Buyer - Series

Purpose

As a family-owned company, it’s the people who continue to make STIHL a successful, world-class brand. STIHL is seeking a highly motivated, ambitious Buyer to join our Purchasing Team at STIHL’s corporate headquarters in Virginia Beach!

This person will be responsible for coordinating activities involved in the procurement of goods and services required for production and operation within established guidelines, in addition to providing administrative, research, and project support to company personnel involved in analyzing material performance, supplier capabilities, and unit costs.

Position highlights include:

• Competitive Compensation
• Extensive Benefits, such as health insurance effective within one month of start, multiple bonus opportunities, relocation assistance, 401(k) with company match and PENSION!

Job Duties & Responsibilities

• Responsible for coordinating the procurement of multiple, moderately complex components and parts, to support production and operation.
• Reviews and analyzes procurement requirements and places orders accordingly, using appropriate system
• Researches and develops competent suppliers of high quality components by preparing bids, proposals, or other informational requests that contain material specification and supplier operational data.
• Analyzes, information to assess financial stability and manufacturing capabilities of suppliers, and assists in making sourcing decisions for the STIHL Group.
• Maintains positive relations with existing suppliers through thorough communications of STIHL philosophy, material requirements, and pricing objectives.
• Contacts suppliers regarding material problems, such as delayed receipt, poor quality, wrong items, etc., and resolves issues.
• Is able to organize and execute advanced negotiation techniques and demonstrate consistent cost savings results and meet company targets.
• Proactively performs supplier management activities through business reviews, supplier visits, and risk assessments.
• Acts as the voice of the customer and able to clearly communicate the company’s needs and demands to the suppliers.
• Visits supplier locations to negotiate prices, review and analyze operations, and check quality, evaluating short-term and long-term ability of suppliers to meet STIHL expectations.
• Works with other department personnel, such as Production, Quality Assurance, Engineering, etc. to resolve defective or unacceptable goods, plan for future requirements, or incorporate technical needs into future bids and proposals.
• Refers more complex problems to higher level Procurement Buyers or to supervisor.
• Maintains records and documentation pertaining to past activities, order specifications, supplier specifications and performance histories, etc. and provides information to management as needed.
• Performs continued supplier market analysis to determine trends, risks, and opportunities and develops a strategy to develop new or existing suppliers and drive costs out of the supply chain.
• Works with Accounts Payable to ensure timely payment of conforming materials received and return/rework of materials that are defective.
• Approves invoices for payment.
• Cooperates with the STIHL Purchasing Group worldwide by sharing pertinent data and cost analyses as required, in order to establish optimal global supply chain management strategies.
• Attends training classes, special technical and administration courses, seminars, exhibits and trade shows as needed in order to maintain currency with respect to technical and professional skills.
• Continues to drive innovative process improvements and efficiencies within the purchasing role and as it pertains to the commodities purchased.
• Assumes additional related responsibilities as required.

Specifications

• 4 year college degree in related discipline or experience equivalent
• 4 years of related experience