Buyer

About the role

The Buyer supports the service parts and indirect/packaging purchasing organization within an automotive customer service division. This role focuses on project-based purchasing, market testing, and strategic sourcing to secure goods, materials, components, and services that meet defined cost, quality, and delivery targets.

Responsibilities

• Manage a purchasing deck within service parts, supporting the indirect and packaging organization for the customer service division.
• Lead and support project-based purchasing activities, including heavy market testing to identify best value solutions.
• Source, negotiate, and manage services and program-related purchasing activities.
• Purchase goods, materials, components, or services in line with specified cost, quality, and delivery targets.
• Support the purchasing function and other relevant departments, communicating any supply issues that may impact business operations.
• Act as an interface between suppliers and internal departments on purchasing processes, new projects, and ongoing activities.
• Monitor and report on issues that present risk or opportunity to the organization from a supply or cost perspective.
• Track market trends, competitor strategies, and supplier developments to inform purchasing decisions.
• Analyze costs for new and existing parts or services and support cost reduction initiatives.
• Collaborate with colleagues in procurement to identify opportunities for continuous improvement and business process enhancements.
• Negotiate contracts, pricing, and terms of business with suppliers, applying procurement best practices to achieve savings.
• Build, maintain, and manage strong supplier relationships and ensure effective communication.
• Conduct research to identify new components and potential suppliers to support sourcing strategies.
• Compile and maintain data related to supplier performance to support evaluation and decision-making.
• Contact suppliers to resolve price, quality, delivery, or invoice issues in a timely manner.
• Resolve supplier shortages and past-due situations to protect service levels.
• Analyze quote data and cost breakdowns to support strategic sourcing recommendations.
• Compare multiple vendor data sets to provide clear, analytical recommendations for vendor selection and sourcing decisions.

Qualifications

• Minimum 3+ years of commodity purchasing experience within the automotive industry, preferably with original equipment manufacturers (OEM) or Tier 1 suppliers.
• At least 3+ years of experience analyzing cost breakdowns and conducting market testing with a strong analytical skill set.
• Demonstrated experience providing data-driven recommendations for vendor selection and sourcing decisions.
• Proven experience with purchasing, RFQs, pricing, negotiating, and quote analysis.
• Experience in commodity strategy and commodity buying within an automotive environment.
• Strong analytical approach to purchasing, including comparing multiple vendor data sets and conducting cost analysis.
• Strategic sourcing experience, particularly in packaging materials and market testing.
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, to interact effectively with suppliers and internal stakeholders.
• Completed bachelor’s degree.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and manage multiple tasks and projects simultaneously.
• Proficiency with Excel sufficient to pass an Excel Normal User Test with a score of 80% or higher.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience with packaging material market tests, including analyzing quote data and making sourcing recommendations.
• Experience handling urgent supplier issues and resolving shortages or past-due situations.
• Strong negotiation skills for contracts, pricing, and terms of business.
• Familiarity with Ariba procurement tools.
• Experience with S4 or SAP systems.
• Background in the automotive industry, particularly in service parts or customer service divisions.
• Experience producing regular reports, charts, and status updates on purchasing assignments and projects.
• Able to collaborate effectively in cross-functional teams focused on continuous improvement and business enhancements.

Work Environment

The role is primarily onsite in Dearborn, with an expectation of working on-site four days per week, which may increase to five days per week based on leadership decisions. The position is full-time at 40 hours per week, with a schedule of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., including a one-hour unpaid lunch around noon; the workday has a defined start and end time, and you are expected to work eight hours each day. The work environment follows an open-concept layout with several conference rooms, no assigned desks, and a cafeteria available in the building. The culture emphasizes a unified, team-oriented mindset focused on shared goals and overall company success, with colleagues working together toward common outcomes. Business casual, professional attire is expected in this environment.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract position based out of Dearborn, MI.

Pay And Benefits

The pay range for this position is $37.00 - $50.00/hr.

Requirements

• Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment.
• Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms.
• If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following:
• Medical, dental & vision
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
• 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Short and long-term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

About Aston Carter

Aston Carter provides world-class corporate talent solutions to thousands of clients across the globe. Specialized in accounting, finance, human resources, talent acquisition, procurement, supply chain and select administrative professions, we extend the capabilities of industry-leading companies. We draw on our deep recruiting expertise and expansive network to meet the evolving needs of our clients and talent community with agility and excellence. With offices across the U.S., Canada, Asia Pacific and Europe, Aston Carter serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® Platinum Award winner for both client and talent service. The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law. If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email astoncarteraccommodation@astoncarter.com for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.