What are the responsibilities and job description for the Senior Buyer position at Vertiv?
The Senior Buyer is responsible for the strategic and operational management of critical electrical commodities, including switch fuses, circuit breakers, disconnect switches, and associated accessories. This role ensures consistent material availability to support production and project delivery while driving supplier performance, capacity alignment, and risk mitigation.
This is a senior-level individual contributor role with full ownership of assigned commodities and suppliers. The position requires strong execution, supplier leadership, and cross-functional coordination to maintain a stable and scalable supply chain in a high-demand manufacturing environment.
Key Responsibilities
- Own and manage the procurement strategy and execution for electrical commodities, including switches, breakers, fuses, and related components
- Serve as the primary point of contact for key suppliers and distributors, ensuring alignment on demand, lead times, and delivery expectations
- Drive supplier performance by monitoring and improving on-time delivery, responsiveness, and overall reliability
- Proactively identify supply risks (capacity constraints, extended lead times, allocation risks) and implement mitigation plans to protect production
- Lead escalation efforts with suppliers to resolve critical shortages and recover material in support of production needs
- Collaborate with Planning, Operations, and Engineering to align demand forecasts, lead times, and material requirements
- Support new product introductions (NPI) and project-based demand by ensuring supplier readiness and accurate lead time planning
- Maintain and validate ERP system data (e.g., IFS), including lead times, pricing, and order parameters to ensure planning accuracy
- Independently manage critical purchase orders, including expediting and follow-ups for high-risk or high-impact items
- Analyze purchasing data and supplier performance to drive informed decisions and improvements
- Support inventory strategies by aligning order timing, quantities, and buffer levels with demand and supply variability
- Identify and implement process improvements to increase efficiency, accuracy, and responsiveness within purchasing
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, or related field
- 5 years of experience in purchasing, supply chain, or procurement within a manufacturing environment
- Proven experience managing electrical components or similar technical commodities (e.g., breakers, switches, fuses)
- Strong understanding of supplier management, lead times, and production-driven supply chains
- Experience working with ERP systems (IFS, SAP, Oracle, etc.)
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel (data analysis, reporting, and tracking)
- Strong communication, negotiation, and problem-solving skills
- Ability to operate independently and manage complex priorities in a fast-paced environment
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience supporting switchgear, busway, or electrical assembly operations
- Familiarity with high-mix, project-based manufacturing environments
- Experience working with long lead-time or allocation-controlled components
Key Competencies
- Commodity Ownership – Takes full accountability for assigned commodities and supplier base
- Supplier Leadership (Without Authority) – Influences supplier performance and drives accountability through communication and follow-up
- Risk Management – Anticipates and mitigates supply chain risks before they impact production
- Independent Execution – Operates with minimal oversight while managing high-impact responsibilities
- Cross-Functional Collaboration – Aligns with Planning, Engineering, and Operations to support production needs
- Sense of Urgency – Acts quickly and decisively to resolve issues and protect production continuity