Manufacturing Services Buyer

Position Title:

Manufacturing Services Buyer 

Pay Rate: 

$75,800 -  $101,000  Multiple factors, including Individual experience, skills and abilities will determine where an employee is ultimately placed in the pay range. Variable pay may provide additional opportunities for financial awards. This job is eligible to participate in IP’s annual incentive plan.

Category/Shift:

Salaried Full-Time

Physical Location:

IP Technology Center

6283 Tri-Ridge Blvd.

Loveland, Oh 451140-7910

The Job You Will Perform:

This position is responsible for the procurement of Manufacturing Services contracts required to support facility maintenance and operations. The Buyer will effectively utilize the organization’s procurement process in a lead or support role to increase value to International Paper. Scope includes procurement strategy development, negotiations, advanced analytical tools, contract administration, warranty enforcement and ongoing supplier management. Assignments will typically involve IP’s North American operations but can extend to any of IP’s global facilities. The individual will work on a variety of projects concurrently, covering single and multi-facility agreements with project duration from one week to up to one year. There is the possibility of travel to support projects.  The requirement to travel will vary depending on projects but could be up to 30% and involve multiple trips per month.  Individual has responsibility for approximately $100 million in annual expenditures.

The Capital and Manufacturing Services (CMS) Group is a key Procurement department that drives significant enterprise value. Our Capital team’s purchases account for $450MM annually and we are involved for all buys over $500,000. Our Manufacturing Services Team manages $600MM+ of annual contracted spend for categories such as General Maintenance and Repair, Turbine Service, Boiler Maintenance and Repair, and Non-Destructive Evaluation. In addition, the CMS group is also responsible for Investment Recovery activities which consist of transfer/disposal of fixed assets (Surplus Equipment), sourcing for site closure and demolition activities. The Capital and Manufacturing Services group brings the full power of the procurement process to what can be highly variable sourcing events. Our team is the “Center of Excellence” for capital and manufacturing services procurement for the enterprise and serves to drive continuous improvement of specialized processes and development of talent with specific experience in purchase of capital equipment and manufacturing services.

Successful applicant must be able to:

1. Achieve targeted cost reduction goals in the purchase of manufacturing services by working with the organizations that utilize the services and introducing best practices to the procurement process.

2. Act as Lead/Assist Buyer for the execution of sourcing event activities for Manufacturing Services Categories and the strategy execution of capital equipment or services to support capital project needs.  Create effective procurement strategies that deliver maximum cost reduction and value creation. Effective engagement and facilitation of a diverse team including mill stakeholders, other buyers, financial analysts, Global Sourcing COE and other subject matter experts is essential to success.

3. Formulate and apply mathematical modeling and other optimizing methods to develop and interpret information that assists with decision-making, policy formulation, or other purchasing functions.

4. Support facility needs in the procurement of facility specific services and resolution of supplier issues:

1. Offer strategies and negotiation advice
2. Assist in evaluations and navigate problem resolution
3. Authorize purchase decisions for amounts above facility authority level including oversight of bid selection process

5. Lead supplier management activities with strategic suppliers, which includes but not limited to, KPI tracking, supplier development, and contract adherence.

6. Develop and drive opportunities for reduction of life cycle cost by engaging key suppliers in suggesting improvements to our operations, processes, and procedures with the goal of reducing total cost of ownership (TCO).

7. Lead and participate in activities to continuously improve the effectiveness of the department through application of Manufacturing Excellence tools, identification of opportunity areas and effective communication with all stakeholder groups.

8. Ownership of assigned renewable contracts requires oversight of both category-based and single facility contracts. Success metrics are:

1. Timely renewal of contracts
2. Effective and creative strategy development
3. Strong Category Management – Sufficient supply options, new supplier development, Total Cost of Ownership reduction, KPI tracking, dispute settlement, strong supplier relationships; includes long term strategy for improvement; key indicator is mill/stakeholder satisfaction
4. Fair and rapid resolution of performance disputes and contract related issues

The Qualification, Skills and Knowledge You Will Bring:

• Bachelor’s Degree required.
• 5 years’ work experience is needed with facility, industry, extended purchasing, or capital project experience preferred.
• Successful candidates should have demonstrated leadership skills, technical aptitude, effective communication skills, analytical skills, an understanding of financial basics, the ability to work independently and the ability to act as a team player including the strength/ability to stand alone when necessary.
• Good PC skills are needed for accessing financial data, analyzing alternatives, and preparing presentations. Use of the following software programs is required; SAP, SAP BW, SharePoint, Excel, Access and PowerPoint

Competencies:

The Benefits You Will Enjoy:

• Paid time off including Vacation and Holidays
• Retirement, pension, and 401k Matching Program
• Medical & Dental
• Education & Development (including Tuition Reimbursement)
• Life & Disability Insurance

The Career You Will Build:

• Leadership training
• Promotional opportunities

The Impact You Will Make: