Buyer

Purpose of the Job:

Execute the day-to-day work activities for purchasing and procurement services inclusive of need identification & quoting, approval routing, purchase order creation, follow-up, expediting and logistics activities to support the needs of our clients and internal stakeholders within North America Commercial Services (NACS) Operations.  Coordinate activities to maintain optimal balance between demand /supply and working capital to help ensure operations run efficiently, meet client delivery schedules and maximize profitability.

Ensure procurement services are delivered to internal and external clients in a consistent, high quality and professional manner and align with company initiatives and expectations.  Manage the attainment of financial targets within area of responsibility.  Ensure activities are achieved that meet corporate client satisfaction objectives as well as internal and external SLAs. 

Primarily Roles & Responsibilities:

· Perform procurement services that include: need identification & quoting, approval routing, purchase order creation, follow-up, expediting and logistics activities to support the needs of our clients and internal stakeholders.

· Purchase assigned materials and/or products to support project demand in a cost effective and timely manner.

· Review open buy requirements, issue purchase orders, and expedite delivery of the material or service as appropriate.

· Resolve invoice discrepancies in partnership with distribution/warehousing and finance.

· Achieve total cost improvement and inventory reduction targets in collaboration with operations management, project management, distribution/warehousing and finance to ensure a holistic approach to cost improvement and client impact.

· Work on strategic purchasing initiatives with Purchasing Manager.

· Coordinate inventory activities with internal stakeholders to minimize waste and maximize staging and production for client projects.

· Administer and analyze cycle counts in partnership with distribution/warehousing and finance, transact cycle count quantities, and identify root cause of variances and corrective actions to be taken.

· Perform data entry into the appropriate technology system(s) to maintain up-to-date and accurate data for all materials used for project demand and related client delivery services.

· Manage the disposition of excess and/or obsolete purchased inventory in partnership with distribution/warehousing and finance according to applicable company policies and procedures.

· Achieve performance targets established by leadership for applicable Key Performance Indicators. 

· Perform other duties as assigned by management.

Skills, Knowledge, Abilities

Accountability - Demonstrates an understanding of the link between one's own job responsibilities and overall organizational goals and needs, and performs one's job with the broader goals in mind.  Looks beyond the requirements of one's own job to offer suggestions for improvements of overall organization operations. Takes personal ownership in organization's success.

Attention to Detail - Thoroughness in accomplishing a task through concern for all the areas involved, no matter how small.  Monitors and checks work or information and plans and organizes time and resources efficiently. Provides information on a timely basis and in a usable form to others who need to act on it. Double-checks the accuracy of information and work product. Carefully monitors the details and quality of own and others' work. Completes all reports and documents according to procedures and standards.

Customer Focus - Demonstrates concern for meeting internal and external customers' needs in a manner that provides satisfaction for the customer.  Considers the impact on the external customer when taking action, setting policies or carrying out one's own job tasks. Looks for external trends that are likely to shape the wants and needs of customers in the near future. Looks for creative approaches to providing or improving services that may increase efficiency and decrease cost.

Interpersonal Relationships - Demonstrates appropriate and professional behavior at all times. Uses a high degree of tact and diplomacy in working with others. Models and exercises sound judgment regarding personal conduct. Is aware of one's own style or preference and its impact on others. Earns the respect of others.

Results Focused - Demonstrates concern for achieving or surpassing results against an internal or external standard of excellence, shows a passion for improving the delivery of services with a commitment to continuous improvement. Sets and maintains high performance standards for self and others that support organization's strategic plan.

Education / Experience Requirements

· Bachelor's Degree in Business, Supply Chain, Accounting or related field, or equivalent, relevant experience.

· Minimum of 3 years purchasing, procurement, buying, sourcing and/or inventory control experience.

· ISM or APICS certifications preferred such as Certified Purchasing Manager (CPM), Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM), Certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM), Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP).

· Demonstrate knowledge/experience in tactical aspects of purchasing including procure-to-pay, commodity management, supply base/relationship management, cost reduction and continuous process improvement.

· Demonstrate considerable ability in managing multiple activities; excelling within a fast-paced, evolving environment that emphasizes working effectively within tight deadlines.

· Strong problem solving skills to effectively influence decision making.

· Proven strength in attention to detail demonstrated via thoroughness in accomplishing tasks and consistently delivering accurate work products.

· Strong customer/client service orientation with effective communication and interpersonal skills, including tact and diplomacy.

· Proven skills in reliability and dependability demonstrated through completing tasks on time and with minimal supervision, punctual and present for work, informing appropriate individuals when work will not be completed in agreed upon time frame.

· Proficient in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Outlook, SharePoint, ERP, service delivery management such as ServiceNow and cloud based technology systems.

Supervisory Responsibility

This position will not supervise individual contributors.

Black Box is a leading technology solutions provider. Our mission is to accelerate our customers' business by valuing relationships with our team members, clients and stakeholders. By continuously growing our knowledge, we remain relevant in the market and are in a superior position to help customers design, deploy and manage their IT infrastructure. Through our values, such as innovation, ownership, transparency, respect and open-mindedness, we deliver high-value products and services through our global presence and 2,500+ team members in 24 countries and growing. Black Box is a wholly-owned subsidiary of AGC Networks.

Black Box is an equal opportunity employer. Black Box does not discriminate against individuals on the basis of race, color, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other protected status, and endorses those policies and practices which seek to recruit, hire, train and promote the most qualified persons into available jobs.

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