Senior Buyer

We are supporting a growing advanced manufacturing company on their search for a Senior Buyer. This role is responsible for strategic sourcing, procurement, and supplier management activities that support a highly engineered manufacturing environment. The Senior Buyer will work closely with planning, production, engineering, quality, and finance teams to ensure uninterrupted material flow, support new product introductions, and drive continuous improvement across the supply chain. The position requires a hands-on procurement professional who can balance day-to-day purchasing execution with supplier performance management, risk mitigation, and long-term sourcing strategies.

Responsibilities

• Execute purchasing activities for key components, technical materials, and long-lead-time items required to support manufacturing operations
• Manage supplier relationships, including RFQs, sourcing events, commercial negotiations, expediting activities, supplier performance management, and resourcing initiatives
• Read and interpret engineering drawings, bills of materials (BOMs), specifications, and engineering change orders (ECOs) to support accurate procurement decisions
• Maintain accurate purchasing data within ERP/MRP systems, including pricing, lead times, supplier records, and order confirmations
• Resolve supply shortages, delivery delays, engineering changes, and material availability challenges in support of production requirements
• Partner closely with planning, production, engineering, quality, and finance teams to support inventory management, manufacturing schedules, and new product introductions
• Analyze procurement metrics, supplier performance data, spend trends, and purchasing activity to support sourcing decisions and operational improvements
• Identify supply chain risks and develop mitigation strategies through supplier diversification, contingency planning, and proactive supplier engagement
• Utilize analytics, forecasting tools, and emerging supply chain technologies to improve planning accuracy and procurement effectiveness
• Develop supplier scorecards and performance measurement processes to improve cost, quality, delivery, and responsiveness
• Support continuous improvement initiatives focused on procurement processes, supplier management, inventory optimization, and operational efficiency
• Manage multiple priorities simultaneously while maintaining accuracy and responsiveness in a fast-paced manufacturing environment

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Manufacturing, or a related field, or equivalent experience
• 6+ years of purchasing, sourcing, or procurement experience within a manufacturing environment
• Strong supplier relationship management, sourcing, and negotiation skills
• Experience supporting manufacturing operations, inventory management, production planning, and engineering-driven environments
• Ability to interpret BOMs, engineering drawings, specifications, and ECOs
• Strong ERP/MRP system experience and understanding of purchasing workflows
• Excellent analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills
• Strong communication skills and ability to collaborate across multiple functions

Preferred Skills & Attributes

• APICS, CPIM, and/or CSCP certification
• Experience within electronics, automotive, battery manufacturing, HVAC, aerospace, or other technical manufacturing environments
• Familiarity with AI-enabled forecasting, automation tools, and supply chain analytics platforms
• Experience supporting new product introductions and engineering change management
• Strong process-improvement mindset with the ability to drive operational efficiencies
• Comfortable operating in a dynamic, fast-paced environment where priorities can shift quickly