Senior Buyer

Senior Buyer

The Senior Buyer owns the full lifecycle of supplier management for a portfolio of strategic suppliers, balancing long-term commercial strategy with day-to-day execution. This role serves as the primary point of contact for high-impact suppliers, leading sourcing strategy, negotiations, and performance management in a regulated manufacturing environment. The position offers high visibility, end-to-end ownership, and the opportunity to operate at a strategic level while tackling complex supply chain challenges and driving continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary point of contact for a portfolio of strategic suppliers, building and maintaining strong long-term relationships.
• Own full lifecycle supplier management, including contract development, pricing agreements, and ongoing performance oversight.
• Lead requests for quotation (RFQs), supplier selection processes, and commercial negotiations, including long-term agreements and capacity commitments.
• Manage pricing, lead times, and capacity commitments to support business objectives and ensure reliable supply.
• Drive cost savings initiatives and manage Purchase Cost Variance (PCV) to meet financial targets.
• Oversee day-to-day execution of purchase orders, including creation, expediting, rescheduling, and resolving discrepancies.
• Resolve issues related to pricing, invoicing, quality, and delivery in a timely and collaborative manner.
• Lead supplier escalations related to delivery, quality, or capacity, and develop structured recovery plans.
• Identify and mitigate supply risks, including single-source dependencies and material shortages.
• Partner closely with planning and operations teams to align supply with demand forecasts and production needs.
• Support sales and operations planning (S&OP) and long-range planning activities by providing supplier and sourcing insights.
• Drive continuous improvement in supplier performance across cost, quality, and delivery metrics.
• Lead value analysis/value engineering (VA/VE) initiatives and supplier optimization efforts to enhance value and reduce total cost.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date data in the ERP system, including lead times, pricing, and supplier records.
• Ensure adherence to procurement policies, procedures, and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with engineering, operations, planning, and other stakeholders to align sourcing strategies with business needs.
• Analyze data to inform sourcing strategies, identify trends, and support decision-making.
• Contribute to a culture of ownership, accountability, and continuous learning within the supply chain team.

Essential Skills

• 5–8+ years of experience in procurement, sourcing, or supply chain within a manufacturing environment.
• Proven experience managing strategic, high-impact, or high-spend suppliers, preferably in regulated manufacturing environments.
• Strong strategic sourcing and supplier relationship management skills.
• Demonstrated expertise in contract negotiation, including long-term agreements, pricing, and capacity commitments.
• Experience owning end-to-end supplier strategy, beyond transactional purchase order execution.
• Hands-on experience leading RFQs, supplier selection processes, and commercial negotiations.
• ERP experience, with SAP preferred, including maintaining accurate supplier and material data.
• Experience with supplier performance management, including lead time management, capacity planning, and inventory optimization.
• Familiarity with supply planning processes, including S&OP and long-range planning.
• Demonstrated ability to identify and mitigate supply risks and lead escalation management.
• Experience driving continuous improvement initiatives and value engineering or value analysis activities.
• Strong data analysis skills and the ability to translate insights into sourcing strategies.
• Proven cross-functional collaboration with teams such as engineering, operations, and planning.
• High level of ownership, follow-through, and a strong internal and external customer service mindset.
• Self-directed, proactive, and solutions-oriented approach with a growth mindset.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

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