We are looking for a Buyer Planner to support supply chain planning and purchasing operations for a finance-aligned team in Cary, North Carolina. This Long-term Contract position focuses on balancing material availability, inventory exposure, and supplier performance while partnering with internal stakeholders to improve forecast execution and purchasing efficiency. The person in this role will help guide inventory decisions across the product lifecycle, provide meaningful reporting, and coordinate closely with suppliers and cross-functional teams to maintain dependable supply planning.
Responsibilities:
- Oversee inventory activity for the assigned business area, including tracking balances, aligning transactions, coordinating returns, and reconciling inventory records against operational needs.
- Partner with cross-functional teams to build demand plans and translate forecasts into purchasing actions that support inventory commitments and business objectives.
- Monitor the impact of product launches and lifecycle changes, identifying risks tied to aging materials, obsolescence, and long-term supply requirements.
- Prepare and deliver regular reporting on forecast performance, timing, authorization status, and potential inventory liability exposure for business stakeholders.
- Develop spare parts planning approaches for new and existing suppliers, supporting negotiations and inventory strategies that strengthen service continuity.
- Work with suppliers, field teams, and internal partners to coordinate ordering activity, resolve differences between expected demand and actual orders, and improve planning accuracy.
- Collaborate with strategic sourcing colleagues to align material demand with supplier agreements and encourage utilization of preferred vendors.
- Review excess and obsolete material trends on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis, and provide analysis to business units and accounting partners.
- Support process improvements that simplify the forecast-to-order workflow, strengthen controls, and increase efficiency across planning and purchasing activities.
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in supply chain, materials planning, business, or a related field.
- At least 5 years of experience in materials demand planning, inventory management, or purchasing support.
- Hands-on experience with Oracle or a comparable ERP platform used for planning, procurement, or inventory control.
- Strong communication skills with the ability to share recommendations clearly in both written and verbal formats.
- Ability to work effectively across departments and with employees at different levels to drive timely results.
- Proven organizational skills with the capacity to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
- Experience with reporting, reconciliations, forecasting metrics, and supplier coordination is strongly preferred.