Buyer and Material Planner

As part of the Thermo Fisher Scientific team, you'll discover meaningful work that makes a positive impact on a global scale. Join our colleagues in bringing our Mission to life every single day to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. We provide our global teams with the resources needed to achieve individual career goals while helping to take science a step beyond by developing solutions for some of the world's toughest challenges, like protecting the environment, making sure our food is safe or helping find cures for cancer. 

DESCRIPTION 

Join our team as a Buyer/Planner II where you'll contribute to global healthcare and scientific advancement. In this role, you'll optimize inventory management and vendor relationships while ensuring seamless supply chain operations. Working with cross-functional teams, you'll analyze demand requirements, manage purchase orders, and implement continuous improvement initiatives to support our mission of enabling customers to make the world healthier, cleaner, and safer. 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Plan and procure materials to support production schedules while maintaining optimal inventory levels. 

• Analyze demand forecasts, inventory trends, and material requirements to ensure uninterrupted supply. 

• Create, monitor, and manage purchase orders, ensuring timely delivery and issue resolution. 

• Collaborate with suppliers to improve delivery performance, quality, and cost competitiveness. 

• Develop and maintain strong supplier relationships to support business continuity and operational excellence. 

• Monitor supplier performance metrics and drive corrective actions when required. 

• Perform inventory optimization activities to minimize excess and obsolete inventory while maintaining service levels. 

• Partner with manufacturing, quality, engineering, sourcing, and logistics teams to align supply chain activities with business objectives. 

• Support strategic sourcing initiatives, supplier development programs, and procurement cost reduction projects. 

• Conduct should-cost analysis and participate in Value Analysis/Value Engineering (VAVE) initiatives. 

• Ensure compliance with GMP, SOPs, regulatory requirements, and company procurement policies. 

• Drive continuous improvement initiatives using Lean, Six Sigma, or other operational excellence methodologies. 

• Prepare and analyze reports, KPIs, and performance metrics to support data-driven decision-making. 

• Identify supply chain risks and implement mitigation strategies to ensure continuity of supply. 

REQUIREMENTS 

• Bachelor's Degree plus 5–7 years of experience in purchasing, material planning, or supply chain operations. 

• Preferred Fields of Study: Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Engineering, or related field. 

• APICS certification or other supply chain certifications preferred. 

• Proficiency in SAP preferred and strong understanding of MRP principles. 

• Advanced Microsoft Office skills, especially Excel (VLOOKUP, Pivot Tables, Macros). 

• Strong analytical and data management capabilities. 

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills for vendor and stakeholder management. 

• Experience with forecasting, inventory optimization, and demand planning. 

• Demonstrated ability to work independently and prioritize multiple tasks. 

• Knowledge of GMP, SOPs, and regulatory requirements. 

• Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail. 

• Ability to analyze data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. 

• Experience with continuous improvement methodologies (Lean, Six Sigma) preferred. 

• Strategic sourcing and procurement management experience. 

• Vendor development and relationship management experience. 

• Should costing and VAVE (Value Analysis Value Engineering) experience. 

• Strong English communication skills (verbal and written). 

• Ability to collaborate effectively in a matrix organization.