ORGANIZATION: Miles, Inc. Elkhart, Indiana

JOB FUNCTION/PURPOSE

Edit and prepare purchase requisitions for buyer approval. Maintain files and records of materials, prices, inventories, and deliveries as directed. Has responsibility for truck pickup schedules, releases against blanket orders, communicating with suppliers for quotations, order placement, and expediting. Maintain buyer support through files, correspondence, and reports. Assist in buyer's daily duties, especially in the absence of buyer.

PRINCIPAL ACTIVITIES/OBJECTIVES

Assist in placement of orders within authorized limits with review of supervisor.
Communicate with suppliers to place orders, expedite deliveries, resolve invoice discrepancies, revise pickup and/or shipping schedules, arrange returns, notify of complaints or rejections, obtain shipping and forwarding information, check on labor contract expiration dates, obtain pricing and availability information, make buyer appointments, and keep specifications and supplier information updated.
Work closely with all requisitioning departments and personnel to coordinate delivery schedules, provide order information, schedule meetings, resolve invoice discrepancies, arrange returns, check receipts, and report availability projections.
Maintain records of all Rejection and Disposal Orders and/or Purchasing Material Complaints, sample requests, and update on-line Accounts payable communication screen.
Type correspondence, monthly reports, achievement reports, and other materials for buyer. Prepare shipping orders for return of defective or rejected materials. Answer buyer(s) phones when they are in conference or out of the office.
Provide continuity during buyer's absence to maintain acceptable level of service to the requisitioners and suppliers.
Maintain the various data bases of the Automated Procurement System.
Develop and maintain capability to enter and revise purchase orders on the Automated Procurement System.
NATURE AND SCOPE

Reports to the Purchasing Manager and assists one or two buyers as the Manager has assigned. Expected to work with a minimum of supervision consistent with prior experience.* Provide complete support to assigned buyers for all commodities assigned to those buyers which may range in annual value from one million to thirty million dollars. Expected to be an excellent communicator. Be able to define a problem and, as independently as possible (consistent with prior experience*), work out its solution. Expected to originate own correspondence, memos, shipping orders, etc. (again, consistent with prior experience*). *See Know-How below

Know-How

Must become familiar with the Automated Procurement System. Must learn supporting systems, policies, and procedures, etc., such as part numbers, rejection and disposals, complaints, supplier labor contracts, specifications, receiving, invoice payment, and requisitioning. Due to extensive supplier and in-company contacts, some degree of human relations skills and tactfulness is required. Learn the supplier organizations and key contacts. Must be a good typist. Must have mathematical background sufficient to perform accurate and concise calculations. One to two years of purchasing and/or related experience desirable but not required.

PROBLEM SOLVING

Expected to independently resolve invoice discrepancies such as *** and pricing errors, and to determine the correct supplier(s) with whom to place orders as delegated and designated by the buyer. Must resolve delivery problems by rearranging the shipping schedules at suppliers if necessary. In the course of expediting, these problems may require some good judgment and multiple phone calls to both requisitioners and suppliers.

ACCOUNTABILITY

Dimensions: Place orders from selected suppliers, as directed by buyer, for up to $1,000 value without additional review, consistent with General Purchasing Policies as described in the Miles Purchasing Policy Manual. Supports activities of buyers whose annual purchase volumes range from one million to thirty million dollars. Ineffective or inappropriate action by this individual in critical situations can cause costly production line and/or project shutdowns, sending workers home, etc. Expected to act on behalf of the buyer in his or her temporary absence and to make some judgement decisions in those cases, subject to the supervision and approval of the section manager.

Name of Facility: East Jefferson General Hospital

City, State: Metairie, LA