AFMW - Purchasing Manager in Ashland, Pennsylvania at Ashland Foundry & Machine Works LLC

DEFINITION

The Purchasing Manager is responsible for directing and managing cost-effective processes, policies, and support for all purchasing-related activities across all locations. Source equipment, goods and services as well as manage vendors. Perform strategic procurement activities across various spend categories in an efficient manner.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED - This position reports directly to the Chief Financial Officer.

SUPERVISION EXERCISED - This position does not directly supervise others. This position provides functional leadership to cross-functional teams across operations, engineering, quality, and finance

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF THE POSITION

NOTE: An employee assigned to this title shall perform a majority but may not perform all of the duties listed in this job description. Conversely, minor level duties performed on the job may not be listed.

· Manage the supplier base to ensure on-time delivery, competitive pricing, and reliable supply performance. Mitigate vendor risk by having backup suppliers for each operation’s critical supply item.

· Manage Odyssey program for successful results leading to better vendor performance and streamlined PO issuance. Supplier Information Master, Material ID, etc.

· Work with Receiving to ensure all items ordered are received and transferred to stock or the appropriate department in a timely manner and processed through Odyssey.

· Collaborate with sister locations to negotiate Corporate Supply Chain Contracts, Vendor Consignment Programs, and Corporate Supply Chain Initiatives.

· Assure that all related policies, standards, specifications, systems, and procedures are documented, current and accurate and in compliance with ISO9001 procedures and other governing authorities including Sarbanes Oxley.

· Establish and maintain supplier performance metrics including on-time delivery, quality, pricing, and responsiveness.

· Conduct ongoing supplier evaluations and maintain formal supplier scorecards to drive continuous improvement.

· Lead strategic sourcing initiatives including competitive bidding, cost analysis, and total cost of ownership evaluations.

· Negotiate and manage supplier contracts, pricing agreements, and long-term supply arrangements.

· Collaborate with Operations, Production, Engineering, and Quality to ensure material availability aligns with production schedules and specifications.

· Analyze purchasing trends and material demand patterns to support operational planning and cost optimization.

· Develop and execute cost reduction initiatives and annual savings targets across assigned spend categories.

· Ensure ERP/MRP data integrity related to purchasing, supplier master data, and material planning (Odyssey system).

· Partner with Finance to support inventory valuation accuracy, purchase price variance (PPV) analysis, and cost reporting.

· Identify and mitigate supply chain risks including single-source dependencies by developing qualified backup suppliers.

· Support compliance with ISO 9001 standards and internal audit requirements related to purchasing and supplier management.

· Participate in cross-functional supply chain initiatives across multiple company locations to standardize purchasing practices and leverage corporate spend.

· Ensure purchased materials meet required metallurgical specifications, certifications, and traceability requirements for customer and regulatory compliance.

· Ensure uninterrupted supply of production-critical materials to support melt schedules, casting operations, and customer delivery commitments

· Work with Quality to resolve supplier non-conformances and manage Supplier Corrective Action Requests (SCARs) to drive sustained supplier performance improvement.

· Monitor supplier lead times and actively manage expediting activities to prevent production interruptions.

· Support standardization of purchased materials and specifications across locations to improve consistency and cost efficiency.

· All other duties as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

· Experience in a manufacturing environment with contract manufacturers, foundry & fabricator experience preferred.

· In depth understanding of Purchasing processes, systems & controls.

· Lean supply chain/operations, including implementation of lean concepts.

· Proficient in personal computer applications and MRP/ERP based platform.

· Strong negotiation & contract management skills

· Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with supervisors and senior managers, as well as customers and vendors.

· Ability to operate a personal computer and secure information from established data processing, spreadsheet, word processing, database, and graphics programs.

· Ability to express ideas and communicate orally and in writing.

· Ability to read, write, speak, understand, or communicate in English sufficiently to perform the duties of this position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication.

· Experience purchasing foundry raw materials, alloys, refractories, sand systems, machining supplies, MRO, and industrial services strongly preferred.

· Ability to travel between company locations as needed.

People with mental or physical disabilities are eligible if they can perform the essential functions of the job after reasonable accommodation is made to their known limitations. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such people may not be eligible.

REQUIREMENTS

EDUCATION –

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.

CPM required,

CPIM preferred

EXPERIENCE –

5+ years direct purchasing in a foundry / manufacturing environment.

3-5 years in a managerial role.