Purchasing Planner

Build a better career with MSC.

Serving customer and community starts with the very best people doing their very best work. That is precisely what we have at MSC Industrial Supply Co.

a leading North American distributor of metalworking and maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) products and services.

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Requisition ID : 15625

Employment Type : Full Time

Job Category : Business Development

Work Location : Davidson, NC (CSC)

State or Province : North Carolina (US-NC)

Potential Work Location :

BRIEF POSITION SUMMARY :

The successful Purchasing Planner will primarily be responsible for assuring product availability to meet customer service demands and meet or exceed business objectives for their selected suppliers or product categories.

The position includes but is not limited to : establishing and monitoring inventory levels against forecasts, achieving targeted company service levels, minimizing the company’s investment in inventory, processing exceptions and working collaboratively with suppliers and internal teams to address and resolve any supply chain issues.

DUTIES and RESPONSIBILITIES :

All duties performed under close supervision for less critical suppliers

Reviews and validates procurement / distribution plans (based on business rules, lead times, unconstrained forecasts, sales orders, safety stock requirements, etc.

and then executes the procurement process of placing purchase orders to the Customer Fulfillment Centers for assigned suppliers.

Establishes and monitors inventory levels against forecasts, validates forecasts, and achieve targeted company service level goals for assigned suppliers.

Develops and implements plans to satisfy demand requirements while balancing inventories against key performance metrics (e.

g. inventory dollars, turns, obsolescence and customer service).

• Performs order process analysis to optimize purchase order cycles and operating costs. Assesses purchasing options, calculate total into stock costs and analyzing cost reduction opportunities to optimize total spend by optimizing loads via combining various products onto a single order, pre-ordering as needed to reduce costs, surveying alternative suppliers for cost reductions, adjusting hub-spoke networks as needed to reduce costs, etc.
• Conducts in-depth root-cause analysis for supply chain issues / variances and defines corrective action plans to avoid reoccurrence.

Reviews out of stock situations or supply shortage issues and takes corrective action. Utilizes exception reports to identify and correct potential out of stock issues.

Coordinates with Suppliers and Category Management to reconcile gaps and supply shortages.

• Develops, manages, and executes purchasing plans for promotional sales plans and new product releases.
• Maintains relationships with Suppliers and drives supply chain compliance
• Expedites and devises alternative solutions (identify fill-in buy opportunities and substitute product) to resolve backorders in a timely manner.
• Identifies and manages potential inventory obsolescence to minimize aged inventory and eventual write-offs. Negotiates supplier returns and / or works cross-functionally (Brochure Owners, Category Management) to devise ways to sell through non-moving inventory.
• Builds strong cross-functional working relationships inclusive of Sales Teams, Category Management, Asia Procurement Office, Customer Care, Accounting, Sales Operations, and Customer Fulfillment Centers to enhance the purchasing process.
• Consistently provide best-in-class customer service to internal and external customers.
• Analyze and recommend opportunities for promotional, pallet or bulk buys.
• Collaborates with key cross functional supply chain partners (Category Management, Customer Fulfillment Centers, Accounting, etc.

to pro-actively identify supply chain issues affecting MSC’s cost and service to customers.

• Develops and implements strategies as needed to address service issues caused by supplier performance.
• Processes receiving and inventory exceptions according to established time and process guidelines.
• Ensures timeliness of product delivery and the quality of the product delivered through frequent interaction with Suppliers and Category Management.
• Leads operational performance reviews with Suppliers. Discuss and review supplier performance relative to goal and inform key stakeholders of any impactful findings.
• Reviews supplier performance and meets with suppliers to address issues and negotiate improvement opportunities and follow up steps.
• Identifies product database errors and follows up to ensure correction.
• Works on process improvement teams and cross-functional initiatives.
• Collaborates with demand planners to deliver business results (increase / decrease forecasts, promo planning, utilization of market intelligence).
• Ability to foster, manage and leverage relationships at varying levels internally & externally up to the executive level
• Drives the MSC Culture in the department and throughout the company to ensure fulfillment of MSC’s vision and unity of purpose.
• Participation in special projects and performs additional duties as required.
• INDICATES ESSENTIAL DUTIES

To perform this job successfully an associate must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of knowledge, experience level and abilities required.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties.

EDUCATION and EXPERIENCE :

• A Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, Operations Management, Supply Chain or related field or equivalent experience required.
• Experience in supply planning, demand planning, or other supply chain related field preferred.
• Experience with Supply Chain Management software systems required.
• Global purchasing experience preferred.
• APICs Certified in Planning & Inventory Management preferred

SKILLS :

• Excellent time management skills required. Experienced in setting priorities and meeting deadlines within a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
• Strong aptitude in data analysis, root cause identification, and problem solving with demonstrated experience turning data into actionable insights.
• Ability to think and perform in a both strategic and tactical space, concurrently required.
• Self-starter with an entrepreneurial mindset for problem solving and the ability to provide a strategic direction.
• Self-motivated and able to work independently with minimal assistance or in a group.
• Ability to network and build strong relationships
• Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to communicate and present effectively at all levels of the organization as well as with external vendors.
• Strong negotiation and follow up skills required
• MS Office Suite proficiency required; MS Excel Intermediate skill level (creating and modifying spreadsheets and using complex functions, and filters and graphs to analyze and manipulate data) or above required
• Proficiency with Blue Yonder Demand or Supply Chain modules preferred

OTHER REQUIREMENTS :

A valid driver’s license and the ability to travel up to 10% of the time

Why MSC

People. Collaboration. Insight. That’s how you build something that works.

Built on a foundation of trust, MSC works side by side with our customers to help them drive business results. With more than one million product offerings and 75+ years of experience across industries, MSC strives to help our customers achieve greater productivity, profitability, and growth through inventory management and other innovative supply chain solutions.

We care about our associates and have programs in place to help our 6,500+ team members achieve their potential. When you join our team, you will receive rewards and recognition for your contributions, training and professional development opportunities, as well as a variety of benefits to support you and your family's health, well-being, and financial future.

If you are inspired to learn, take risks, and succeed as a team, you can build a better career at MSC.

Equal Opportunity Statement

At MSC, we are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all qualified applicants and our associates without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity / expression or any category protected by applicable law.