Senior Buyer (Packaging Procurement)

Our client is seeking an experienced Senior Buyer (Packaging) to manage packaging procurement and indirect materials for multiple manufacturing locations across North America. This role is based 100% onsite in the Pontiac, MI area.

The ideal candidate has solid packaging procurement experience - especially in automotive - and can coordinate across multiple plants while working closely with packaging engineers.

This is a global organization with significant growth potential!

Responsibilities

• Own procurement of packaging materials (corrugated, returnable containers, dunnage, pallets, labels, other packaging supplies) for multiple sites across North America.
• Collaborate directly with packaging engineering teams to ensure sourcing supports design, quality, and operational requirements.
• Develop and implement packaging category strategies that optimize cost, quality, and supply reliability.
• Manage supplier relationships: identify, qualify, negotiate contracts and pricing, monitor performance, and enforce service‑level and quality agreements.
• Monitor raw material markets (paper, plastics, wood, etc.) and make strategic sourcing decisions to mitigate risk and cost fluctuations.
• Drive cost‑savings initiatives while maintaining or improving packaging quality and consistency across locations.
• Maintain procurement documentation, vendor records, spend analytics, and KPI dashboards.
• Report to leadership on sourcing‑strategy, supplier risk, cost savings, and supply chain status.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• 5 years of procurement or sourcing experience, with a strong focus on packaging and indirect materials
• 2 years of automotive manufacturing experience.
• Experience managing packaging procurement for multiple plant locations / multi-site operations.
• Strong negotiation skills, contract management, vendor management, and cost‑analysis capabilities.

Titles Encouraged to Apply

• Senior Buyer
• Indirect / Materials Buyer
• Strategic Sourcing Manager
• Commodity Manager
• Commodity Buyer
• Global Buyer -
• Purchasing Manager
• Category Manager

If you're a packaging‑savvy procurement professional based around Pontiac (or willing to commute there) - with multi‑site experience and a strong sourcing track record - this could be a great fit.