Buyer

Summary

The Buyer III is an experienced individual contributor responsible for independently managing plant purchasing activities, supplier relationships, purchase order processes, inventory-related purchasing support, and purchasing controls. The role applies strong purchasing knowledge and judgment to analyze needs, resolve issues, coordinate with plant and functional stakeholders, and support reliable manufacturing operations. 

The Buyer III is expected to operate with limited day-to-day direction, manage a broader and more complex workload, provide thoughtful analysis and recommendations, and serve as a knowledgeable resource to less experienced buyers. The role may work across both Raw Materials and MRO activities to provide coverage, improve consistency, and strengthen team capability. 

What You’ll Do:

Purchase Order & Plant Purchasing Management 

• Create, confirm, update, and monitor purchase orders in accordance with company requirements. 

• Review daily open purchase orders and proactively follow up on outstanding or aging items. 

• Manage plant purchasing activities for raw materials, supplies, and services, including coordination of transportation and logistics where required. 

• Maintain appropriate stock levels for raw materials and support inventory accuracy. 

• Participate in monthly inventory cycle counts and related purchasing follow-up. 

• Reconcile receipts on commodities and verify receipts on blanket and lease purchase orders. 

• Update and resolve GR/IR (goods-receipt/invoice-receipt) items supporting three-way match requirements. 

• Review released purchase-order reporting and follow up on exceptions or required actions. 

Supplier Management & Purchasing Analysis 

• Develop and maintain effective relationships with the supplier base and proactively assess supplier performance. 

• Secure bids and receive quotations from vendors and suppliers. 

• Conduct thorough RFP and quote analysis to evaluate supplier competitiveness and support informed purchasing decisions. 

• Assess vendor performance, purchasing requirements, and relevant market conditions to identify opportunities or risks. 

• Provide analysis of purchasing scenarios and opportunities to support data-driven decision making and future planning. 

• Coordinate implementation of approved supplier contracts or purchasing arrangements across affected plants, as applicable. 

Controls, Reporting & Process Effectiveness 

• Maintain appropriate controls over receipts, acknowledgment of materials and supplies, and purchasing records. 

• Provide timely and accurate purchasing information and reporting to the Plant Controller, Purchasing Manager, and other appropriate stakeholders. 

• Apply sound judgment to resolve non-routine purchasing, receipt, inventory, and supplier issues within established policies and guidelines. 

• Identify recurring purchasing or process issues and recommend practical improvements. 

• Implement and use management tools that improve purchasing effectiveness, accuracy, visibility, or efficiency. 

• Support consistent execution of established purchasing practices and initiatives at the plant level. 

What You’ll Bring:

Collaboration & Capability Building 

• Build effective working relationships across plant operations, Manufacturing Finance, suppliers, and other stakeholders involved in the purchasing process. 

• Communicate purchasing issues, risks, analysis, and recommendations clearly and to the appropriate audience. 

• Influence outcomes without direct reporting authority and coordinate resolution of issues across multiple stakeholders. 

• Manage multiple concurrent purchasing priorities, programs, and supplier relationships while meeting deadlines and quality expectations. 

• Serve as a knowledgeable resource to less experienced buyers and provide guidance or training on established purchasing processes and practices. 

• Maintain working knowledge across Raw Materials and MRO activities sufficient to support cross-coverage and business continuity. 

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, Supply Chain, Operations, or a related field preferred. 
• Minimum of three years of relevant purchasing experience required. 
• Material requirements planning (MRP) experience in a manufacturing or building-materials environment preferred. 
• Demonstrated experience using ERP systems; SAP experience preferred.
• Experience managing supplier relationships, multiple purchasing priorities, and plant purchasing activities preferred. 
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively as part of a cross-functional team. 
• Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain productive supplier relationships. 
• Strong analytical skills and sound decision-making judgment. 
• Ability to conduct thorough bid, quotation, and RFP analysis. 
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple concurrent assignments while meeting deadlines and quality expectations. 
• Ability to communicate effectively with different audiences using an appropriate communication method. 
• Ability to influence others without a direct reporting relationship. 
• Ability to understand both company requirements and supplier considerations when evaluating purchasing issues. 
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to work independently within established guidelines. 
• Ability to provide guidance, knowledge sharing, and training to less experienced buyers. 
• Advanced Microsoft Office skills and proficiency with applicable ERP or proprietary systems. 
• Demonstrated integrity and sound judgment in conducting company business. 

What You’ll Receive:

As of the date of this posting, a good faith estimate of the current pay scale for this position is $92,000 to $115,000. Placement in the range depends on several factors such as experience, skills, geography and internal equity and may change over time. This position qualifies for benefits and you will be eligible to participate in a bonus plan.

At James Hardie, we recognize that our success depends on our people. We've worked hard to build a generous and competitive benefits program that demonstrates our commitment to our employees.

• Compensation: competitive salary and bonus eligibility
• Insurance: day-one health coverage medical, dental, vision, life insurance
• Paid Time Off: vacation and company holidays
• Retirement: 401(k) with 6% match
• Investments: Employee Stock Purchase plan (ESP)
• Work-Life Balance: parental leave, wellness programs
• Purpose. Impact. Community: Sustainability Initiatives | James Hardie 

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