Job Summary

The Senior Buyer is responsible for purchasing and managing materials, components, and services required to support manufacturing operations. This role ensures that materials are procured at the right cost, quality, and delivery timing while maintaining strong supplier relationships and supporting production schedules.

The Senior Buyer will work closely with production, planning, engineering, quality, finance, and suppliers to manage purchasing activities, resolve supply issues, reduce costs, and support continuous improvement initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

• Purchase raw materials, components, tooling, equipment, MRO supplies, and outside services to support manufacturing operations.
• Review MRP demand, purchase requisitions, inventory levels, and production schedules to determine purchasing needs.
• Issue, confirm, and expedite purchase orders to ensure timely delivery of materials.
• Develop and maintain strong supplier relationships to support quality, cost, delivery, and service expectations.
• Monitor supplier performance and address issues related to late deliveries, quality concerns, shortages, and pricing discrepancies.
• Identify cost savings opportunities through supplier negotiations, alternate sourcing, volume pricing, and process improvements.
• Collaborate with production planning to prevent material shortages and minimize excess or obsolete inventory.
• Work with engineering and quality teams on supplier selection, part changes, new product introductions, and corrective actions.
• Maintain accurate purchasing data in the ERP/MRP system, including pricing, lead times, supplier information, and order status.
• Analyze market trends, supplier capacity, and commodity pricing to support purchasing decisions.
• Support inventory management goals by balancing material availability with working capital targets.
• Resolve invoice discrepancies, receiving issues, and supplier claims in coordination with accounting and operations.
• Assist with supplier audits, scorecards, RFQs, contract reviews, and sourcing projects.
• Mentor junior buyers or purchasing staff as needed.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Operations, or a related field preferred.
• 5+ years of purchasing, procurement, or supply chain experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Strong understanding of MRP/ERP systems and manufacturing planning processes.
• Experience purchasing raw materials, components, fabricated parts, or production-related supplies.
• Ability to read and interpret bills of material, drawings, specifications, and production schedules.
• Strong analytical skills with experience reviewing pricing, usage, inventory, and supplier performance data.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel and purchasing/ERP systems.

Preferred Qualifications

• APICS, CPIM, CPSM, or related supply chain certification.
• Experience with lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, or cost reduction initiatives.
• Experience with supplier scorecards, RFQs, blanket purchase orders, and vendor-managed inventory programs.

Key Competencies

• Negotiation and supplier management
• Cost reduction and value analysis
• Production and material planning support
• Problem solving and decision making
• Attention to detail
• Cross-functional collaboration
• Sense of urgency
• Inventory and working capital awareness
• Continuous improvement mindset