Sr. Buyer

About The Company

Bell and Howell delivers technology-driven Automation Services and Automation Solutions that help businesses optimize performance, reduce downtime, and improve customer experiences.

Our Automation Services bring a dedicated team of expert mechatronic service engineers completely covering North America and backed by our Integrated 360 advanced technology enabling remote repair, diagnostics, automated Smart Ops Dispatch and 24/7/365 technical assistance for our clients. We provide a comprehensive and certified level of support for thousands of diversified clients.

Our Automated Solutions product portfolio consists of next-generation equipment delivering best-in-class performance enhancing workflow efficiency and elevating customer experiences across multiple markets including retail, pharmaceuticals, packaging, mail production, ecommerce and manufacturing – all backed by the best service in the industry.

Durham, NC (on-site)

The Senior Buyer leads strategic and tactical procurement activities for assigned complex, high-value commodities supporting the company’s automation products, manufacturing requirements, and service operations.

This position owns the end-to-end sourcing process for assigned commodities, including market analysis, sourcing strategy, supplier identification and selection, competitive bidding, commercial negotiations, contract coordination, purchase execution, supplier performance, cost management, and supply-risk mitigation.

The Senior Buyer works independently and partners with Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Planning, Finance, Service Operations, and other stakeholders to ensure the timely and cost-effective availability of parts, equipment, materials, and services. The position is accountable for improving total cost, supplier quality, delivery performance, inventory efficiency, and continuity of supply.

• Develop and execute sourcing and commodity strategies for assigned automation products, components, equipment, materials, and services in alignment with organizational goals, production requirements, and customer commitments.
• Manage assigned commodities and procurement spend, including analyzing historical spend, demand forecasts, supplier capacity, market conditions, pricing trends, lead times, and supply-chain risks.
• Lead the end-to-end competitive sourcing process, including preparing requests for information, quotations, and proposals; analyzing supplier responses; conducting supplier due diligence; recommending awards; and documenting sourcing decisions.
• Negotiate complex commercial arrangements involving price, payment terms, lead times, minimum-order quantities, warranties, freight, tooling, inventory commitments, service levels, and other contractual terms.
• Partner with Legal, Finance, Quality, Engineering, and other stakeholders to support the development, review, negotiation, execution, and administration of supplier agreements.
• Deliver measurable cost savings, cost avoidance, working-capital improvements, and process efficiencies through competitive sourcing, supplier negotiations, value analysis, demand consolidation, standardization, and other cost-management strategies.
• Evaluate purchasing decisions based on total cost of ownership, including purchase price, freight, tariffs, lead times, quality, inventory requirements, warranty exposure, service costs, and supply risk.
• Ensure the availability of required parts, equipment, and materials by reviewing production schedules, forecasts, material requirements, inventory levels, open orders, supplier commitments, and customer requirements.
• Prepare and submit purchase orders in accordance with approved sourcing decisions, production schedules, delegated authority, company policies, and applicable contractual terms.
• Monitor purchase-order acknowledgments and supplier delivery commitments; expedite overdue, constrained, and critical materials when necessary to prevent production interruptions or customer-service delays.
• Lead supplier performance management for assigned commodities by monitoring and reporting supplier performance related to cost, quality, delivery, responsiveness, lead time, capacity, and contractual compliance.
• Develop and maintain supplier scorecards, conduct supplier business reviews, communicate performance expectations, and lead corrective-action efforts when supplier performance does not meet requirements.
• Resolve complex supplier-related issues involving quality, delivery, pricing, invoicing, capacity, damaged materials, nonconforming products, and contractual requirements.
• Identify, evaluate, qualify, and recommend new suppliers based on capability, capacity, financial stability, quality systems, pricing, delivery performance, technical expertise, geographic risk, and overall business fit.
• Develop alternate-source, dual-source, and business-continuity strategies for critical or high-risk materials to reduce dependency and protect the organization from supply…