Senior Direct Material Technical Buyer

7 Research Dr, Greenville, SC 29607, USA

Posted Wednesday, January 7, 2026 at 5:00 AM

This position will be responsible for management of a variety of activities associated within the Direct Material Purchasing team as well as develop a thorough understanding of the Purchasing Operating Systems.

• Lead Purchasing Projects that could impact multiple corporate facilities.
• Develop “Should Be Cost” of components within their assigned commodity. This will involve a thorough understanding of component cost drivers, commodity market intelligence (related to labor costs, material costs, etc.). The purpose/goal is for this individual to be able to estimate what we should be paying for a component.
• Create, issue, and evaluate Supplier Requests for Quotations (RFQ's) packages.
• Become familiar with the main cost drivers of his/her commodities and communicate internally within JTEKT this information to ensure optimum designs are released at the time of sourcing decision.
• Research and understand market trends, create a Benchmark on assigned commodities, create a Make –vs
  - Buy analysis, and understand the impact of technology on the product.
• Support manager in order to create a Commodity Strategy for their Key Commodities (format will be provided).
• Evaluate commodity and suppliers to determine what type of agreement is required with each supplier and then to draft, negotiate, and implement the decided level of the contract.
• Identify cost reduction activities from the beginning of the product design stage, through the production life of the product purchased.
• Lead negotiations with suppliers based on the Should Be/Target pricing he or she has determined to be market competitive for component piece price, tooling cost, etc.
• Support the Supplier Advancement Engineer in VA/VE and Kaizen supplier workshops by defining cost reduction targets and negotiating cost sharing rules with suppliers.
• Maintain detailed records of all pricing evolution within commodity (Price catalog, benchmarking, CVI, quotes, contract, VA/VE,…)
• Provide management of Supplier Risk as well as Quarterly reporting of KPIs to each Key Supplier and will be responsible for the overall performance of his/her suppliers and their Quality, Cost and Delivery performance.
• Frequent travel to suppliers (international travel a possibility).
• Generate a map of Supplier Processes including Bekido and Chokko rates at time of quotation as well a follow up later to confirm quoted rates are occurring.
• Work overtime as required and occasional Saturdays and/or Sundays when directed by immediate supervisor, as necessary, to complete essential job duties.

• This position requires a high level of professional competency and skills sufficient to perform activities associated with Direct Material Purchasing.
• Leads or significantly contributes to a cross-functions team or work group by providing functional support and guidance. May provide guidance to projects, work groups, and/or teams
• Responsibility to manage/complete payment discrepancy issues related their commodity
• Accompany Buyer and/or Purchasing Manager on visits to Suppliers.
• This position will require thorough understanding and usage of JNA Purchasing Policies and Procedures.
• Perform other duties as assigned by Purchasing Manager.

• This position has no supervisory responsibilities.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office, Word, Excel, Access and PowerPoint.
• Strong organizational skills, able to work well under pressure and manage several tasks simultaneously.
• Self-motivated and able to work without close supervision.
• Ability to handle confidential information and maintain the highest legal and ethical standards.
• Basic knowledge of applicable quality, health, safety, and environmental management system

• 4 Year College Degree with Focus in Business Administration, Engineering, or Finance
• 5+ years purchasing experience preferably with direct materials and or cold forgings

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• The daily work is mostly performed in a normal office setting with minimal exposure to health or safety hazards, and with substantial time spent working on a computer. Requires sufficient hand, arm, and finger dexterity to operate a computer and other office equipment.
• Communicate (hearing and speech) with individuals in person and by phone
• Visually read reports, computer screen, etc.
• Maintain a minimum of 8 hours worked/day, 5 days/week

Employee may perform other duties as requested, directed or assigned.