Buyer/ Planner POST NUMBER: 307784
Buyer / Planner
Racecar Manufacturer | Design, Build & Development Operations
Plainfield, IN (onsite)
On behalf of our client, a growing racecar manufacturer, we are seeking an experienced Buyer / Planner to lead day-to-day purchasing and production planning.
About the Opportunity
This is a high-priority opening with one of the region's most exciting manufacturers — a company that designs, builds, and fields its own racecars. The Buyer / Planner will take ownership of purchasing and planning so company leadership can focus on broader operational growth, making this a role that interacts with nearly every department in the business.
- Supports two primary product lines and manages approximately 1,700 to 2,500 parts/SKUs.
- Operates within a prototype manufacturing environment, where new parts and design changes happen frequently.
- Most components are purchased finished or fabricated through an established, primarily domestic supplier base of 10 to 15 key suppliers — this is not a heavy raw-material purchasing or in-house fabrication role.
- Current production target is approximately two cars per month, with each build taking roughly three weeks.
- Inventory levels are maintained generously, with a target of approximately three to six car sets of parts on hand.
What You'll Do
- Receive CAD files and design requirements, then work directly with suppliers to source and purchase components.
- Create and manage purchase orders, including pricing, delivery dates, quantities, and terms.
- Review historical demand and determine appropriate purchasing quantities and timing.
- Monitor supplier performance related to quality, cost, delivery, and responsiveness, and build strong working relationships with key suppliers.
- Develop and maintain production plans based on demand, inventory levels, and material availability.
- Coordinate closely with engineering, production, and quality teams to support new part introductions, prototype builds, and engineering changes.
- Monitor inventory levels, investigate discrepancies, and help minimize excess or obsolete stock.
- Maintain accurate purchasing and planning records within the company's warehouse/ERP system.
What We're Looking For
Automotive or motorsports experience is not required, and a college degree is not required. Our client is open to candidates with a few years of relevant experience, early-career candidates, or career changers with transferable purchasing or supplier-facing backgrounds. Product and automotive knowledge can be learned on the job — it typically takes about six months to build strong familiarity with the parts.
Prior experience should include:
- Working within an ERP or purchasing system and creating purchase orders.
- Communicating directly with suppliers, including by phone.
- Intermediate Excel skills and professional written communication.
The ideal candidate will also bring:
- A positive attitude, curiosity, and a genuine willingness to learn quickly.
- Comfort working through ambiguity and gray areas, with sound judgment rather than relying solely on system-generated requisitions.
- Strong relationship-building and conversational skills.
- An entrepreneurial mindset — this role thrives with flexible problem-solvers and may not be the right fit for those who prefer highly structured, black-and-white processes.
- Knowledge of metals and materials is a plus when partnering with engineering on new parts, and supplier negotiation experience is helpful but secondary to relationship-building.
By submitting to this position, you are agreeing to be included in our talent pool for future hiring for similarly qualified positions.
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Representation Notice
By submitting to this position, you agree that you will be giving Vaco by Highspring the exclusive right to present your as a candidate for the foregoing employment opportunity. You further agree that you have represented information about yourself accurately and have not affirmatively misrepresented your qualifications. You also agree to maintain as confidential, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any information you learn from Vaco by Highspring about the position and you will limit disclosure of information about the position only to the extent necessary to perform any obligations in furtherance of your application. In exchange, Vaco by Highspring agrees to exercise reasonable efforts to represent you through all solicitation, job screening and resume dispersal.
For residents of Ontario, Canada: Based on Highspring’s discussions with its Client, Highspring’s understanding is that this position for employment is a current vacancy (either through Highspring as a contractor or with the client directly).
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Additionally, submissions to this position are subject to the use of AI to perform preliminary candidate screenings, focused on ensuring minimum job requirements noted in the position are satisfied. More details about Vaco by Highspring’s use of AI can be found here (https://www.highspring.com/ai-use-notices/). Further assessment of candidates beyond this initial phase will be conducted by recruiters and hiring managers. Vaco by Highspring does not know and cannot opine on if its client’s use of AI products in hiring.
Pay Transparency Notice
Determining compensation for this role (and others) at Vaco by Highspring depends upon a wide array of factors including but not limited to:
- the individual’s skill sets, experience and training;
- licensure and certification requirements;
- office location and other geographic considerations;
- other business and organizational needs.
With that said, as required by local law, Vaco by Highspring believes that the following salary range referenced above reasonably estimates the base compensation for an individual hired into this position in geographies that require salary range disclosure. The individual may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses.