Buyer

🇺🇸In-Person - Vernon Hills, IL$78K–$90K/yr1h ago

Corporate Operations Procurement Supply Chain Inventory Management Vendor Management

Role Snapshot

The Buyer executes strategic procurement and inventory management for high-quality, cost-effective products from domestic and international suppliers. This role is critical to optimizing pricing, inventory levels, and supplier performance while supporting the company's mission in educational products.

Key Responsibilities: Manage procurement for assigned vendors, utilize MRP systems to optimize inventory, collaborate with suppliers on pricing and lead times, and monitor supplier performance. Analyze purchasing data, implement cost savings initiatives, manage purchase orders, and resolve cross-functional supply chain issues.

Skills & Tools: Strong MRP expertise (Microsoft Dynamics 365), supplier management and relationship-building capabilities, data analysis and reporting skills, and excellent communication and interpersonal abilities. Experience working independently in fast-paced environments with the ability to manage competing priorities and Mandarin Chinese language skills are preferred.

Qualifications: Proven procurement, inventory management, and supplier management experience with demonstrated success in vendor relationship development and supply chain optimization. Strong analytical and organizational skills with the ability to work in a fast-paced environment and occasional flexibility for international supplier communication.

Location: In-Person - Vernon Hills, IL

Compensation: $78K–$90K/yr

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Job Description

About our family of companies:

We’re on a mission to bring learning to life! Across our family of companies—Learning Resources®, Educational Insights, and hand2mind—we create children’s toys, pet toys, educational products, and supplemental curriculum trusted by teachers and loved by families. As a growing, family-owned business and a Chicago Tribune Top Workplace, we are dedicated to helping kids succeed in school and develop a lifelong love of learning. If you’re curious, collaborative, and a kid at heart, you’ll feel right at home here. Join us in shaping the future of learning with our award-winning team!

Team & Position Description:

We are currently seeking a Buyer to execute procurement best practices in a fast-paced environment. This role is responsible for the strategic planning and procurement of high-quality, cost-effective products from both domestic and international suppliers. The Buyer will focus on securing optimal pricing, minimizing capital investment, and delivering a high level of customer service. This position requires strong MRP expertise to effectively manage and optimize inventory levels, ensuring alignment with targets for inventory turns, order fill rates, and schedule attainment.

What you’ll do day to day:

Manage procurement for assigned vendors to ensure product availability and alignment with business objectives
Utilize MRP (Microsoft Dynamics 365) to manage and optimize inventory by maintaining accurate item data and planning parameters, driving performance against inventory and service level targets
Collaborate with domestic and international suppliers to secure competitive pricing, reduce lead times, and maintain quality standards
Monitor supplier performance, communicate issues, and drive corrective actions to improve quality, delivery, and cost
Partner cross-functionally to resolve purchasing issues and support forecasting, production planning, and customer satisfaction
Identify and implement cost savings and value engineering initiatives to improve margins and reduce spend
Analyze purchasing and inventory data to support decision-making and improve operational efficiency
Manage purchase orders to ensure timely placement, tracking, and issue resolution
Recommend process improvements and innovative solutions to enhance supplier performance and achieve business objectives
Perform additional duties as assigned

What we’re looking for (Key Performance Objectives):

Leverage supplier management expertise to own vendor relationships, leading quarterly business reviews to ensure performance and alignment for assigned products
Proactively communicate supply chain risks within a 48-hour window and drive resolution through ongoing tracking and follow-up
Analyze data and provide actionable recommendations related to key supply chain KPIs (delivery, quality, cost, and performance) to identify and mitigate business risks
Serve as a key cross-functional liaison among Quality, Product Development, Warehouse, OEM partners, Sales/Marketing, and Engineering, escalating critical issues through structured business reviews
Act as a change agent by effectively navigating and resolving constructive conflict to drive continuous improvement

Requirements/Ideal Attributes:

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Operations, or a related field required
Minimum of 3+ years of experience in supply chain, inventory management, or a related discipline
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook) required
Previous experience with MRP systems required, preferably Microsoft Dynamics 365
Experience leveraging AI tools to improve efficiency, reporting, and decision-making is preferred
Proven ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment, manage competing priorities, meet deadlines, and execute strategic initiatives
Strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to effectively collaborate with cross-functional teams and leadership
Flexibility to work occasional off-hours, including evenings, to support communication with international suppliers
Ability to communicate in Mandarin Chinese is a plus

We are a drug-free workplace and an EEO employer.

Please note: This role will be filled by our internal recruitment team, so no assistance is needed from any outside staffing agency at this time.

Compensation Range: $78,000 – $90,000 annual salary – Actual compensation may vary due to other factors such as: years of experience, skill set or location. Total compensation includes profit sharing bonus potential, 401k matching, and a variety of other benefits (details can be found here).

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