Assistant Planner Jobs in Utah (NOW HIRING)

Commodity Buyer/Planner
Our companyoffers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package, including medical,dental, and vision insurance; company-paid life insurance; short-term andlong-term disability; flexible spending accounts (FSA); health savings accounts(HSA); three weeks of paid time off (PTO); parental leave; 9 paid holidays;various optional benefits; and a 401(k) plan with a company match. We alsoprovide career development opportunities, tuition assistance, and a diverse,inclusive, and welcoming culture making it one of the best in the industry.
We are searching for an experienced Commodity Buyer/Planner at our Salt Lake City, UT facility.
Commodity Buyer / Planner
Location: Salt Lake City, UT (On-Site)
Benefits
Our company offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision insurance; company-paid life insurance; short-term and long-term disability; Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA); Health Savings Accounts (HSA); three weeks of Paid Time Off (PTO); parental leave; 9 paid holidays; various optional benefits; and a 401(k) plan with company match. We also provide career development opportunities, tuition assistance, and a diverse, inclusive, and welcoming culture that makes us one of the best in the industry.
Position Summary
We are seeking an experienced Commodity Buyer/Planner to join our team at our Salt Lake City, UT facility. This role is responsible for sourcing, negotiating, purchasing, inventory planning, and supplier management activities with a strong emphasis on aluminum, steel, and other manufacturing commodities.
The ideal candidate will have proven experience managing supplier relationships, negotiating pricing and contracts, monitoring commodity markets, and supporting manufacturing operations through strategic procurement and inventory planning. This is a hands-on purchasing role requiring direct commodity buying experience rather than a supply chain analyst background.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Lead sourcing, purchasing, and supplier management activities for aluminum, steel, and other direct production materials.
Negotiate pricing, contracts, lead times, and commercial agreements with suppliers to achieve cost, quality, and delivery objectives.
Develop and maintain strong supplier relationships while managing supplier performance and accountability.
Monitor aluminum, steel, and commodity market trends to support strategic purchasing decisions and cost management initiatives.
Identify and implement cost-reduction opportunities, supplier consolidation initiatives, and value engineering projects.
Manage inventory levels and demand planning activities to support production requirements while reducing excess inventory and DIOH.
Collaborate with Production, Engineering, Operations, Inventory Control, and Finance teams to ensure uninterrupted material flow.
Maintain accurate vendor records, pricing agreements, lead times, and purchase order documentation.
Analyze spend, purchasing trends, and supplier performance metrics to support data-driven sourcing decisions.
Coordinate local freight and logistics activities to ensure on-time delivery and transportation compliance.
Resolve supplier quality, delivery, and performance issues while driving corrective actions.
Support global sourcing initiatives, supplier onboarding, audits, and compliance documentation.
Prepare purchasing reports, supplier scorecards, KPIs, and management summaries.
Assist with inventory cycle counts and inventory accuracy initiatives.
Support ERP/MRP planning activities and ensure purchasing data integrity.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Required Qualifications
3-7+ years of purchasing, procurement, commodity buying, or strategic sourcing experience within a manufacturing environment.
Direct experience purchasing aluminum, steel, metals, industrial raw materials, or related manufacturing commodities.
Demonstrated success negotiating supplier pricing, contracts, and commercial agreements.
Experience managing supplier relationships and driving supplier performance improvements.
Strong understanding of MRP, inventory planning, material flow, and manufacturing procurement processes.
Experience utilizing ERP systems such as SAP, Epicor, Oracle, Infor, JD Edwards, NetSuite, or similar platforms.
Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including reporting, analysis, and spend management.
Strong analytical, organizational, negotiation, and problem-solving abilities.
Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
Ability to effectively manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
Preferred Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Operations, Engineering, or a related field.
Professional certifications such as CPSM, CPM, CSCP, or APICS.
Experience purchasing metals, coils, extrusions, fabricated components, or other industrial manufacturing materials.
Knowledge of commodity indices, metal markets, and strategic sourcing methodologies.
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, Black Belt, or other continuous improvement training.
Location Requirement
Must currently reside in the Salt Lake City, UT metropolitan area or surrounding communities.
This is a fully on-site position; remote candidates will not be considered.
Relocation assistance is not available.
Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States without current or future sponsorship requirements.
Ideal Candidate Background
We are specifically interested in candidates with experience in positions such as:
Commodity Buyer
Strategic Buyer
Senior Buyer
Metals Buyer
Purchasing Agent
Procurement Specialist
Direct Materials Buyer
Raw Materials Buyer
Please Note
This position is intended for experienced procurement professionals with direct purchasing and supplier negotiation responsibilities. Candidates whose experience is primarily focused on Supply Chain Analysis, Logistics Analysis, Inventory Analysis, or other analytical functions without significant buying experience in aluminum, steel, or manufacturing commodities may not be considered.
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.
Our company provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics.
**Please no Third-party candidates or phone calls**