Elephas, a Madison, WI based biotechnology start-up company, is seeking a highly motivated Buyer Planner to join our team. Applicants should be comfortable in a fast-paced and collaborative environment. This position is responsible for planning and procuring materials to support the company's research, production and operational needs. This includes entering and managing purchase orders, coordinating with vendors, issuing workorders and staging lists, and maintaining safety stock levels to meet site quality and production requirements. This role supports departments including Operations, R&D, Engineering, and Lab Services.

Job Duties/Essential Functions

• Analyze demand forecasts, production/project schedules, and current inventory to determine material requirements across departments
• Convert planned requirements or requisitions into purchase orders and work orders in a timely manner
• Create, enter, and issue purchase orders with approved vendors, and communicate directly with vendors on pricing, lead times, order status, and terms
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with key suppliers; resolve delivery, quality, or invoicing issues and monitor vendor performance, escalating recurring issues as needed
• Set and adjust safety stock levels based on lead times, demand variability, and supplier reliability
• Follow up on and manage open purchase orders to ensure on-time delivery and accurate order status
• Communicate proactively with internal teams to address delayed or back-ordered shipments
• Proactively identify and resolve potential material shortages, and expedite orders as needed to prevent disruption to lab or production schedules
• Enter and release work orders based on production and project schedules
• Generate and issue staging lists, coordinating with lab, warehouse, and operations personnel to confirm material availability and staging accuracy
• Collaborate with the accounting team to identify and correct invoice discrepancies
• May perform other duties as required

Competencies 

• Very high attention to detail
• Analytical and data-driven decision-making
• Vendor relationship management
• Time management and ability to prioritize competing demands across multiple departments
• Problem-solving under pressure (shortages, delays, quality issues)
• Cross-functional collaboration in a start-up setting.

Required Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Operations, or related field
• 2+ years of experience in materials planning, buying, or procurement (life sciences, biotech, or manufacturing environment preferred)
• Working knowledge of MRP/ERP systems
• Solid understanding of inventory management principles, including safety stock, reorder points, and lead time management
• Strong Excel skills; comfortable working with data to inform planning decisions
• Strong communication and negotiation skills for vendor interactions
• Highly organized with strong attention to detail and follow-through
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, collaborative start-up environment

Certifications/Specializations

• APICS/ASCM certification a plus