Buyer; Chicago

As an S&C Electric team member, you’ll work on projects that have real-world impact. You’ll help transform the grid for resilient and reliable power worldwide. S&C has more than a 100-year history of innovation and has been 100% employee‑owned since 2012. We continue this legacy as a trusted, forward‑thinking leader in the electrical industry. You will advance a safer, more reliable, and more resilient electrical grid.

Our products help the grid adapt to severe weather and transition to clean energy. We’re big enough to be a respected industry leader but small enough for you to impact our company directly. Our commitment gives you opportunities to impact on and off the job positively.

Join S&C to make an impact on tomorrow’s energy challenges and become an employee‑owner

Join Our Team as a Buyer!

The Production Planning department is responsible for facilitating the requisition of production supplies and materials used in S&C’s products, including ordering, contracting, and managing relationships with suppliers.

The Buyer is responsible for ensuring that production teams receive the supplies and materials they require in a timely and cost-effective manner. This role collaborates with leadership, production, and non‑production teams to understand production material needs and adjust procurement scheduling accordingly while adhering to function standards and S&C Policies & Procedures.

Key Responsibilities:

• Understand a specific set of commodities required for certain production lines and work with suppliers to acquire the needed materials in a timely and cost-efficient manner.
• Dynamically evaluate purchase recommendations and analyze cost and lead time to determine the appropriate supplier to fill the need.
• Make adjustments to decisions based on supplier performance and constantly changing business needs.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with both production and non-production teams to ensure that materials and production supplies are provided in a timely manner.
• Tracks purchases, monitor vendor quality and maintain records of supplier performance and information.
• Provide recommendations to internal teams, considering business needs and supplier abilities, to determine the next steps needed to acquire essential commodities.
• Act as the primary point of contact with suppliers, working closely with them to address timing and quality issues.
• Work with the Global Sourcing team to identify new suppliers and coordinate details of new purchase process setups with them.
• Analyze production scheduling data and information from suppliers to track key metrics, such as expense saving, past dues, dual sourcing, and inventory reductions. Escalate issues to leaders as they arise.
• Maintain on-hand inventories of parts and materials for production.
• Develop and implement plans to reduce inventory levels while meeting production demands.
• Participate in A3 problem-solving activities as needed.
• Monitor industry trends and regulatory changes that may impact the availability or cost of materials, proactively recommending changes to procurement strategies as needed.
• Understand and comply with all applicable Company policies and rules.
• Maintain regular and punctual attendance.
• Attend in-person or virtual meetings as requested or required.
• Communicate effectively and respectfully with others.
• Other responsibilities as assigned.

What you’ll Need To Succeed:

• Associate’s degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, a related field, or equivalent experience.
• 2-3 years of demonstrated experience working in purchasing or a related role in the manufacturing industry.
• Good understanding of procurement processes, including requisitioning, purchasing, and supplier management.
• Some knowledge of supply chain management principles, including inventory management, demand forecasting, and logistics.
• Familiarity with relevant industry regulations, compliance standards, and ethical sourcing practices.
• Good negotiation skills with the ability to understand business priorities and pursue beneficial outcomes in discussions with suppliers.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills to collaborate with internal departments and external vendors.
• Strong organizational and…