Buyer, Direct Materials (1 Year Contract)

IPEX is one of the North American leading providers of advanced plastic piping systems. Our mission is to shape a better tomorrow by connecting people with water and energy.

We currently have an exciting opportunity as a Buyer, Direct Materials - 1 Year Contract. This role is based in our head office in Oakville, and reports to the Direct Purchasing Team Lead.

Do not miss the opportunity to join a broad family of people-centric professionals, thought leaders and rapid thinkers, entrepreneurs in spirit and status quo-fighters!

Job Summary

This role consists primarily of Bill Of Material (BOM) coverage for our manufacturing facilities and has a small portion of buy-sell responsibility.

Principal Responsibilities

• Management and optimization of inventory for the Organization’s manufacturing sites to ensure that products are delivered on time and at the best value, utilizing inventory management best practice.
• Initiate and implement replenishment programs for BOM items with a focus on automation and process optimization (i.e. VMI Programs, Kanban, etc.)
• Manage inventory levels by monitoring and analysing trends to establish parameters such as minimum, maximum, EOQ, reorder points.
• Manage supplier relationships to enable maximum value and contribute to sourcing initiatives
• Seek, identify, and recommend opportunities for cost savings & process improvements
• Develop strong relationships & actively participate with cross functional teams (Scheduling, Operations, Engineering, Quality, Sales) to ensure Supply Chain activities are aligned to support the business and improve OEE
• Reporting and analysis of weekly / monthly Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) with explanation of variances
• Maintain master data in our ERP system, ensuring planning records are up to date and accurate, as assigned by the Purchasing Manager
• Release purchase orders after validation of MRP recommendations, while considering budget and demand forecast
• Monitor the Requisitioning Systems, analyse and validate the requirements and create purchase orders for Direct Items
• Identify potential opportunities for KANBAN (digitally / manually) and implement as needed
• Monitor KANBAN / Min-Max to manage inventory levels to ensure that the sites have materials to run their daily operation efficiently
• Work with Strategic Sourcing on sourcing activities and contract implementation, as well as ongoing contract management and vendor management activities
• Monitor and support on-time delivery of issued Purchase Orders through open order management tools and resources
• Manage and monitor product complaints and resolution through Quality SCAR process
• Support the new product implementation process utilizing a Stage Gate process, led by Innovation
• Preparation, Analysis, and maintenance of purchasing / inventory management reports

Qualifications & Experience

• Post-secondary education in Supply Chain, Business, or related field is preferred
• APICS, CPIM, CSCP, SCMAO certifications are an asset
• At least 3 years of experience in Inventory Management, Purchasing or related business experience (Indirect or Direct purchasing in a manufacturing environment)
• In depth knowledge of Kanban systems / VMI as well as plant operations
• Well-developed supply chain experience with strengths in vendor management and strategic vision.
• In depth knowledge and experience utilizing an MRP system.
• Advanced knowledge of Excel and Microsoft Office tools
• Experience with Pivot Tables, VLOOKUPS and Macros
• Experience in PowerBI would be a strong asset

IPEX is committed to providing accommodations for people with disabilities throughout the recruitment process and, upon request, will work with qualified job applicants to provide suitable accommodation in a manner that takes into account the applicant’s accessibility needs due to disability.

Accommodation requests are available to candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process for IPEX jobs. To request an accommodation, please contact HR at

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