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MRO Purchasing Assistant - Metals Manufacturing
1501 Oakton StreetPosted 6 days ago
onsite
Job Description
Elk Grove Village, IL
Job Id:
798
# of Openings:
1
Pay Range: $25 - $28 per hour
Position Summary:
The MRO Purchasing Assistant is responsible for managing and supporting the procurement of all maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) materials and services for a manufacturing facility. This role combines administrative purchasing support with strategic sourcing and vendor negotiation responsibilities to ensure timely availability of maintenance parts, tools, equipment, and services critical to plant operations.
This position plays a vital role in minimizing equipment downtime, controlling maintenance costs, and maintaining accurate inventory levels of spare parts and consumables.
Essential Duties & Responsibilities:
MRO Procurement & Strategic Sourcing
- Source and purchase maintenance-related materials including:
- Replacement machine parts
- Electrical components (motors, drives, sensors, PLC parts)
- Mechanical components (bearings, belts, gears, pumps)
- Hydraulic and pneumatic parts
- Tools and tooling supplies
- Safety equipment and PPE
- Lubricants and chemicals
- Facility supplies
- Negotiate pricing, terms, delivery schedules, and service agreements.
- Develop and maintain relationships with MRO suppliers and service vendors.
- Identify cost-saving opportunities and alternative sourcing options.
- Monitor supplier lead times to prevent maintenance-related downtime.
- Establish blanket purchase orders or vendor agreements where appropriate.
Purchase Order & Administrative Support
- Generate and process purchase orders in ERP/MRP system.
- Review and validate maintenance requisitions for accuracy.
- Track and expedite urgent or emergency maintenance orders.
- Confirm order acknowledgements and delivery timelines.
- Reconcile invoices with purchase orders and receiving documentation.
- Maintain accurate vendor files, pricing records, and part master data.
- Ensure compliance with company purchasing policies and approval limits.
Maintenance & Inventory Coordination
- Work closely with Maintenance Manager and Technicians to:
- Forecast spare parts requirements
- Maintain appropriate stock levels of critical spare parts
- Establish reorder points and safety stock
- Monitor inventory for obsolete or slow-moving maintenance items.
- Support cycle counts and inventory accuracy initiatives.
- Assist in creating and maintaining a critical spare parts list.
- Track equipment manuals and technical documentation as needed.
Education & Experience
- Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Industrial Technology, or related field preferred.
- 3+ years of purchasing experience in a manufacturing environment.
- Experience purchasing MRO or maintenance-related materials strongly preferred.
- Experience with ERP/MRP systems
- Strong Microsoft Excel skills (pivot tables, lookups, data tracking).
- Ability to read equipment manuals, part diagrams, and BOMs.
- Understanding of inventory control and spare parts management.
Work Environment
- Office-based within a manufacturing facility.
- Frequent interaction with maintenance shop and production floor.
- Fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
- Occasional after-hours availability for emergency sourcing may be required.
Company Overview
At Thunderbird, the collaborative relationship with our parent and partner companies allows us to better serve our customers – now and in the future. The Thunderbird family of American Manufacturing companies is driven by a mission to provide superior products and services, from prototype to delivery. Our dedicated leadership team's enduring vision is to hold and grow our companies to meet the higher needs of our global customers. We are guided by the unified pursuit of excellence, teamwork, and innovation. Thunderbird enables people to grow, companies to soar, and customers to succeed.
Benefits
- 401(k) with matching program.
- Medical Insurance
- Dental Insurance
- Vision Insurance
- Short Term Disability
- Long Term Disability
- Life Insurance
- Paid Time Off
- 9 Paid Holidays
Thunderbird is a drug and smoke free work environment and promotes safe work conditions.
#TBManufacturing
Pay Range: $25 - $28 per hour
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