What are the responsibilities and job description for the Buyer position at Suburban Manufacturing Co?
JOB TITLE: Buyer
FLSA: Exempt
SUMMARY
The Buyer directly manages the acquisition of materials and other products critical to the support of production and operations through negotiating optimal pricing, availability, and delivery of materials with vendors.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Including but not limited to:
- Develop and issue bid packages, RFQs, RFPs, and statements of work (SOWs) aligned with project specifications and production requirements.
- Lead sourcing strategies from project initiation through execution, including exploring alternative suppliers, nearshoring, and risk mitigation.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with Engineering and Operations teams to ensure procurement aligns with manufacturing timelines and quality standards.
- Manage basic-level commercial negotiations, resolve disputes, and maintain continuity of supply.
- Analyze detailed cost breakdowns for materials, labor, freight, and overhead to support total cost of ownership (TCO) decisions.
- Build and maintain supplier relationships to drive cost reductions, improve lead times, and eliminate supply chain inefficiencies.
- Monitor supplier compliance to pricing agreements, service levels, and quality KPIs.
- Support risk management initiatives, including supplier capacity assessments, insurance requirements, and multi-sourcing strategies.
- Manage purchase orders from creation through delivery, ensuring inventory levels support production without overstocking or stockouts.
Required Skills & Competencies
- Strong analytical skills and cost modeling capabilities to drive value-based sourcing decisions.
- Business acumen to evaluate commercial risk, vendor performance, and operational impact.
- Knowledge of global sourcing strategies, particularly in service, component, and finished goods procurement.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills; ability to present insights to cross-functional teams.
- Collaborative mindset with the ability to work effectively across engineering, finance, operations and supply chain functions.
- Proficiency in INFOR (preferred)
- Medium-Advanced Microsoft Office skills, especially Excel for cost analysis and reporting.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, or a related field preferred
- CPSM or CPM certification is a plus.
- Minimum of 4 years of work experience, including at least 2 years in procurement, sourcing, or category management.
- Experience working with international suppliers and understanding of import logistics is strongly preferred.
- Experience in a manufacturing environment is strongly preferred.
Position type and Expected Hours of Work:
- This is a full-time position on a 4-10 hour work schedule (Mon-Thurs). Due to the nature and demands of this role, flexibility is required to work outside of normal work schedule.
- This is an on-site, full-time position.
Please be advised this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
U.S. citizens and those authorized to work in the U.S. are encouraged to apply. We are unable to sponsor currently.
EEO Statement:
All divisions of Airxcel provide 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, six, 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.