Entry Level Assistant Buyer - W.B. Mason Company, Inc

Overview

About Us

An American owned and operated company since 1898, W.B. Mason has been delivering workplace essentials to keep businesses running for over 120 years.  A leader in B2B eCommerce, Supply Chain Management and Distribution, you’ve probably seen our iconic red and yellow trucks, adorned with the image of our founder William Betts Mason, as they deliver tens-of-thousands of orders each day throughout New England and the Eastern United States.

Originally built on Office Supplies, we’ve since expanded to offer innovative, cost effective and customized solutions to an ever-evolving set of business requirements; selling and delivering over 15 product lines that span from Janitorial Supplies, Food Service, Shipping & Packaging, Breakroom and Furniture, to everything in between for every type of business.

About the Opportunity

Working within a highly visible new category for the Company, the Shipping & Packaging Assistant Buyer will help our Category Team maintain inventory levels in over 50 warehouse locations throughout the country.  An inherent team-player, this role works cross-functionally to oversee stock, monitor purchase orders and maintain accurate pricing; helping to determine company buying needs by analyzing market trends, customer demand, economic conditions and year-over-year variance.

This role is set in a Hybrid work environment, meaning employees will work partly remote and partly in-office, with in-office time required for training.  The primary reporting in-office location for this role is our Corporate Headquarters, located in Brockton, MA.  Semi-regular travel to our Boston Seaport warehouse is also required and will be based on business need.

Responsibilities

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Assist in buying and maintaining inventory at the best possible pricing, in accordance with Department and Company goals.
• Monitor daily purchasing reports, such as: Daily Fill Rate, Daily Overdue Purchasing Orders, Stock Inventory On-Hand, Daily Inventory Ins/Outs, Open Backorders, Orders not Invoicing, etc.
• Compile monthly reporting for Buyers and/or Senior Buyers.
• Proactively follow up and follow through with internal and external teams for resolution on issues, such as delinquent orders or backorders.
• Communicate and work cross-functionally with internal stakeholders to manage multiple vendor lines.
• Regularly place purchase orders while reviewing sales cost accuracy, freight and other miscellaneous charges and discounts.
• Review strategic substitutions for accuracy and compliance.
• All other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Passion for problem-solving, with a strong grasp of business math.
• Must be adaptable, able to drive multiple tasks and projects to timely, accurate completion in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Ability to build and maintain productive cross-functional relationships.
• Exceptionally strong written and verbal communication skills; must be able to read & write in English.
• Strong business acumen and analytical skills, particularly using data sets to problem solve, with a strong ability to achieve results
• Ability to communicate effectively with all levels inside the organization and within the vendor community via phone, email, video conferencing and in-person interactions

Qualifications

Education and/or Experience

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Years of Experience:
  • For entry-level employees, 0 years of experience are required. Any past experience in retail, warehouse, or logistics is a plus.
  • Associate to Specialist level employees with 1-3+ years of shipping and packaging industry experience are preferred.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office with emphasis on Excel. Experience in Microsoft Dynamics AX, Power BI or Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a plus.

Minimum Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.  The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. 

Physical Demands  

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, speak and hear.  The employee is frequently required to sit.  The employee is frequently required to use hands and fingers for data entry.  The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

Equal Opportunity EmployerW.B. Mason Company, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or protected veteran status.