Buyer

Position Overview:

The Buyer position supports the strategic sourcing and procurement operations within our Supply Chain Team. This role is responsible for executing sourcing strategies, managing supplier relationships, and negotiating pricing for spend categories. The successful candidate will work closely with internal stakeholders to ensure optimal supplier performance, cost savings, and procurement efficiency.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Sourcing & Procurement:

• Execute sourcing strategies for direct categories.
• Conduct supplier research, issue Requests for Proposal (RFPs), and evaluate vendor responses.
• Negotiate pricing and terms to secure competitive contracts and drive cost savings.
• Develop and maintain supplier agreements in collaboration with the finance team.
• Track and report key performance indicators, including cost savings and supplier compliance.
• Assist in analyzing market trends and managing pricing variances to stay within budget.
• Identify and support cost-reduction opportunities.

Supplier Management & Performance Optimization:

• Manage vendor relationships, monitor performance, and provide feedback to suppliers.
• Address supplier issues related to service, quality, or delivery.
• Work with internal teams to ensure vendors meet contractual obligations and performance expectations.
• Support initiatives to enhance supplier collaboration and operational efficiency.

Cross-Functional Collaboration:

• Work closely with stakeholders across departments, including Supply Chain, Finance, and Operations.
• Assist in identifying and prioritizing sourcing opportunities.
• Support procurement initiatives to improve processes and reduce costs.
• Work with planning on production forecasting
• Set min and max inventory levels on key items.

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Supply Chain, Procurement, Finance, or a related field.
• 3-5 years of experience in procurement or purchasing, preferably in indirect categories.
• Experience with contract negotiations, supplier management, and cost reduction initiatives.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, and other procurement-related systems.

Skills & Abilities:

• Strong negotiation and communication skills.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and work in a fast-paced environment.
• Detail-oriented with strong organizational skills.
• Ability to travel to supplier’s sites occasionally.

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to navigate all areas of the facility, including office spaces, warehouse areas, and the exterior perimeter.
• Must wear required personal protective equipment (PPE) as necessary to safely perform job duties.
• Ability to stand, sit, and carry out tasks throughout a full shift, with appropriate meal breaks.
• Physically capable of standing, bending, stooping, kneeling, reaching, twisting, lifting, pushing, pulling, climbing, balancing, and crouching as needed.
• Able to lift and move items weighing up to 50 pounds independently and heavier objects with reasonable accommodations.
• Visual acuity sufficient to perform job duties accurately.
• Capable of assessing weights, judging distances, and working at various heights.

Work Schedule:

Typically, Monday-Friday with established office hours. Additional hours may be required to meet project deadlines.

Compensation:

At Cayuga Milk Ingredients, we value a fair and comprehensive approach to compensation. Our wage range for this role is determined by various factors, including skill sets, experience, training, licensure, certifications, and organizational needs. It is not typical for an employee to start at or near the top of the range for the position. Compensation decisions are made based on individual job circumstances considering skill level, previous experience, and education requirements.

Equal Opportunity Employer:

Cayuga Milk Ingredients is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. This policy applies to all aspects of employment, including recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Non-Discrimination Policy:

The contractor will not discriminate against employees or applicants for discussing or disclosing their own pay or the pay of others. However, employees with access to compensation information as part of their job duties are prohibited from disclosing this information to unauthorized individuals, except in specific circumstances outlined by applicable laws and regulations (41 CFR 60-1.35(c)).

General Statement:

All Cayuga employees recognize that the success and prosperity of the company is everyone’s responsibility. All employees are expected to treat each other in a positive, respectful, and professional manner, to be at work for their assigned shift and to work safely as a team. Employees must be self-starters who can relate to all levels of the organization.

Disclaimer:

o All requirements are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities.

o This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee occupying this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by their supervisor.

o The company reserves the right to add to or revise an employee's job duties at any time at its sole discretion.

o This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an “at will” employment relationship.