Material Coordinator jobs

Position Overview

Cabot Manufacturing ULC is a wallboard production plant in the heart of picturesque Cape Breton. We are seeking a technically minded, organized, and resourceful Procurement & Industrial Parts Coordinator to support procurement and maintenance operations at our wallboard manufacturing facility.

Our plant operates specialized industrial equipment, including both legacy machinery and customized production systems. Finding the right components requires more than simply placing orders — it requires an understanding of equipment functionality, the ability to identify suitable replacement parts, and the initiative to work with suppliers to find practical and cost-effective solutions.

The successful candidate will work closely with our maintenance teams to ensure the timely availability of parts, materials, and supplies essential to keeping production equipment operating safely and efficiently.

Key Responsibilities

Procurement and Supplier Coordination

• Assist with daily purchasing activities, including sourcing, requesting quotations, comparing prices, preparing purchase orders, and tracking deliveries.
• Identify and source industrial components for production machinery, including conveyor belts, rollers, bearings, knives, motors, gearboxes, drive components, and other mechanical parts.
• Research suppliers and manufacturers to locate specialized, obsolete, or custom-made components that may not be readily available through standard distributors.
• Communicate with suppliers, technical representatives, repair shops, and manufacturers to clarify specifications, confirm compatibility, and identify suitable replacement parts.
• Evaluate quotations based on price, quality, technical suitability, availability, lead times, and long-term reliability.
• Follow up on outstanding orders, backorders, delivery delays, and urgent purchasing requirements to minimize production interruptions.
• Assist in negotiating pricing, delivery terms, and supplier arrangements while maintaining positive, professional relationships.

Technical Parts Identification and Equipment Support

• Work with maintenance personnel to identify parts required for repairs, preventive maintenance, and equipment upgrades.
• Interpret equipment manuals, technical drawings, part numbers, measurements, photographs, and specifications to assist in identifying the correct components.
• Help identify alternatives when original parts are discontinued, unavailable, or unsuitable for the plant's operating conditions.
• Support the sourcing of custom-fabricated parts by coordinating measurements, drawings, material specifications, and technical requirements with external suppliers.
• Develop and maintain an organized reference system for frequently used parts, equipment components, supplier information, and purchasing history.
• Build an understanding of the plant's machinery, critical spare parts, and recurring maintenance requirements to anticipate purchasing needs.

Inventory and Cost Control

• Monitor stock levels of critical spare parts, consumables, and maintenance supplies to help prevent shortages and unnecessary inventory accumulation.
• Maintain accurate purchasing records, supplier databases, quotations, order confirmations, invoices, and delivery documentation.
• Assist with inventory reviews, reorder planning, and the identification of slow-moving, obsolete, or excess stock.
• Track supplier performance, pricing trends, and recurring purchasing issues, recommending improvements where appropriate.
• Identify opportunities to reduce procurement costs, improve parts availability, standardize components where practical, and strengthen purchasing procedures.

Coordination and Operational Support

• Work closely with procurement, maintenance, warehouse, and production personnel to understand operational priorities and respond to changing requirements.
• Prioritize urgent maintenance-related purchases while balancing routine purchasing activities and budget considerations.
• Maintain clear communication regarding order status, expected delivery dates, alternative components, and potential supply issues.
• Take initiative in resolving sourcing challenges and follow tasks through from initial request to receipt and verification of the required materials.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of purchasing processes, spare-parts records, supplier relationships, and procurement planning.

Qualifications and Competencies

• Experience in procurement, purchasing, industrial parts sourcing, maintenance coordination, inventory control, or a related technical role.
• Experience in a manufacturing, industrial, mechanical, construction, or maintenance environment is considered a strong asset.
• Practical understanding of industrial mechanical components, such as conveyor systems, belts, bearings, shafts, motors, gearboxes, cutting tools, and related equipment parts.
• Strong research and problem-solving skills, particularly when dealing with specialized, discontinued, or custom-manufactured components.
• Ability to understand technical specifications, compare component requirements, interpret drawings or manuals, and communicate technical information clearly.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple purchasing requests and deadlines.
• Commercial awareness and the ability to evaluate price, quality, compatibility, lead time, and overall value.
• Confidence communicating with suppliers, asking technical questions, following up on commitments, and resolving purchasing issues.
• Proactive, dependable, and comfortable working independently while collaborating with maintenance and production teams.
• Good computer skills, including spreadsheets, email, purchasing records, and inventory or ERP systems.
• A practical, hands-on approach and willingness to learn the plant's equipment, operating requirements, and procurement practices.

What We Offer

• A stable, full-time opportunity in an established manufacturing environment.
• The opportunity to develop specialized knowledge of industrial procurement and wallboard production equipment.
• A varied role combining purchasing, technical problem-solving, supplier coordination, and operational support.
• A collaborative working environment where initiative, reliability, and practical solutions are valued.
• Opportunities to contribute to process improvements and take on increasing responsibility as experience and knowledge develop.

Pay: $20.00-$25.00 per hour

Expected hours: 40.0 – 48.0 per week

Benefits:

• Casual dress
• Dental care
• On-site parking
• RRSP match

Experience:

• industrial procurement: 3 years (required)

Work Location: In person