[Hiring] Buyer/Planner @CONTEC

Role Description

We are looking for an experienced Buyer/Planner to support our U.S.-based manufacturing operations from Colombia, Costa Rica, or Mexico. This role combines purchasing and material planning with responsibility for supplier coordination, shortages, material availability, and inbound logistics. The Buyer/Planner works remotely with suppliers and site-based teams to help ensure materials are available when production needs them.

What You'll Do:

• Review customer demand, forecasts, inventory, and MRP recommendations to determine material requirements.
• Develop and maintain material plans for assigned products.
• Issue and manage purchase orders with approved suppliers.
• Confirm supplier commitments for price, quantity, and delivery.
• Monitor material availability and proactively resolve shortages.
• Follow up on past-due purchase orders and supplier delivery issues.
• Coordinate and expedite inbound shipments as needed.
• Evaluate routine shipping timing, transportation options, and freight costs.
• Maintain accurate purchasing and planning information in the ERP/MRP system.
• Support work-order and production-planning activities as assigned.
• Support engineering changes, substitutions, new products, and material phase-in/phase-out activity.
• Identify material, supply, and delivery risks early and coordinate corrective actions.
• Communicate clearly with suppliers and U.S.-based teams.
• Participate in supply, shortage, backlog, and operational reviews.
• Support improvements to purchasing, planning, master-data, and supplier-management processes.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Relevant experience in purchasing, production planning, materials, supply chain, manufacturing, or a similar role.
• Experience working with ERP/MRP systems in a manufacturing or supply-chain environment.
• Working knowledge of purchasing, material planning, inventory, and supplier management.
• Ability to interpret bills of material, lead times, planning signals, and supplier commitments.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Effective English communication skills for working with suppliers and U.S.-based and global colleagues.
• Ability to work independently and coordinate priorities across a distributed team.
• Ability to maintain sufficient working-hour overlap with the U.S. manufacturing location.

Requirements

• Highly Preferred:
• Bachelor's degree in supply chain, operations, business, analytics, engineering, or a related field.
• Hands-on familiarity with NetSuite ERP/MRP functionality.
• Project management skills, including the ability to coordinate activities, owners, priorities, and follow-up across multiple teams.
• Experience in manufacturing material planning or Buyer/Planner roles.
• Experience managing shortages and supplier delivery issues.
• Experience supporting new product introductions or engineering changes.
• Experience coordinating inbound logistics or freight.
• Strong Microsoft Excel skills.
• ASCM/APICS CPIM or CSCP, ISM CPSM, or similar certification.

Benefits

• Actual compensation will be determined based on relevant experience, skills, qualifications, and alignment with the requirements of the position.
• Colombia base salary range: COP 55,000,000 to COP 75,000,000 annually.
• Costa Rica base salary range: CRC 10,500,000 to CRC 15,000,000 annually.
• Mexico base salary range: MXN 270,000 to MXN 420,000 annually.

Why This Role Matters

The Buyer/Planner connects material requirements, purchasing, suppliers, inbound delivery, and production needs. The role is particularly suited to someone comfortable using ERP/MRP data to identify problems early and coordinate solutions across locations.