliers, monitoring and managing assigned inventory items, assist in qualifying and selecting new suppliers, participating in the proposal estimating process, negotiating and settling damage claims and additional issues with suppliers and participating on the Material Review Board.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop purchasing schedules in support of manufacturing projects and production plans, including creating and maintaining Material Requirements Planning (MRP) parameters, monitoring and managing MRP requisitions and synchronizing planning data to support kanban systems.
• Negotiate and purchase materials, products, services and MRO items at favorable pricing consistent with quality, quantity, on-time-delivery and specification requirements, including administering supplier contracts.
• Expedite purchase orders, including identifying part shortages/late deliveries in advance and assist with identifying alternative solutions
• Maintain positive and professional working relationships with the suppliers, including effectively resolving supplier issues.
• Monitor and manage assigned inventory items to ensure both project and division objectives are met.
• Assist in qualifying and selecting new suppliers, including conducting supplier performance visits and monitoring supplier performance. Track and publish supplier performance metrics.
• Participate in the proposal estimating process by providing timely and accurate quotes to Sales & Marketing and work closely with Engineering on make/buy decisions and design changes.
• Negotiate and settle damage claims, rejections, losses, return of materials, over- shipments, cancellations and engineering changes with suppliers. Participate on the Material Review Board.
• Identify continuous improvement opportunities and initiate efforts in order to implement LEAN principles throughout the organization
• Other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor degree in Business Management or related field.
• Minimum three years relevant experience.
• Demonstrated negotiation and analytical skills.
• Intermediate experience utilizing MRP and ERP systems.
• Proficient PC skills in a Windows environment.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal and teamwork skills.
• Employees must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position;
• This position is subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) which requires U.S. person status. ITAR defines U.S. person as an U.S. Citizen, U.S. Permanent Resident (i.e. 'Green Card Holder'), Political Asylee, or Refugee.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in a precision machine shop environment.
• Knowledge of commodities and suppliers in the manufacturing sector.
• Raw material background.
• Experience working within an ISO environment.
• LEAN / Six Sigma training and demonstrated application.