Metals Buyer

Raw Material / Metals Buyer

Ascent Aerospace is seeking a Raw Material / Metals Buyer to manage the sourcing, purchasing, and supplier relationship activities for specialty metals and raw material commodities — including aluminum, steel, and other alloys — supporting aerospace manufacturing programs. This role is responsible for ensuring on-time, cost-effective, and fully compliant procurement of raw materials in accordance with DFARS, ITAR, AS9100, and customer-flowdown quality requirements.

The ideal candidate combines strong commercial negotiation skills with technical fluency in metals specifications, mill certifications, and regulated aerospace supply chain documentation.

• Source, negotiate, and purchase raw materials (aluminum plate/bar/sheet, steel tube, specialty alloys, forgings, and castings) from qualified mill and service center suppliers (e.g., Alro, Ryerson, Metals USA, and similar distributors/mills)
• Manage purchase order issuance, expediting, and on-time delivery across a vendor base supporting hundreds of active suppliers
• Track and analyze requisition-to-PO cycle time and other procurement KPIs; identify and resolve process bottlenecks
• Monitor commodity market pricing trends (e.g., LME aluminum, steel index pricing) and proactively manage cost exposure through forward buys, index-based contracts, or supplier negotiations

• Ensure all raw material purchases comply with DFARS  specialty metals requirements, including melt-and-pour origin traceability and the COTS/forgings-castings carve-back provisions
• Maintain ITAR awareness and ensure procurement activity aligns with export control and USML classification requirements
• Review and validate Material Test Reports (MTRs) / Certified Mill Test Reports (CMTRs) for conformance to specification (ASTM, AMS, SAE) and customer flowdown requirements
• Support supplier AS9100/ISO 9001 qualification and maintain documentation for audit readiness

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with mills, service centers, and distributors; conduct supplier performance reviews and score carding
• Negotiate pricing agreements, blanket POs, and contract terms; resolve nonconforming material and invoice discrepancies
• Identify and qualify alternate/backup sources to mitigate single-source and supply chain risk
• Lead or support cost-reduction initiatives, including specification review, material substitution analysis, and process-driven savings opportunities

• Partner with Engineering, Quality, and Production Planning to align material specifications, lead times, and inventory strategy
• Support new program launches with material sourcing strategy and supplier readiness
• Provide input on make/buy decisions and bill-of-material (BOM) accuracy

Required Skills, Education, and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent combination of education and experience)
• 3–7+ years of buying/procurement experience, with direct experience purchasing metals or raw materials in an aerospace, defense, or automotive manufacturing environment
• Working knowledge of common metal specifications and grades (e.g., aluminum 6061/7075, A36, 1018, A500/A513 tube, A572) and associated ASTM/AMS standards
• Familiarity with DFARS specialty metals clauses, ITAR, and other defense-related regulatory compliance requirements
• Understanding of MTRs, mill certifications, BOMs, and material traceability documentation
• Proficiency with ERP/MRP systems (SAP preferred) and advanced Excel skills for cost and vendor analysis
• Strong negotiation, supplier management, and cross-functional communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience purchasing for AS9100/NADCAP-certified manufacturing environments
• Professional certification such as CPSM, CPM, CSCP, or APICS/CPIM
• Experience with SRM/SaaS procurement platforms and process automation tools
• Prior experience supporting cost-savings or supplier-consolidation initiatives
• Knowledge of forgings/castings…