Senior Buyer

The Senior Buyer leads procurement activities for raw materials, components, and services that support our manufacturing operations. This role drives strategic sourcing, manages supplier relationships, negotiates contracts, oversees inventory levels, and ensures timely, cost‑effective purchasing to support efficient production.

Key Responsibilities

• Identify, evaluate, and select suppliers for materials and services.
• Conduct market research to assess supplier quality, pricing, and reliability.
• Issue Requests for Quotes (RFQs) to current and prospective suppliers.
• Develop and execute sourcing and procurement strategies aligned with company objectives.
• Manage open order reports, supplier on‑time delivery, and purchasing documentation.
• Negotiate pricing, contract terms, and delivery requirements.
• Monitor ERP inventory levels to prevent shortages or overstocking.
• Place replenishment orders and collaborate with internal teams on forecasting.
• Analyze purchasing and usage data to optimize inventory costs and turnover.
• Maintain strong supplier relationships and ensure consistent supplier performance.
• Evaluate supplier cost, quality, and delivery metrics and initiate corrective actions when needed.
• Ensure compliance with company policies, audit standards, and regulatory requirements.
• Support ongoing improvements to procurement processes and internal controls.
• Partner with engineering, production, finance, and quality teams to resolve material‑related issues.
• Coordinate return‑to‑vendor (RTV) transactions for non‑conforming or incorrectly shipped materials.
• Process engineering change notices and update purchase orders accordingly.
• Conduct cost and market analyses to identify savings opportunities.
• Track procurement KPIs and prepare reports for leadership.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s degree required; technical, business, finance, or related fields preferred.
• Eight or more years of relevant experience may be substituted for a degree.

Experience

• 5–7 years of procurement or purchasing experience, preferably in manufacturing.
• Proven success in supplier negotiation, cost reduction, and strategic sourcing.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to collaborate across departments.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities in a fast‑paced environment.
• Solid understanding of purchasing processes and the impact of lead times on production/deadlines for projects.
• Strong project management and follow‑through skills.
• Excellent negotiation and relationship‑building capabilities.
• Analytical thinking and data‑driven decision‑making.
• Material Requirements Planning (MRP) experience required; including ERP systems (SAP preferred), supplier portals, and/or inventory management platforms.
• Intermediate proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Outlook.
• Knowledge of contract management, supplier qualification, and sourcing best practices preferred.

Salary

$75,000 – $95,000 per year, based on experience and qualifications.