Buyer/Planner III

Yellowstone Local is proud to represent Western Utility Telecom, an industry leader in telecommunications, utility, steel, and manufacturing solutions.

If you're an experienced supply chain professional who thrives on solving complex purchasing challenges, driving production success, and keeping critical projects on schedule, this is the opportunity you've been looking for.

What's in it for You?

• Full-time, nonexempt position

• Competitive hourly compensation based on experience

• Opportunity to work on high-impact purchasing and material planning initiatives

• Collaborative team environment with cross-functional exposure across operations, production, engineering, scheduling, estimating, and quality

• Career growth opportunities within an established manufacturing organization

• Stable work environment supporting essential infrastructure industries

• Access to modern ERP/MRP systems, including Oracle NetSuite

• Opportunity to make a measurable impact on production efficiency, supplier performance, and project success

Why You'll Love It Here

• Join a company where your expertise directly supports customer success and operational excellence

• Work alongside experienced professionals who value teamwork, accountability, and continuous improvement

• Take ownership of complex procurement and planning decisions while collaborating across multiple departments

• Help improve purchasing processes, supplier relationships, and supply chain performance

• Share your knowledge by providing functional guidance and support to less experienced Buyer-Planners

• Contribute to projects that support telecommunications, utility, steel, and manufacturing operations

Your New Role

• Manage advanced purchasing and material planning activities for raw materials, equipment, supplies, subcontracted services, and production requirements

• Analyze ERP/MRP demand, inventory levels, production schedules, work orders, and lead times to ensure material availability

• Create, review, and manage purchase orders for high-value, long-lead, high-volume, and time-sensitive materials

• Negotiate pricing, delivery schedules, and supplier terms within company guidelines

• Evaluate supplier quotes, freight costs, lead times, delivery risks, and total cost to support informed purchasing decisions

• Prepare bid comparisons and purchasing recommendations for management review

• Partner with estimating, project coordination, drafting, production, scheduling, quality, and operations teams to align purchasing activities with project requirements

• Monitor open purchase orders, supplier commitments, shortages, backorders, substitutions, and expedited deliveries

• Identify supply chain risks and proactively recommend solutions to minimize production delays

• Maintain accurate purchasing, inventory, vendor, and ERP records

• Support vendor qualification, supplier development, and supplier performance improvement initiatives

• Participate in inventory planning, forecasting, and material availability reviews

• Generate purchasing reports, supplier updates, inventory summaries, and supply chain analysis for leadership

• Monitor purchasing activity against approved budgets and communicate variances when necessary

• Participate in scheduling meetings and provide updates on material availability and supplier performance

• Recommend process improvements that strengthen purchasing, planning, reporting, and ERP data accuracy

• Serve as a senior resource for purchasing and planning questions within the department

• Provide functional guidance and training support to Buyer-Planner I and Buyer-Planner II team members

• Perform additional duties as assigned to support business objectives

Hiring Expectations: Apply today, complete a quick phone screening, and get ready for an interview with our team to discuss your goals and experience.

• Seven or more years of experience in purchasing, procurement, supply chain, material planning, production planning, vendor management, or a related field

• Manufacturing, fabrication, steel, utility, wireless, or telecommunications industry experience preferred

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Operations, Logistics, Marketing, or a related field preferred

• Equivalent directly related experience may be considered in place of a degree

• Experience using ERP/MRP systems is required

• Oracle NetSuite experience preferred

• Strong purchasing, procurement, negotiation, and supplier management skills

• Experience managing complex purchasing activities, long-lead materials, and schedule-driven procurement

• Ability to analyze supplier quotations, pricing, lead times, budgets, and delivery risks

• Strong understanding of inventory management, material planning, forecasting, and production scheduling

• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook

• Excellent communication, organization, analytical, and problem-solving skills

• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment

• Experience supporting cross-functional teams and building productive vendor relationships

• Experience providing functional guidance or mentoring to less experienced team members is preferred

Western Utility Telecom is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment regardless of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.