The Specialty Manufacturing Company

Buyer

White Bear Lake, MN
Full Time
Mid Level
The Buyer is responsible for sourcing, negotiating, and procuring materials, components, equipment, and services required for manufacturing operations. This role ensures uninterrupted production by maintaining optimal inventory levels, managing supplier relationships, and driving cost‑effective purchasing strategies. The Buyer collaborates closely with production, engineering, planning, quality and customer service teams to meet operational goals.
Essential Job Duties
  • Supplier Sourcing — Identify, evaluate, and select suppliers capable of meeting quality, cost, and delivery requirements.
  • Purchase Order Management — Create, issue, and track purchase orders to ensure timely delivery of materials.
  • Negotiation Strategy — Negotiate pricing, terms, contracts, and long‑term agreements to optimize cost savings.
  • Supplier Relationship & Performance —Establish and communicate clear expectations for quality, cost, delivery and responsiveness. Monitor performance through KPIs and scorecards. 
  • Supplier Audits & Compliance – Participate in supplier audits to ensure compliance with company requirements and quality management system.
  • Non-Conformance – Manage supplier non-conformance including, containment, root cause analysis and corrective/preventative actions.
  • Cross‑Functional Collaboration — Work with production, engineering, and quality teams to support new product launches and resolve supply issues.
  • Cost Reduction Initiatives — Identify opportunities for cost improvement through alternative materials, suppliers, or processes.
  • Data & Reporting — Maintain accurate purchasing records and supplier data in ERP/MRP systems.
  • Compliance Oversight — Ensure adherence to company policies, safety standards, and regulatory requirements.
  • All other duties as assigned
Education
  • High School Diploma or GED required
  • Bachelor’s degree in supply chain or business operations preferred
Skills and Qualifications
  • 1-3 years’ related experience working in manufacturing operations environment
  • Procurement Knowledge — Understanding of purchasing processes, supply chain principles, and contract terms.
  • ERP/MRP Experience — Proficiency with systems such as Epicor, Oracle, SAP, or similar.
  • Knowledge of applicable regulatory requirements. I.e. REACH, ROHS, preferred
  • APICS, CPIM or CSCP certification(s) preferred
Work Environment
  • Works in office full-time, manufacturing environment
  • May require periodic travel
  • All work is to be performed on site during normal business hours
Share

Apply for this position

Required*
We've received your resume. Click here to update it.
Attach resume or Paste resume
Attach resume as .pdf, .doc, .docx, .odt, .txt, or .rtf (limit 5MB) or Paste resume

Paste your resume here or Attach resume file

To comply with government Equal Employment Opportunity and/or Affirmative Action reporting regulations, we are requesting (but NOT requiring) that you enter this personal data. This information will not be used in connection with any employment decisions, and will be used solely as permitted by state and federal law. Your voluntary cooperation would be appreciated. Learn more.
Invitation for Job Applicants to Self-Identify as a U.S. Veteran
  • A “disabled veteran” is one of the following:
    • a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or
    • a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.
  • A “recently separated veteran” means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.
  • An “active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran” means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.
  • An “Armed forces service medal veteran” means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.
Veteran status


Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability
Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability Form CC-305
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 05/31/2026
Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Please check one of the boxes below:

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.

You must enter your name and date
Human Check*