We are Proud to be SJE!
At SJE, we are more than a company - we are a family of brands with a shared vision and mission to provide industry-leading, innovative, and reliable control and monitoring solutions that improve efficiencies, protect the environment, and deliver dependable solutions to our valued customers. We are looking for a Supply Chain Specialist to support our Primex brand. This role will work out of our Plymouth, MN location.
Our Plymouth team works in a highly customized, project-driven manufacturing environment where no two projects are exactly alike. Success requires collaboration, curiosity, attention to detail, and the ability to anticipate challenges before they become problems. We value people who ask questions, share ideas, challenge assumptions, and take ownership. Check us out at Primexcontrols.com or SJEinc.com!
The Job:
As our Supply Chain Specialist, you will play a critical role in keeping materials moving, projects on track, and costs under control. This is more than a traditional purchasing position. You will work at the intersection of supply chain, engineering, production, project management, and finance, helping ensure purchasing decisions support immediate production needs and long-term business performance.
You will think ahead, identify risks early, ask the right questions, and take initiative. Your toolbox will include purchasing expertise, analytical and financial skills, negotiation, project coordination, and practical problem-solving. You will connect information, evaluate options, and communicate proactively as project requirements evolve.
What You’ll Do
Purchasing, Sourcing & Cost Management
- Source and purchase materials, components, equipment, and services to support project requirements and production schedules.
- Evaluate supplier quotations, negotiate pricing and commercial terms, and challenge costs to ensure competitive, sustainable purchasing decisions.
- Aggressively pursue cost-reduction and cost-avoidance opportunities through competitive sourcing, supplier negotiations, value engineering, standardization, and alternative material solutions.
- Analyze purchasing costs, supplier pricing, historical purchases, and market conditions to identify opportunities and support informed decisions.
- Collaborate with Engineering and Project Management to evaluate alternatives that improve cost, availability, and lead time without compromising quality or project requirements. Manage purchase orders from placement through delivery, ensuring accurate pricing, quantities, commitments, and ERP information.
Project Awareness & Production Readiness
- Understand the lifecycle of engineered-to-order projects and how purchasing decisions influence project cost, margin, schedule, and revenue recognition.
- Partner with Project Management, Engineering, Planning, and Production to understand project requirements, milestones, material needs, and delivery commitments.
- Identify upstream supply chain risks, including long-lead materials, supplier capacity constraints, incomplete requirements, engineering changes, and shifting priorities.
- Anticipate material shortages and delivery challenges before they impact production; develop and coordinate mitigation plans.
- Support MRP, production planning, and inventory management to ensure materials are available when needed.
- Recognize how material availability and purchasing commitments influence production readiness, project progress, cash flow, and financial performance.
- Communicate risks, changes, and opportunities early, providing clear information and recommended actions.
Supplier Performance & Risk Management
- Build productive supplier relationships that support competitive pricing, reliable delivery, quality, and responsiveness.
- Monitor supplier commitments, open purchase orders, past-due deliveries, and performance trends; maintain accurate supplier confirmations and delivery information in the ERP system.
- Evaluate supplier performance using scorecards, delivery metrics, quality data, and other relevant measures.
- Identify and address supplier risks related to lead time, capacity, quality, financial stability, and continuity of supply.
- Partner with suppliers and internal stakeholders to resolve delivery, quality, pricing, and material availability issues.
- Support supplier development, qualification, and Supplier Quality Management activities.
Data, Financial Acumen & Decision-Making
- Use purchasing, inventory, supplier, and project data to identify trends, evaluate options, and support decisions.
- Analyze material costs, purchase price variances, inventory levels, supplier performance, and project-related purchasing activity.
- Understand the relationship between planned costs, actual costs, remaining commitments, and projected project margins.
- Recognize how purchasing decisions affect working capital, inventory investment, project profitability, and financial results.
- Develop and maintain reports, dashboards, and analyses that provide visibility into purchasing performance, risks, and opportunities.
- Investigate discrepancies, identify root causes, implement practical solutions, and translate data into actionable recommendations.
Project Management & Continuous Improvement
- Coordinate and lead assigned sourcing, supplier development, cost-reduction, and supply chain improvement initiatives.
- Establish clear objectives, responsibilities, timelines, milestones, and measures of success for assigned projects.
- Identify obstacles, manage priorities, follow through on commitments, and keep stakeholders informed.
- Apply structured problem-solving and continuous improvement methods to eliminate waste, reduce rework, and improve purchasing efficiency.
- Identify opportunities to improve ERP utilization, purchasing workflows, reporting, tools, templates, and standard work.
- Share knowledge, document lessons learned and help build repeatable processes that support growth.
The Toolbox You’ll Bring
- Supply Chain & Manufacturing Knowledge: Purchasing, strategic sourcing, MRP, inventory management, supplier performance, and production planning in manufacturing.
- Project Management: Coordinating multiple priorities, timelines, dependencies, risks, and commitments; engineered-to-order experience is valued.
- Financial & Business Acumen: Comfort with numbers, costs, margins, budgets, and financial data; project costing and revenue recognition knowledge preferred.
- Negotiation & Commercial Thinking: Confidence challenging pricing, evaluating alternatives, and securing measurable savings while protecting quality and delivery.
- Analytical & Problem-Solving Skills: Strong Excel skills, ERP reporting, trend analysis, discrepancy investigation, and root-cause problem solving.
- Systems & Process Knowledge: Understanding how purchasing, inventory, engineering, production, and financial information connect in ERP systems.
- Communication & Collaboration: Confidence to ask questions, raise concerns, share ideas, and coordinate across departments and suppliers.
- Ownership & Adaptability: Initiative, independent prioritization, sound judgment, and flexibility as project requirements change.
What Success Looks Like
- Materials support production schedules and project commitments, with risks addressed before they cause delays.
- Supplier delivery performance improves and past-due purchase orders are proactively reduced.
- Purchasing decisions contribute to measurable cost savings, cost avoidance, and improved project margins.
- Project teams receive accurate, timely information on material availability, supplier commitments, costs, and risks.
- Purchasing and project data are accurate, reliable, and used to make better decisions.
- Supply chain issues are identified upstream, with solutions developed before they become production problems.
- Purchasing processes become more efficient, consistent, and scalable.
- You are a dependable, resourceful partner who brings ideas, asks thoughtful questions, and follows through.
The skills, education, and experience you need:
To succeed in this role, you must have:
- Experience with ERP systems, MRP, supplier management, and purchasing processes.
- Strong Excel, analytical, negotiation, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
- Experience with project-based manufacturing, engineered-to-order products, project costing, or revenue recognition preferred.
- Experience supporting cost reduction, supplier negotiations, and process improvements valued.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities, work independently, and collaborate across departments.
A bachelor’s degree in supply chain management, Business, Operations, Logistics, or related field preferred. 3–5 years of relevant experience in purchasing, sourcing, supply chain, or manufacturing operations required.
Answering your questions:
When you are considering a new job, it is normal to have a ton of questions. Here are a few questions we are asked all the time.
- What are the hours? Monday – Friday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm.
- What is your Paid Time Off and holiday policy? Up to 120 hours of Paid Time Off in your first year plus 8 paid holidays.
- What is the starting wage? The starting wage for this position is between $33.00 - $38.00 per hour depending on experience.
- What benefits do you offer? We offer a robust benefits package including health, life, short-term and long-term disability insurance as well as dental and vision programs you need to take care of your family, along with other benefit options. Check out our full benefits package!
- What is my commute? Plug this address into Google Maps: 13005 16th Ave N, # 100, Plymouth, MN 55441.
We will answer more of your questions during the first interview. Expect to hear about the next steps if you meet the job requirements.
Why Work With Us At SJE, we believe in empowering our employees to grow professionally while making a real impact. We offer competitive pay, excellent benefits, and a collaborative culture that encourages creativity and problem-solving. Join us and become a part of something bigger. Join a company where you’re not just working - you’re building a legacy!
Learn more and apply on-line at www.sjeinc.com. SJE is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
