Operations Specialist Jobs in Mississippi

Role Overview
The Senior MRO Buyer is the site-facing procurement leader for maintenance, repair and operations covering materials and services. The role protects plant uptime by ensuring critical parts, consumables and contracted services are available at the required quality, cost and lead time, while maintaining strong purchasing controls and disciplined inventory practices. The position combines hands-on transactional execution with category sourcing, supplier performance management, JDE master-data stewardship, storeroom optimization and cross-functional partnership with Maintenance, Operations, Engineering, Finance, Accounting, Master Data Governance and other Procurement teammates. Over the next three to five years, the role is expected to shift from manually processing routine transactions toward exception-based buying, data-driven inventory decisions and AI-assisted sourcing. The Senior MRO Buyer will remain accountable for validating system recommendations, managing operational risk, making sound commercial judgments and strengthening supplier relationships.

This position is based at an active mine site and requires daily onsite presence. Work conditions may include uneven terrain, climbing ladders, navigating steps, and exposure to varying weather conditions such as heat, rain, or mud. Monday - Friday onsite required.

Key Responsibilities
Plant Support and Purchase Execution

• Own the end-to-end procurement of assigned MRO stock items, non-stock parts, repair services, facility services, tools, consumables and other indirect requirements; coordinate order acknowledgements, expedites, returns, repairs, warranty claims, invoice discrepancies and purchase-order closeout
• Convert properly approved requisitions into accurate purchase orders in JDE; verify supplier, item, quantity, unit of measure, price, promised date, freight terms, payment terms, tax treatment and delivery location before release.
• Prioritize critical, emergency and production-impacting requirements; communicate status, alternatives and risks to Maintenance and Operations until resolution.

MRO Inventory and Storeroom Optimization

• Partner with Maintenance, Operations and storeroom personnel to determine which parts should be stocked and establish appropriate minimum, maximum, reorder point, safety stock and order-quantity settings.
• Maintain accurate JDE item-branch planning data, supplier lead times, pack quantities, costs, stocking locations, equipment references and approved substitutes using usage history, equipment criticality, lead time, downtime exposure and supplier availability to balance service level with working capital.
• Lead reviews of slow-moving, obsolete, duplicate and excess inventory; recommend redeployment across Oil-Dri locations, return-to-supplier, repair, disposition or retention as insurance spares.

Sourcing and Supplier Management

• Develop sourcing strategies, conduct RFQs and negotiate total cost, payment and freight terms, lead times, warranties, service levels, consignment and VMI programs.
• Consolidate spend where beneficial; qualify alternate sources for single-source, long-lead and critical items.
• Manage supplier performance, corrective actions, continuity risk and onboarding requirements using delivery, quality, responsiveness and invoice-accuracy data.

Systems, Data, Controls and Continuous Improvement

• Serve as the site MRO purchasing and JDE subject-matter resource; protect item, supplier and purchasing master-data quality.
• Follow Procurement, Accounting, approval, contract, records-retention, ethics and segregation-of-duties requirements; maintain auditable documentation.
• Reduce manual touches, emergency buys, invoice exceptions, stockouts and cycle time; coach junior buyers and authorized site users.

Future-State Responsibilities: Automation and AI Integration (3–5 Years)

• Lead exception-based buying as approved workflows automate routine replenishment and low-risk transactions.
• Use AI to identify sources, compare quotations and landed cost, flag price anomalies, summarize terms and support negotiations; independently verify recommendations before commitment.
• Apply predictive analytics to critical-spare demand, supplier delays, obsolescence and inventory imbalance.
• Partner with IT and operations to integrate systems and establish guardrails for suppliers, thresholds, escalation, approvals, confidentiality and auditability; override automation when risk or poor data warrants.

Qualifications

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, business, engineering or a related field preferred; equivalent relevant experience considered.
• CPSM, CPM., CSCP, CPIM or related certification preferred
• Five or more years of progressive MRO procurement, industrial purchasing, maintenance-materials, storeroom or manufacturing supply experience.
• Demonstrated experience with ERP/MRP purchasing and inventory processes; JDE experience strongly preferred.

Skills & Abilities:

• Working knowledge of industrial MRO categories such as mechanical power transmission, bearings, motors, electrical, controls, hydraulics, pneumatics, mobile equipment, safety supplies, tools, repair services and facility services.
• Proven ability to negotiate, resolve supplier issues, analyze spend and inventory data, and document measurable value.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and business reporting tools; ability to learn and responsibly use AI-assisted procurement and analytics tools.
• Competency in operational urgency, commercial judgment, data discipline, reliability mindset, cross-functional influence, ethics, continuous improvement and alignment with Oil-Dri WE CARE values and Lessons Learned culture.

Work Environment

• Office-based with regular plant and storeroom presence; follow PPE and safety rules; occasional handling of parts up to 25 pounds; travel up to 10%.
• Acts within assigned authority, budgets, contracts and policy; escalates material legal, commercial, cybersecurity, conflict-of-interest and operating risks.
• Remains accountable for validating all information used in purchasing decisions, including automated or AI-generated recommendations.

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive pay + annual bonus
• 401(k) with 6% company match
• Paid parental leave, generous PTO, & paid holidays
• Work-life balance
• Career growth with exposure to senior leadership.
• Annual merit increase opportunity
• Fitness & Gym Reimbursement
• Employer Contribution - Health, Dental

About Us
Oil-Dri Corporation of America is a leading manufacturer and supplier of specialty sorbent products for consumer and business-to-business markets that has been voted as a Top 100 workplaces in the Chicago Tribune. Oil-Dri’s products are sold in the pet care, animal health, fluids purification, agricultural, sports field, industrial and automotive markets. Oil-Dri controls millions of tons of specialty mineral reserves, including calcium bentonite, attapulgite, and diatomaceous shale. The company’s mines and manufacturing facilities are located in Georgia, Mississippi, Illinois, and California. Oil-Dri is a family-controlled and operated organization that emphasizes honesty, integrity, and accountability. The company is dedicated to fulfilling its mission to Create Value From Sorbent Minerals.

Oil-Dri is committed to providing equal opportunity for all teammates and qualified candidates without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, marital status, mental or physical disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. Accordingly, all employment decisions and personnel actions or programs such as hiring, promotion, discipline, compensation, benefits, transfers, reductions in workforce, and training, etc. will be consistent with the principle of equal employment opportunity.