The Purchaser is responsible for ensuring material availability to support production requirements across three fabrication plants in Canada while minimizing total cost of supply. This includes identifying material needs through MRP and offline systems, executing timely purchases, managing supplier relationships, and maintaining accurate inventory and cost data. The role combines tactical purchasing execution with strategic sourcing and supply chain optimization activities to support profitable growth and operational reliability. The Purchaser will also provide purchasing support for equipment, services, and indirect materials for the plant where they are co-located.
Material Planning and Procurement
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Prepare and execute Purchase Orders for materials, goods, and services to meet requirements identified by MRP/ERP, forecasts, Kanbans, inventory counts, and informal/ad-hoc requests
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Plan and execute purchases to meet business needs at the lowest total cost of supply, considering price, freight, handling, and working capital impact.
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Coordinate deliveries to align with production needs, avoiding shortages or excess inventory.
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Analyze and plan interbranch transfers to balance material availability and reduce overall logistics costs.
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Purchase materials, equipment, and services for the local facility as needed.
Inventory Management
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Monitor and manage inventory levels to achieve target service levels while minimizing carrying costs.
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Direct and oversee cycle counting activities to maintain inventory accuracy; perform adjustments as required.
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Participate in annual physical inventory counts and reconciliation.
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Maintain accurate and timely inventory records in ERP and related systems.
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Identify slow moving and obsolete inventory and recommend actions to internal stakeholders
Supplier Management
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Develop and maintain strong, collaborative relationships with key suppliers.
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Execute RFQs for new materials or alternative suppliers and evaluate responses for cost, quality, and reliability.
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Resolve delivery, quality, and payment discrepancies in collaboration with Accounts Payable, Logistics, and Production.
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Identify and implement cost reduction and service improvement opportunities.
Data and Cost Management
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Maintain and update a monthly list of material replacement costs for use in sales estimating.
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Track and report key purchasing metrics including lead time, cost trends, and supplier performance.
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Support strategic sourcing projects and contribute to supplier selection and qualification processes.
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Setup and maintain material item ERP data to facilitate material transactions and replenishments
Quality Management
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Ensure procurement conforms with ISO and Norseman quality management system
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Investigate and resolve non-conformances of purchased goods and services
Continuous Improvement
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Participate in cross-functional projects to improve purchasing, logistics, and inventory control processes.
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Identify opportunities for system and process automation to improve efficiency and accuracy.
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Participate in other special projects as needed.
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5+ years of purchasing experience, preferably in a manufacturing or fabrication environment.
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Post-secondary education or equivalent experience in supply chain, purchasing, logistics, or related field
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Purchasing or Supply Chain certification is desirable (e.g. APICS, PMAC)
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Experience with ERP systems (Microsoft Dynamics AX or Dynamics 365 F&O preferred).
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Intermediate to advanced Excel skills, including data analysis and cost modeling.
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Solid command of inventory management fundamentals including economic order quantity (EOQ), safety stock, service level, reorder points, and demand forecasting.
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Knowledge of freight and logistics: Ocean freight, LTL vs FTL trucking, trailer/container capacities, and handling considerations.
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Experience purchasing foam, plastics, or fabricated materials is an asset.
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Strong communication, negotiation, customer service, and relationship management skills.
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Detail-oriented with analytical mindset and a commitment to data accuracy.
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Understanding of quality management systems related to procurement including NCR, Quarantine, COA and COC’s.
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Financial literacy including discounted cash flow and cost of capital
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Balances cost, service, and working capital priorities effectively.
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Proactively identifies and resolves supply risks before they impact operations.
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Builds trust-based relationships with and delivers high level of customer service to internal stakeholders and suppliers.
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Continuously seeks opportunities for efficiency and cost optimization
we are actively recruiting for this position, full time in office.
