Mill Buyer

The Opportunity

The Recycle Fiber Buyer, Recycling, reports to the Region Manager to execute the purchasing and internal supply optimization to ensure recycle fiber quality, cost, and delivery necessary to best supply WestRock mills. This role focuses on creation and maintenance of supply network, procurement strategies and the optimization of best value fiber supply to assigned mill(s). The ideal candidate will live within a 250 miles of the plant in order to build relationships with our vendors and make the occasional mill visit.

Job Duties

o Define and lead the implementation of a procurement strategy to ensure fiber supply quality, and quantify to optimize papermill operations.

o Evaluate best fiber sources.

o Work closely with WestRock Recycle plants to ensure optimization of internal tons

o Develops and drives data and metrics to ensure selecting the best fiber sources for the WestRock enterprise, prioritizing the whole enterprise over a single site. Works closely across the business to ensure enterprise-wide view.

o Enters accurate purchase order information, updates order system with any changes.

o Primary point of contact for Mill questions, concerns.

o Communicates effectively with Mill, Accounting and Fiber Coordinator Resources to ensure accuracy of invoices, resolve any discrepancies.

o Using market knowledge, identifies threats and opportunities to achieving overall material flow and cost containment. Works closely with other team members to align strategy.

o Effectively understands and uses knowledge to accurately forecast demand, build/reduce inventory, adjust purchasing behaviors.

o Using knowledge & data to initiate changes to safety stock, drive inventory levels partnering with multiple resources to ensure intended results and consequences

o Engages with customers and suppliers to anticipate concerns or issues. Resolves fiber coordination problem escalation.

o Works closely with logistics to secure transportation cost reductions, ensure delivery of materials on time.

Competencies

Negotiation -The ability to effectively produce outcomes to a situation to be best long-term benefit of the organization. Recognizes the degree of impact both short term and long term to all parties and makes best decisions to secure desired result.

Business Acumen -The understanding of the financial, operational, and commercial impacts to delivering results to an organization. Ability to use that information to drive a strategy with understanding of risk and reward potential in both the long and short term.

Customer Orientation - Ability to conduct business with the papermill's best interest in mind while acting as the day to day connection with the papermill recycle fiber suppliers to ensure WestRock is viewed as the destination of choice.

Communication Skills - Communicate effectively with a variety of audiences - from direct peers up to senior leadership within the Recycle division, as well as with internal teams and external suppliers. Clearly expresses ideas in a written and spoken format. Able to build rapport with and understand perspective of others. Effectively listens, speaks and writes in a business context. Capable of conveying key messages clearly and correctly. Identifies key stakeholders and impacted parties to define appropriate audience. Engages these resources to appropriately assess situation and adjust to appropriately deliver message. Asks questions and listens without advancing own perspective to ensure understanding. Concisely identifies key issues and constructs communication method and message appropriate to audience.

Creativity - Bring improvement ideas and a willingness to assist in implementing those ideas and solutions

Ethics & Integrity - Behave in accordance with WestRock's core values all times and encourage the same behavior in others. Take action based upon the best interest of WestRock and build trust with colleagues across the organization.

Collaboration/Teamwork - Work effectively with others in the organization outside the line of formal authority - both within your team, as well as with other teams or those in leadership - to accomplish organizational goals and to identify and resolve problems.

Results Driven - Focus on achieving both personal and team goals to exhibit our core value of Excellence. Understands metrics and works to achieve the goals set.

Persuasiveness - Use appropriate interpersonal style and communication methods to gain acceptance of an idea, plan, activity, service or product from prospects and clients.

Adaptable to Change - Able to shift with an ever-changing environment as business grows; learn new systems, perform tasks differently.

What You Need for this role

• BA or BS degree preferred, or equivalent experience

• 5+ years of procurement/materials management/customer service, with demonstrated progression of responsibilities

• Attention to detail

• Ability to balance strategic and tactical

• Experience in fiber/recycled products strongly preferred

  • Live within 250 miles of the plant for vendor and plant visits.

What we offer

Corporate culture based on integrity, respect, accountability, and excellence

Comprehensive training with numerous learning and development opportunities

An attractive salary reflecting skills, competencies and potential

A career with a global packaging company where Sustainability, Safety and Inclusion are business drivers and foundational elements of the daily work.

WestRock (NYSE:WRK) partners with our customers to provide differentiated paper and packaging solutions that help them win in the marketplace. WestRock's team members support customers around the world from locations spanning North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Learn more at ~~~.

WestRock is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We strive to create and maintain a diverse workforce where everyone feels valued, respected, and included. WestRock does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local law.