ABOUT US

Established in 1924, Standen’s is a Canadian manufacturing company making alloy steel products that are formed, forged, upset, threaded or heat-treated for a variety of markets. As one of North America’s largest full-line leaf spring, suspension component and agricultural tillage tool manufacturers, Standen’s prides itself on quality products and services.
We are registered to the ISO 14001 international environmental standard, the ISO 9001 international quality standard and in 2010, we were successful in obtaining our Certificate of Recognition (COR), Alberta’s only safety standard recognized by Occupational Health & Safety.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The Buyer verifies orders and contracts are aligned with company policies and procedures, implements contract procedure management, negotiates and develops specifications for services, products and other purchased materials. Under the guidance of the Sourcing Manager, the Buyer has responsibilities and accountabilities which align to corporate goals and objectives regarding customer service, quality, cost, inventory management, and on time delivery.

SKILL/EFFORT REQUIREMENTS

• Minimum 3-5 years Procurement experience ( in manufacturing production environment preferred)
• Completion of or enrollment in Supply Chain or SCMP program
• Thorough understanding and professional experience with Purchasing contracts
• Excellent negotiation, customer service and consulting skills
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Strong market knowledge and experience working across various functions, businesses and regions
• Effective problem solving techniques and analytical thinking
• Organizational and time management skills
• Intermediate Microsoft Office Suite

• Sourcing, buying and expediting of production and aftermarket goods and services
• Analyze and evaluate materials and products and identify suitable vendors and distributors
• Negotiate directly with suppliers to get best possible pricing and payment options, bid, award and administer supply, services and maintenance contracts
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to develop MIN/MAX quantities ensuring optimum levels of supply
• Ensure prices from vendors are competitive, find best supply solution for every project, taking costs and timelines into consideration
• Ensure any product substitutions from vendors have been vetted and approved by appropriate internal teams
• Coordinate with vendor to maintain knowledge on all products and determine average lead times. Keep up to date records on vendor contact information, price lists, discontinued items etc. in Purchasing folder
• Prepare analysis of material costs including how freight and brokerage influences overall
• Work with Sales, Planning and Supplier Quality Assurance on new product requirements
• Review P.O.’s for all stock and non-stock items, administer vendor performance reviews and facilitate corrective action as required
• Maintain vendor reports, evaluate issues, prepare data reports for Sourcing Manager and manage buying trends
• In collaboration with Sales and Production, review stock items and recommend elimination of products that are being phased out or discontinued by vendor
• Interface with Production and Planning personnel on material status and production planning issues
• Identify areas of opportunity for cost savings and inventory reduction
• Analyze vendor invoices and compare to purchase order, coordinate with shipping & receiving and update internal systems
• Prepare analysis of material costs including how freight influences overall costs and support position or strategy
• Monitor and maintain continuity of supply as well as safety related and environmental aspects of materials purchased
• Conduct market research and forecasting duties to coordinate the development of short and long term purchasing strategies
• Meet in person with current and potential suppliers to establish and maintain effective market relationships