Science & Research OPT Jobs in Ohio

Work Schedule

Standard (Mon-Fri)

Environmental Conditions

Office

Job Description

Position Summary

The Buyer / Procurement Specialist supports LED site procurement by managing tactical purchasing activity while also helping drive Marietta’s MCP, cost-reduction, supplier strategy, and procurement project pipeline.

This is a hybrid tactical and project-focused procurement role. The role supports day-to-day PO management, supplier follow-up, material availability, and open-order execution, but also carries added responsibility for MCP tracking, buyer-led savings actions, cost validation, data requests, and cross-functional project follow-up.

This role supports Category, IEC, Engineering, Supply Chain, Finance, Procurement Enablement, and site leadership, but does not own division-level category strategy or sourcing direction.

Key Responsibilities

Tactical PO Management

• Create, manage, and maintain purchase orders in alignment with MRP demand, supplier lead times, and production needs.
• Monitor open orders for accurate dates, quantities, confirmations, supplier commitments, and recovery timing.
• Follow up with suppliers on shortages, late orders, expedites, unconfirmed orders, pull-ins, push-outs, cancellations, and recovery plans.
• Validate supplier ship dates, quantities, and commitments where production, NPI, bridge plans, or recovery actions depend on material timing.
• Communicate material risks, recovery timing, and escalation needs to planning, production, procurement leadership, and cross-functional partners.
• Resolve routine PO, invoice, pricing, receiving, quantity, and delivery discrepancies.
• Support raw material reviews, part availability / PFEP work, and inventory actions.

MCP / Cost Savings Support

• Support Marietta MCP delivery by identifying, validating, tracking, and executing cost-reduction opportunities.
• Partner with buyers to maintain a strong MCP pipeline, including savings ideas, supplier negotiations, alternate sourcing, VAVE support, supplier transitions, consolidation opportunities, and cost avoidance actions.
• Lead or support buyer-led supplier negotiations, including price challenges, quote validation, annual price reviews, payment term opportunities, and supplier cost movement review.
• Maintain MCP trackers, action logs, project updates, savings documentation, and escalation summaries.
• Validate supplier pricing, standard cost, PO pricing, quote data, and category-provided savings assumptions.

Project / Cross-Functional Support

• Support Category and Procurement Enablement requests, including Wayfinder validation, supplier data validation, cost verification, RFQ support, and sourcing project inputs.
• Coordinate with Category, IEC, Engineering, Quality, Finance, and Supply Chain to move MCP and supplier actions from idea to execution.
• Support VAVE, NPI, product transfer, supplier transition, and material change activity by coordinating quotes, lead times, samples, documentation, pricing, and implementation timing.
• Assist with supplier strategy opportunities, including supplier consolidation, dual sourcing, LCR sourcing, lead-time reduction, and supplier performance improvement.
• Support E&O prevention, lifecycle cleanup, tariff / COO / HTS / USMCA work, Russian steel sanctions, SMELT, and other supplier compliance follow-up as needed.

Basic Qualifications

• Associate degree in Supply Chain, Business, Operations, Engineering, Finance, or related field; equivalent experience may be considered.
• Experience in purchasing, procurement, sourcing, materials, supplier management, manufacturing support, or project support.
• Experience with ERP/MRP systems, supplier communication, purchase order management, and procurement reporting.
• Ability to manage multiple suppliers, projects, part numbers, priorities, and follow-up actions in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Strong communication, organization, analytical, and problem-solving skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Operations, Engineering, Finance, or related field.
• Experience in site procurement, MCP, cost savings, supplier negotiations, VAVE, NPI, supplier recovery, or supplier transition activity.
• Experience validating supplier pricing, standard cost, PO data, quote data, and savings calculations.
• Familiarity with shortage management, open-order management, inventory control, and production support.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, procurement reporting tools, and project/action tracking.

Critical Skills

• Strong tactical execution and follow-through.
• Ownership of assigned suppliers, materials, open orders, projects, and savings actions.
• Ability to connect supplier activity to cost, inventory, production, and savings impact.
• Strong analytical capability with cost, supplier, PO, quote, and inventory data.
• Ability to challenge supplier pricing and commitments with facts, options, and next steps.
• Clear communication with buyers, suppliers, Category, Engineering, Finance, Supply Chain, production teams, and site leadership.
• Balanced focus on material availability, cost savings, inventory control, supplier accountability, and working capital discipline.

Success Measures

• Purchase orders are accurate, current, and aligned to demand.
• Supplier risks, shortages, and material timing issues are identified and communicated early.
• Recovery actions are tracked with owners, realistic dates, and escalation paths.
• MCP pipeline is maintained with clear owners, actions, savings estimates, and timing.
• Savings projects move from idea to validated opportunity to executed result.
• Supplier pricing, quote data, and cost assumptions are validated before savings or sourcing decisions are finalized.
• Category, Procurement Enablement, IEC, Engineering, and Finance data requests are supported accurately and on time.
• Procurement leadership has clear visibility to PO status, MCP status, project risks, savings timing, and support needs.