MRO Spare Parts Supervisor & Buyer

Summary

The MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Operations) Spare Parts Supervisor and Indirect Parts Buyer manage the storeroom inventory, sourcing best cost, and ensuring minimum inventory levels are maintained. Close partnerships with equipment engineering, quality, and safety to ensure full compliance with standards. This dual role is a critical early hire for our new startup facility, responsible for establishing the storeroom foundations and procurement processes that will power our large-scale production.

· Salary Range: $78,000 – $84,000 per year

· Location: Fully Onsite (Startup Environment)

· Industry: Solar Cell Manufacturing

· Key Systems: Fiix CMMS & NetSuite ERP

· Work Schedule: Day shift (40 hours per week) with the flexibility to work across alternative shifts as needed during the initial launch and startup phases.

· Report directly to the site WH/SC manager

Key Responsibilities

Startup & Cleanroom Operations

· Establish Logistics: Build out the initial physical storeroom layout and workflow from scratch using 5S principles.

· Enforce Cleanroom Safety: Ensure all stored spare parts, tools, and consumables meet strict cleanroom protocol standards (e.g., proper packaging, particle control, degreasing, and gowning requirements) to prevent contamination of the manufacturing floor. [1]

· Process Creation: Develop SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) for cleanroom part intake, cleaning, storage, and kitting for maintenance technicians.

Inventory & Storeroom Management

· Supervise Staff: Recruit, train, lead, and schedule storeroom attendants as the facility scales.

· Optimize Inventory: Build initial BOMs (Bills of Materials) and set minimum/maximum stock levels for critical automated production machinery.

· Maintain Accuracy: Implement daily cycle counts and rigorous tracking to eliminate stockouts.

· Manage Fiix CMMS: Set up and maintain the asset hierarchy, parts database, and maintenance logs within Fiix CMMS.

· Train Equipment, EHS, and Facilities Technicians on CMMS procedures and nomenclature

Purchasing & Indirect Buying

· Execute Buying: Set up vendor accounts and issue purchase orders (POs) for capital equipment spares and facility supplies using NetSuite ERP.

· Source Vendors: Identify and onboard reliable local and international suppliers capable of supporting a high-volume manufacturing startup.

· Negotiate Contracts: Secure bulk-pricing agreements, favorable terms, and service contracts with equipment OEMs.

Qualifications & Skills

Education & Experience

· Degree: Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, Engineering, Business, or equivalent technical experience.

· Experience: 3–5 years in MRO inventory management, with a clear understanding of startup challenges or plant commissioning.

· Industry Experience: Required experience in cleanroom environments (Solar, Semiconductor, Pharmaceutical, or high-tech automated manufacturing).

· Leadership: 1–2 years of supervisory experience with a track record of building collaborative teams.

Technical Skills & Cleanroom Knowledge

· Systems: Hands-on proficiency with Fiix CMMS and NetSuite ERP is highly preferred.

· Cleanroom Compliance: Deep understanding of cleanroom protocols, particulate safety, specialized PPE, and contamination control.

· Technical Literacy: Ability to read engineering drawings and schematics to identify mechanical, electronic, robotic, and pneumatic components.

Availability Requirements

· Shift Flexibility: Capability and willingness to adjust work hours and support off-shifts, weekends, or extended hours during critical production rollouts or facility emergencies.