Buyer/Planner

AFL manufactures industry-leading fiber optic cable, connectivity, and accessories and provides engineering and installation services for some of the largest telecom customers in the world. Our company was founded in 1984 with a single fiber optic cable and today, we manufacture thousands of products, generate an excess of $1.5B in revenue, and employ approximately 7,000 associates worldwide. At AFL, we recognize that our employees are our greatest asset. We hire and train each individual, investing in them to ensure success in their careers. With a commitment to professional development and growth, let us connect you to your next career opportunity. 

Job Summary

The Buyer/Planner position is responsible for the planning, scheduling, procurement, and expediting of raw materials and finished goods in support of the manufacturing organization and other measurable targets set by the business. Utilizes best procurement and demand planning practices, including managing the supplier, to ensure optimal pricing, while meeting the business goals for cost reduction, quality improvement, on-time delivery, inventory management, and lead time reduction.

What We Offer:

• A hybrid in-office schedule for qualifying employees
• Flexible time off policy
• 401k Company Match ( up to 4% - dollar for dollar)
• Professional Development, training, and tuition reimbursement programs
• Excellent medical, dental vision, and life insurance policy options
• Opportunities for career advancement with and industry-leading company

Responsibilities

• Oversee and take responsibility of Supply Chain for a key customer or program in terms of products and service requirements through collaboration with Sales and Suppliers
• Maintain complete ownership of the procurement process to include creating requisitions and ensuring on-time delivery of required materials including, but not limited to, ordering, expediting, and returns.
• Source products and create POs using suppliers from Approved Vendor List (AVL), to meet customer expectations, where known, while considering best use of company resources (stock, internal production, and contract manufacture (CM), item cost and freight cost)
• Actively work with the Suppliers to ensure timescales offered by the Suppliers are in line with Customers’ expectation.
• Monitor capacity at suppliers to ensure capacity available always exceeds Customer’s demand
• Analyze/adjust inventory levels as required to coincide with changing customer demand, lead time changes and other initiatives.
• Focus on timely delivery at the most economical cost while maintaining a steady flow of materials without shortages using the ERP system and other necessary information.
• Interface with vendors with respect to price negotiation, availability of materials, delivery time and supplier visits.
• Ensure that all purchase orders are clearly defined, entered, and updated, in an accurate and timely manner.
• Proactively plan future material requirements considering New Product Launch Timing, upcoming product mix changes, and changes in forecasts.
• Provide forecasts to suppliers as required based on Sales and Production Plans.
• Develop reports to provide full visibility and transparency of all data related to each specific order, ensuring information is available at any one-time
• Continuously work to improve delivery, quality, and service of suppliers.
• Ensure that problems relating to delivery, quality, service, or pricing are promptly conveyed to the vendor and resolved in a timely manner.
• Ensure all Supply Chain related issues are addressed promptly, and the Sales Team, Program Management Team and Senior Management Team are informed.
• Ensure a clear action plan for problem resolution is defined and agreed with stakeholders, owners are clearly identified and timescale for completion and/or escalation understood and delivered upon
• Adhere to and promote the environmental, health & safety policies of AFL.

Personal Qualities

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to build strong business partnerships
• Self-starter capable of thriving with limited supervision, able to focus on tasks at hand and prioritize accordingly to deliver consistent results
• Results-oriented, capable of meeting goals in a challenging environment
• Self-confidence and integrity
• Exceptionally strong organizational skills
• Interpersonal skills – a team player who is comfortable working and leading in a global, cross-functional, multi-cultural environment; strong written and verbal communicator with the ability to convey complex issues in simple terms to all levels of the organization; able to maintain professionalism under pressure
• Analytical and results-oriented professional able to solve problems and implement change
• Strong time management skills; ability to work in a fast-paced business environment
• Demonstrates ownership of achieving agreed outcomes, by completing all own action points within agreed timeframe
• Ensures decisions are taken in a timely fashion even when perfect information is not available
• Follows up on all agreed action points
• Takes immediate and independent action to resolve issues or problems as they arise.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years’ experience in Supply Chain or Procurement dealing with key customers or programs, ideally in the telecommunications industry
• Preferred Certifications & Licenses: APICS CPIM and/or ISM CPM/CPSM
• Bachelor’s degree in Logistics, Business, Supply Chain, or Engineering
• Demonstrated experience in material demand planning, inventory control and forecast management
• International buying/purchasing experience desired
• Displayed capability and experience in supply chain analytics is preferred
• Experience in Sales and Operational Planning is preferred
• Strong project management and multi-tasking skills
• Intermediate to high degree of competency in Microsoft Office Suite
• Procurement knowledge or experience in MRP system similar to Oracle, SAP or equivalent