Purchasing Specialist

About Kumho Tire Georgia

Kumho Tire is a global tire manufacturer with more than 60 years of experience in tire technology, manufacturing, and innovation. At our Macon, Georgia manufacturing facility, our teams work together to support safe, efficient production through strong supplier relationships, effective inventory management, and reliable supply chain operations.

Kumho Tire Georgia is seeking a Bilingual Purchasing Specialist to support purchasing, procurement, inventory management, supplier coordination, and international shipping activities. This position is responsible for ensuring materials and supplies are available to support production while maintaining accurate purchasing documentation, controlling inventory levels, and coordinating with suppliers, freight brokers, Finance, Production, and our headquarters teams.

Professional proficiency in both Korean and English is required for this position.

Job Summary

The Bilingual Purchasing Specialist manages the procurement of materials and supplies needed to support manufacturing operations. Responsibilities include creating and managing purchase orders (POs), monitoring inventory, coordinating suppliers, processing invoices in SAP, maintaining international shipping and customs documentation, supporting supplier audits, and resolving inventory discrepancies.

This position works closely with suppliers and internal departments to prevent material shortages, control purchasing costs, maintain accurate records, and ensure purchased materials arrive when needed to support production.

Key Responsibilities

• Create and process purchase orders based on production requirements, inventory levels, forecasts, and established minimum/maximum stock quantities.
• Monitor raw material and supply inventory to prevent shortages and excess inventory.
• Coordinate purchasing activities with Production, Finance, Supply Chain, EHS, headquarters teams, and external suppliers.
• Maintain purchasing records, contracts, offer sheets, approval documentation, invoices, vouchers, credit applications, and supplier records.
• Enter and maintain purchasing and invoice information within SAP/ERP systems.
• Coordinate invoice documentation and approvals with Finance to support accurate and timely payment processing.
• Manage purchasing documentation associated with international procurement and importing, including Letters of Credit (L/C), Bills of Lading (BOL), and other shipping documents.
• Coordinate original Bills of Lading and required documentation to support timely freight and material release.
• Communicate with customs brokers, freight brokers, logistics providers, vendors, and suppliers regarding incoming shipments and purchased materials.
• Maintain detailed material and supplier information, including material descriptions, country of origin, manufacturer information, supplier contacts, pricing, quantities, packaging requirements, and shipping methods.
• Maintain applicable HTSUS classifications, duty information, and import documentation.
• Coordinate Safety Data Sheets (SDS) with suppliers and the Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) team.
• Support development and qualification of new suppliers and materials in collaboration with headquarters Purchasing, Material Development, and Production Technology teams.
• Investigate and resolve discrepancies between ERP inventory records and physical inventory.
• Complete monthly purchasing close activities and prepare required reports for headquarters.
• Support supplier audits, supplier evaluations, and supplier performance reviews related to delivery, service, and product quality.
• Visit supplier facilities when necessary to support audits, evaluations, or other purchasing activities.
• Negotiate pricing and support the development, review, and approval of supplier contracts and unit-price agreements.
• Monitor supplier performance and communicate findings and recommendations to management.
• Maintain purchasing procedures, work instructions, manuals, worksheets, and other controlled documentation.
• Prepare for and participate in internal and external audits and certification activities.
• Maintain professional communication with suppliers, vendors, brokers, headquarters personnel, and internal departments.
• Maintain regular and dependable attendance and follow company policies, procedures, and ethical standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, Procurement, Logistics, or a related field, or equivalent relevant work experience.
• Bilingual Korean/English proficiency required.
• 0–5 years of experience in purchasing, procurement, supply chain, materials management, or a related field.
• International purchasing, import/export, or global supply chain experience preferred.
• Manufacturing purchasing or industrial procurement experience preferred.
• Experience with SAP or another ERP system preferred.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Excel, Word, and Outlook.

Skills & Competencies

Successful candidates should demonstrate:

• Purchasing and procurement skills
• Purchase order management
• Supplier and vendor management
• Inventory control and materials planning
• International purchasing and import coordination
• SAP / ERP experience
• Invoice processing and reconciliation
• Customs and freight documentation
• Bill of Lading documentation
• HTSUS classification awareness
• Supplier performance evaluation
• Contract and price negotiation
• Strong attention to detail
• Analytical and problem-solving skills
• Organization and time management
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines
• Strong written and verbal communication
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively
• Ability to learn new systems and processes quickly
• Strong customer service and supplier relationship skills

Join Kumho Tire Georgia

This opportunity may be a strong fit for candidates with backgrounds as a Purchasing Specialist, Buyer, Procurement Specialist, Purchasing Coordinator, Procurement Coordinator, Materials Specialist, Supply Chain Specialist, or International Purchasing Specialist.

If you are bilingual in Korean and English and have experience or an interest in purchasing, procurement, supplier management, inventory control, SAP, international shipping, or manufacturing supply chain operations, we encourage you to apply and grow your career with Kumho Tire Georgia.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individual(s) assigned to this position.   They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel so classified.  Individuals in this position may be assigned to other duties related or unrelated to this position.

Kumho Tire Georgia (KTG) provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. KTG reserves the right to withdraw this job posting at any time and/or not fill the position posted.  All applicants may not be granted an interview.