Indirect Buyer

SUMMARY

The Indirect Buyer is responsible for purchasing Indirect equipment, goods, and services utilized by Heartland’s plant, warehouse, and corporate office. The Indirect Buyer converts purchase requisitions submitted by internal stakeholders into purchase orders (PO’s), confirming items have been sourced utilizing preferred suppliers at a competitive cost and conform to Heartland’s policies. Highly analytical, the Indirect Buyer reviews changes in pricing over time and negotiates discounts for general office and consumable expenditures with preferred suppliers. Motivated to minimize the costs of Heartland’s production overhead costs, the Indirect Buyer will work with stakeholders to ensure optimal supplier pricing. 

STRATEGIC SOURCING AT HEARTLAND FOOD PRODUCTS GROUP

Heartland Food Products Group is a dynamic, fast-growing organization committed to positively impacting the world. We are passionate about building brands and fostering a results-driven culture that provides opportunities to learn and develop your career rapidly. Heartland Food Products Group makes SPLENDA® Brand Sweeteners and many other brands and product lines.  Heartland’s Strategic Sourcing team fuels Heartland’s growth by cultivating strategic alliances with our manufacturing team and key supply partners, while delivering exceptional service, premium quality, and market-leading, competitively priced solutions.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Ensure Supply from Competitive Sources

• Research potential suppliers, establish and maintain strong relationships, and monitor performance utilizing historical data on basis of quality, cost, and on-time delivery. 
• Process purchase orders for a wide range of indirect goods and services, including maintenance, repair, IT, marketing, merchandise, and operating supplies. 
• Secure the best possible prices and terms including discounts and rebates from suppliers. 
• Participate in cost-saving initiatives and implement strategies to reduce expenses. 
• Work with internal departments including Facilities, Engineering, and Operations to support each department’s procurement needs. 
• Enter goods receipts (GRN) for equipment and services in Megamation and Heartland’s ERP system as equipment is received or services are completed.
• Foster and maintain productive and positive working relationships with suppliers.

Process Support

• Maintain contractor Certificate of Insurance copies monitoring expiration dates for current contractors.
• Collect new supplier documentation and coordinate system setup with Finance.
• Communicate updates to Heartland’s preferred suppliers, supply policies and procedures. 
• Ensure compliance with supply policies and procedures, including ethical and legal guidelines.

Issue Resolution

• Investigate and resolve price variances from PO to invoice with Accounts Payable and suppliers. 
• Escalate delivery delays or quality issues to PO requestors for assistance to mitigate supply gaps. 
• Identify purchase requisition non-conformances to Heartland’s policies and guidelines, escalating gaps to leadership as needed.

Data Governance

• Set up and maintain accurate sourcing-specific Master Data for inventoried stock codes in Heartland’s centralized ERP system (material package size, order quantities, artwork/ die line details, warehouse codes, product classification).
• Review the minimum/maximum quantity calculations for inventoried stock codes weekly and update the ERP system minimum/maximum values where there are changes.
• Close purchase orders in ERP system after all open items have been received.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, Engineering, or equivalent work experience. 
• Strong analytical skills with proficiency in Microsoft Excel to interpret data, identify trends, and support decision‑making.
• Experience using Power BI or comparable reporting platforms to build dashboards, monitor KPIs, and translate complex data into clear, actionable insights.

PREFERRED ATTRIBUTES

• Highly organized, strong attention to detail and accuracy. 
• An effective negotiator and influencer with demonstrated examples working with internal customers and external suppliers/partners.
• Collaborative and team-oriented with strong interpersonal skills. Operates with high energy and passion for the company's mission and the Sourcing function. 
• Focused on building and maintaining collaborative relationships with suppliers. Anticipates and mitigates service, quality, and financial market changes.
• Demonstrates a strong continuous improvement mindset, actively seeking opportunities to enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and improve quality.

Physical Demands:

• Must be able to work seated using a computer and phone for long periods of time.
• Must possess visual acuity to document company records
• Continuous walking throughout plant and distribution center.
• Lifting up to 40 pounds