Job Description

POSITION OVERVIEW

Textile Buyer for a multi-million-dollar portfolio of diverse chemicals and dyes for the Milliken Textile Division.  The core responsibility of this position is the daily management of supply of chemicals and dyes to Textile Division manufacturing and commission manufacturing facilities.  Expectations are to continuously deliver value via tactical support to sourcing managers and internal and external manufacturing partners  by executing sourcing plans set by the Chemical and Dyes Sourcing Manager, negotiating cost reductions, implementing supplier performance management metrics, resolving supply issues, and providing support for new product initiatives.  This position requires a technical, manufacturing, or similar background, strong communication and interpersonal skills, the ability to work independently and as part of a team, and a strong bias for action.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

Lead the supply management for assigned materials to support Milliken’s Textile Division manufacturing plants and commission manufacturers.
Support Sourcing Managers and Plant Associates by executing strategies, tracking supplier performance, and resolving supply issues.
Work collaboratively with business R&D and supply chain personnel to ensure new materials are qualified for intended use including agreement on specifications and appropriate qualification requirements.
Work with suppliers to gather financial and other information necessary for Milliken to efficiently procure and pay for materials and services.
Apply SAP, Microsoft Business Intelligence and QlikView tools in the development of Sourcing analytics.
Provide tactical support to ensure suppliers meet their commitments in providing materials or services to manufacturing facilities.
Gather and interpret data necessary to ensure supplier are meeting their obligations regarding price, quality and delivery performance.
Support the import of materials by managing vendor pricing, vendor import scheduling, freight forwarders, tracking of shipments, and ensuring regulatory compliance.
Develop, track and measure all cost savings activities to include negotiated price savings as well as engineered cost reductions.
Support new product development initiatives by managing RFIs, RFQs, facilitating receipt of samples and obtaining market price information.

QUALIFICATIONS - REQUIRED

Knowledge of manufacturing and supply chain concepts.
Results oriented with strong interpersonal skills.
Manufacturing plant floor, supply chain, and/or plant accounting experience a plus
Excellent analytical skills.  Proficient in data analysis and presentation.
Bachelor of Science degree (Business or Science Degree, or related industry experience)
High degree of personal accountability, results orientated with a proven track record of independent thinking and problem resolution.
Strong communication skills and an ability to present technical and financial information to appropriate sourcing, supply chain, and manufacturing personnel.
Bias for action with desire to quickly address and resolve issues.
Excellent organization skills are a must.
Comfortable in an environment of continuous improvement and cost reduction.
Bias for understanding stakeholder needs and the ability to establish and maintain a high level of trust and confidence with internal partners.
Ability to rapidly learn new computer software systems.
Proficient in Microsoft Office, experience in data base management a plus.
Ability to understand and participate in technical discussions.
Strong project management skills with the ability to work independently and in cross-functional teams.