Senior Indirect Material Technical Buyer

Senior Indirect Material Technical Buyer – MRO

DEPARTMENT Indirect Purchasing

LOCATION Greenville, SC with required travel to JTEKT plants in TN, SC, GA, Mexico & Canada

REPORTS TO Purchasing Manager – Indirect Material & Services

We are seeking a highly skilled, creative negotiating, and detail-oriented MRO Senior Technical Buyer to build our team at JTEKT North America Corporation, a leading automotive supplier. This role involves identifying and implementing cost-effective procurement strategies, optimizing supplier relationships, and ensuring that non-product-related expenditures are aligned with business goals and objectives. This requires total management, ownership and accountability for the supply base across MRO within the organization, and collaborating cross-functionally, ensuring clear expectations.

The Sr. Technical Buyer will be responsible for optimizing procurement strategies, managing supplier engagement, and driving cost efficiencies across Maintenance, Repair, and Operations (MRO) material categories. This role focuses on category strategy development, RFP processes, inventory management, contract negotiations, and cost reduction initiatives to enhance operational effectiveness. of equipment and facilities. This role is key to ensuring the smooth operation of our manufacturing processes and minimizing downtime through timely procurement of MRO items for equipment and facilities.

• Drive MRO category strategy and supplier selection.
• Deliver Indirect Purchasing’s Business Plan Cost Reductions.
• Generate and lead sourcing events & plans including Request for Proposal (RFP) processes to identify and secure optimal suppliers.
• Support manufacturing plant inventory levels to ensure availability while minimizing excess stock.
• Build and maintain strong supplier relationships, ensuring quality, reliability, and cost-effectiveness. Identify and develop supplier relationships & supplier performance with a strong focus on customer service, flexibility / agility, quick response times, process flow efficiency, product quality, on time commitments, distribution excellence and supplier reliability.
• Monitor key supplier score cards that provide an objective view of our supply base, and implement corrective actions as required.
• Lead contract negotiations to optimize cost and value.
• Work with manufacturing facilities to align sourcing and ensure buy-in to achieve decentralized execution of the sourcing and strategy.
• Analyze spending levels and confirm JTEKT remains within budget.
• Analyze market trends and sourcing opportunities to drive continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders (plants, facilities, engineering, etc.) to align sourcing strategies with business objectives.
• Investigate and implement new technologies or methods that improve purchasing and inventory management.
• Ensure compliance with company policies, industry regulations, safety, and demonstrate the JTEKT Way.
• Participate in the company, department and team Objectives.
• Support / attend and participate in meetings scheduled by the Purchasing Manager, customers and/or Buyers, and Weekly / Monthly Operating Reviews unless circumstances prevent attendance. Support 1-on-1 meetings with the Purchasing Manager.
• Support Buyers and Coordinators with supplier issues.
• Perform other duties as assigned / requested by Purchasing Manager

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Engineering, or related field. MBA preferred. A certification in Purchasing or Procurement is a plus.
• Minimum of 4 years of experience in the Purchasing field or in a related area. Proven expertise in MRO procurement and strategic sourcing.
• Strong negotiation, contract…