International Purchasing Trainee

Job Summary

The Purchasing Trainee’s primary responsibility will be to learn about UFPI, the role of the buyer, the products we purchase, how they are manufactured, how the material is transported from the mill to our plant, how it is processed at the plant level, and how it is sold. Training will include field training, training in the purchasing office, and training at the sawmill level. A trainee will also be responsible for assisting buyers and coordinators as instructed.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

• A Buyer Trainee’s primary responsibility will be to learn the following:
• Learn the role of the buyer
• Learn how to function in our system, ie. Creating updating orders, tracing loads, etc.
• Learn about the products we purchase and how they are manufactured
• Learn how the material is processed at the plant level
• Learn how the material is sold at the plant level
• Learn how products are transported from the mill to our facilities or customers
• Develops comprehensive knowledge of Company products and procedures through on-the-job training activities
• Enter and check for complete and accurate information in mill acknowledgments
• Provide plants with accurate and complete purchase order information
• Advise others in the department of possible issues, lateness, discrepancies, and inaccurate acknowledgments
• Help with coordination with transportation groups, and transportation issues
• Know and become comfortable with department programs including VMIs, including updating weekly contract PO with pricing
• Assist in developing and monitoring supplier programs
• Assisting the department when needed with buying products and plant service
• Fill in for buyers or others in the department when they are out of the office
• Updating and expediting purchase orders
• Handling inquiries from the field
• Creates and maintains spreadsheets, reports, and other documents for the department as needed
• Communicating thoughts on market conditions to purchasing and when directed to the field
• Claim to handle and problem-solving with assistance from Department Manager
• Able to provide plants with market information
• Interact with Transportation, International Logistics and Accounting Departments
• Interact with plants to insure quality service
• Help in the developmental stage of new product sourcing
• Have an awareness of plant inventory needs at all times and the confidence to buy those needs as the market may dictate, even when orders are not in the system
• Become knowledgeable in the departmental markets. Freely offer opinions and encourage feedback on market, buying strategies, and departmental concerns
• Identifies, researches, and resolves purchase order problems and opportunities
• All other duties assigned by the Department Manager
• Adhere to all UFP policies, procedures, and guidelines
• Prepares various reports as required
• Performs other duties as required

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related discipline or equivalent preferred or 4 years of work experience.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office including Excel, Word, Outlook, and other software for business applications
• Bilingual (Spanish/Portuguese preferred)
• Up to 50% travel.

Click here to watch what a day in the life of a Purchasing Trainee looks like.