Technical Buyer – Engineering & Production Planning

Job Title: Technical Buyer - Engineering & Production Planning

Department: Supply Chain Reports To: Supply Chain Director Location: Dover, NH Employment Type: Full-Time

Position Summary

The Buyer - Engineering & Production Planning is responsible for ensuring material availability across assigned product families to support the company's monthly Master Production Schedule (MPS). This position combines engineering knowledge, strategic procurement, supplier development, and production planning to proactively identify material shortages, resolve supply constraints, and ensure purchased components arrive when needed.

Working closely with Engineering, Production, Quality, Materials Management, and Supply Chain, this individual will evaluate material requirements, identify supply risks, qualify and onboard new vendors, and manage supplier delivery commitments.

The ideal candidate has an engineering degree, a technical manufacturing background, and hands-on procurement experience. They must be comfortable interpreting engineering documentation, understanding manufacturing processes, communicating with suppliers, and driving problems to resolution.

Key Responsibilities

• Production Planning & Material Availability
• Review the monthly MPS and identify material requirements across assigned product families.
• Proactively identify shortages, long-lead-time components, and potential supply constraints that could impact production.
• Analyze BOMs, inventory positions, open purchase orders, demand forecasts, and supplier lead times to determine material availability.
• Develop and maintain shortage reports and recovery plans.
• Prioritize purchasing activities based on production requirements, material criticality, and schedule risk.
• Coordinate with Materials Management and Production to ensure materials are available to support scheduled builds.
• Monitor changing production requirements and adjust procurement priorities accordingly.
• Procurement & Purchase Order Management
• Create, issue, and manage purchase orders for production, prototype, and engineering requirements.
• Obtain and evaluate supplier quotations, pricing, lead times, and commercial terms.
• Track open purchase orders and proactively communicate with suppliers to confirm shipment dates and delivery commitments.
• Expedite critical components and manage supplier recovery plans when delivery commitments are at risk.
• Maintain accurate purchasing records, supplier communications, and ERP/MRP information.
• Identify opportunities for cost reductions, improved lead times, and improved purchasing efficiencies.
• Supplier Development & New Vendor Onboarding
• Identify potential new suppliers to address material shortages, capacity constraints, quality concerns, and sourcing opportunities.
• Work with Engineering and Quality to evaluate supplier technical capabilities, manufacturing processes, capacity, and quality systems.
• Coordinate supplier qualification, evaluation, and onboarding activities.
• Develop relationships with existing and prospective suppliers to improve responsiveness, delivery performance, and overall supply-chain reliability.
• Support supplier audits, technical reviews, and performance evaluations as needed.
• Develop alternative sourcing strategies for critical components and single-source dependencies.
• Engineering & Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Leverage engineering knowledge to interpret technical drawings, specifications, bills of material, and manufacturing requirements.
• Collaborate with Engineering to identify alternative materials, components, manufacturing processes, and potential suppliers.
• Participate in engineering and new product introduction (NPI) meetings to understand upcoming material requirements.
• Work with Quality to resolve supplier-related quality issues and material nonconformances.
• Communicate supply risks, shortages, and recovery plans to appropriate stakeholders.
• Serve as the purchasing point of contact for assigned product families.
• Supplier Delivery & Performance Management
• Establish and maintain supplier shipment commitments aligned with monthly production requirements.
• Review open-order reports and follow up on past-due and upcoming purchase orders.
• Validate supplier-provided shipment dates and ensure commitments are realistic and achievable.
• Monitor supplier on-time delivery, lead-time performance, responsiveness, and quality acceptance.
• Escalate supplier performance issues that threaten production schedules.
• Drive accountability with suppliers through consistent communication and follow-up.

Qualifications & Experience

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related engineering discipline required.

Experience

• 3-5+ years of experience in purchasing, procurement, supply chain, or manufacturing operations.
• Experience working in a manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated experience managing suppliers, purchase orders, and delivery commitments.
• Experience interpreting engineering drawings, specifications, and bills of material.
• Experience with ERP/MRP systems and material planning processes.

Technical Skills

• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes and component sourcing.
• Ability to analyze BOMs, inventory positions, MRP requirements, and production schedules.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and ERP/MRP systems.
• Understanding of supplier qualification and development processes.
• Ability to interpret technical drawings and communicate engineering requirements.

Key Competencies

• Problem Solving: Identifies material constraints early and drives issues to resolution.
• Ownership: Takes responsibility for assigned product families and material availability.
• Supplier Management: Builds strong supplier relationships while maintaining accountability.
• Technical Aptitude: Applies engineering knowledge to purchasing and sourcing decisions.
• Prioritization: Understands production urgency and allocates time and resources accordingly.
• Communication: Provides clear, timely updates to suppliers and internal stakeholders.
• Execution: Follows through on commitments and ensures purchasing activities support production objectives.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Performance will be evaluated using measurable results, including:

• Production Schedule Material Availability: Percentage of required materials available to support the monthly MPS.
• Supplier On-Time Delivery: Percentage of supplier deliveries received on or before confirmed dock dates.
• Shortage Resolution: Percentage of identified shortages resolved before impacting scheduled production.
• Purchase Order Confirmation: Percentage of purchase orders with confirmed supplier delivery dates.
• Supplier Lead-Time Improvement: Reduction in supplier lead times for critical components.
• New Supplier Development: Successful qualification and onboarding of new suppliers to address sourcing or capacity requirements.
• Open Order Management: Accuracy and timeliness of supplier shipment commitments and open-order updates.

What Success Looks Like

Success in this position means taking ownership of assigned product families and ensuring the Supply Chain organization can confidently support the monthly production schedule.

The individual does not simply place purchase orders and wait for deliveries. They proactively identify shortages, understand the technical requirements, find solutions, develop suppliers, and drive material through the supply chain.

The ultimate objective: The right material, from the right supplier, at the right time, to support the production schedule.