Buyer I

REPORTS TO:  Procurement Manager

SUPERVISES:  N/A

GENERAL PURPOSE AND SCOPE

Assure continuous availability of supplied components to meet future demand for globally used parts. Ensures plant needs and requirements are met while maintaining a high level of customer service.  Conducts the day to day responsibility for a buying desk, or assist other Buyers, in a specific commodity group within the Purchasing Department. Transactions are generally routine, low dollar, low risk, and standard complexity with high volume.

DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Issues standard purchase orders up to $15M in a timely manner (and under supervision) for raw materials, parts, subassemblies, finished goods, MRO materials, equipment, tooling, supplies and/or services from suppliers via purchase requisitions or MRP messages.
• Follows up with requestors and end users regarding purchase order due dates and status when inquiries are made or are past the delivery date.
• Follows traffic and logistics guidelines and minimizes the use of expedited shipping services where/when possible.
• Ensures purchase orders are placed in compliance with CPSR requirements.
• Follows all supply chain policies, procedures, guidelines and instructions including those regarding the procurement of materials and particularly the ability to keep confidential information regarding all purchasing or commodity strategies confidential (and in some cases, within the supply chain function exclusively).
• Assist in running and maintaining MRP open order, expedite, de-expedite, and past due reports and updates MRP/IFS accordingly.
• Works in cooperation with material planning, production planning and logistics to reduce part inventory, obsolete and slow moving materials and handle schedule changes.
• Responsible for supporting related departments with the resolution of supplier invoice discrepancies and non-conforming material, requisition issues etc.
• Represents the supplier inside Austal.

• Maintains close communication with supplier account and customer service personnel, and management levels if necessary, so as to minimize risk due to supplier capacity issues, plant shutdowns, and other day to day disruptions that may affect Austal and/or open purchase orders.
• Assists with supplier metrics and advising suppliers of their performance.
• Maintains professional relationships with suppliers.
• Provides input on commodity strategies and related projects.
• Assists with reviewing statements of work when required.
• Maintains, or assists other Buyers in maintaining, the Buyer scorecard for the assigned buying desk to assist with cost savings/cost avoidance reporting.
• Completes basic purchasing activities in both MRP and project/purchase requisition oriented type environments under Contractor Purchasing System Review guidelines.
• Participates in plant continuous improvement, Lean Manufacturing, 5S, and other initiatives involving the Supply Chain function.
• Being the main contact point for outside departments (e.g., Engineering, Accounting, etc.) as well as suppliers.
• Participates in price book activities.
• Other duties as assigned.

• Complies with Austal’s employee handbook general guidelines, company procedures and policies

QUALIFICATIONS/KNOWLEDGE/EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, or other relevant discipline preferred.
• 1+ year in a similar role in a purchasing / materials department preferred.

• Basic to Intermediate level skills in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Power Point), Internet Explorer and Outlook required.  Access skills preferred.
• New hires are required to successfully complete Austal Buyer I Certification within the first 90 days of hire.
• Incumbent individuals are required to complete the requisite courses required to be eligible for promotion to the corresponding levels
• Additional preferred experience:
  • Use of ERP/MRP systems and logic such as IFS, BAAN, SAP, JD Edwards and Oracle with IFS as first preference.
  • Purchasing experience in a Contractor Purchasing System Review- U.S. defense environment.
  • Material and service sourcing activities (quoting, analyzing, negotiating, reporting and purchase order placement.)
• Order follow- up activities (expediting, de-expediting and statusing);
• Discrepancy resolution activities (invoice discrepancies, non-conforming material cases and repair/rework material authorizations);
• Dealing with traffic, routing instructions, and interaction with the laws governing direct and indirect purchasing. dealing with traffic, routing instructions, and interaction with the laws governing direct and indirect purchasing.
• Data mining and market analysis;
• Reading blueprints/drawings, interpret specifications and review statements of work.
• General understanding of the Uniform Commercial Code, U.S. Government FAR, DFARS and ITAR requirements.
• General understanding of enterprise quality system functionality (e.g., ISO 9000, AS9100, TS16949, etc.).
• General understanding of the material, services and manufacturing processes associated with the assigned buying desk.

ADDITIONAL GUIDELINES

Candidates must meet the following employment eligibility guidelines to be considered for employment with Austal USA:

• 18 years of age or older at time of application
• Able to provide proof of US Person Status
• No felony convictions of Theft/Deception or Violent crimes within seven years from disposition date
• No felony convictions of Drug crimes within three years from disposition date
• Willing to submit to a drug screen
• Willing to submit to a background check
• The ability to obtain and maintain a DoD clearance may be required if deemed necessary in the scope of your position responsibilities.

DIRECTION EXERCISED: N/A

DISCRETION EXERCISED: Will require the capacity to self-direct and reprioritize activity in order to support business needs and meet deadlines.

LIAISES WITH: Company- Other Buyers, Commodity Purchasing Manager, Sr. Purchasing Manager, Director Supply Chain and Logistics, Senior Management, Materials Program Managers, Material program staff, Senior Logistics Manager, Traffic Lead, Compliance Coordinator (Supply Chain), document control and other administrative department personnel.  External- Suppliers.

MACHINES AND EQUIPMENT INVOLVED Basic office machines, PC, copier\scanner, etc.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Must be able to tour all vessels and work sites at Austal USA.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, use hands to manipulate, handle, or feel, reach with hands and arms and talk or hear. The employee will also be required to sit for extended periods of time in an office setting.

Specific physical requirements include the following:

• Must have the occasional ability to bend, squat, stoop, crawl, and kneel.
• May work in extreme conditions that require incumbent to travel up/down staircases and vertical ladders at heights of approximately 75 feet and in extreme temperatures
• Perform prolonged standing.
• Ability to turn head from side to side and about the vertical axis.
• Ability to turn body at the waist from side to side and about the vertical axis.
• Lift/push/pull up to 20lbs on an occasional basis.
• Must have the ability to occasionally climb in an unrestrained safe manner (climbing as a minimum includes stairs, scaffolding, ladders, and ramps).
• Demonstrate good balance while working on uneven surfaces and maneuvering obstacles.
• Ability to utilize personal protective equipment (hard hat, safety glasses, steel-toes shoes, etc.) safely per OSHA standards.
• Ability to enter into confined spaces within the ships under construction (any space below main deck could be considered a confined space).
• Able to respond to verbal and audible sounds/commands.
• Able to utilize adequate visual skills.
• Able to hear emergency alarm systems and be able to wear authorized hearing protection.
• Must be able to walk 100+ yards at a time without assistance.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be exposed to humid conditions, strong smells, bright flashing lights, moving mechanical parts, high precarious places, outside weather conditions, extreme heat and cold conditions. The employee is occasionally exposed, while in production areas, to fumes and/or airborne particles at or below the PEL, toxic or caustic chemicals. While the noise level in the normal office work environment is moderate, it can be very loud in the production areas (+90 dB).