Senior Buyer

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor junior buyers or cross-functional purchasing teams to achieve departmental goals.
• Develop and implement commodity strategies, using market research and industry analysis to drive procurement decisions.
• Monitor commodity pricing trends, supply chain disruptions, and global events to make proactive sourcing recommendations.
• Drive supplier relationship management programs to strengthen partnerships with key suppliers.
• Establish and track procurement KPIs, including cost savings, supplier performance, and inventory turns.
• Support the Director of Supply Chain in developing sourcing strategies aligned with company goals.
• Lead strategic sourcing initiatives and participate in cross-departmental projects as needed.
• Responsible for raw material purchases to support production across all Bradford production sites.
• Negotiate pricing, terms, and contracts with suppliers to achieve annual cost reduction targets.
• Maintain appropriate inventory levels by managing order quantities and delivery schedules.
• Optimize supplier order quantities to reduce inventory days and carrying costs.
• Continuously source and qualify new suppliers to ensure second-source options for key materials.
• Monitor and adjust materials orders based on production needs and inventory levels.
• Collect and maintain supplier documentation including MSDS/SDS, spec sheets, and certifications.
• Collaborate with Production Planning to align materials availability with production schedules.
• Assist in the negotiation, management, and renewal of service contracts, ensuring compliance with contract terms.
• Manage and track customer-supplied materials.
• Support materials return processes and resolve supplier-related issues.
• Lead and contribute to supply chain and operational improvement projects.

Working Relationships

• Collaborate with Planning, Operations, Sales/NPD, Warehouse, Accounting, Lab, and Marketing teams to ensure seamless material flow and procurement alignment.
• Engage directly with key suppliers, service providers, and equipment/tooling vendors.
• Build long-term, strategic relationships with suppliers to ensure service, quality, and supply continuity.
• Interface with customers regarding customer-supplied materials when applicable.

Minimum Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, or a related discipline
• 5+ years of experience in procurement, including at least 1–2 years in a leadership or senior buyer capacity
• Demonstrated ability to manage suppliers and lead procurement projects independently
• Strong analytical skills for commodity tracking, market analysis, and cost reduction initiatives
• Excellent negotiation, communication, and relationship-building skills
• Proficiency in MS Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint); Oracle ERP experience a plus
• Hightly organized and self-motivated, with a strong sense of ownership and accountability
• Able to work both independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment
• Strong leadership presence with a “roll-up your sleeves” mentality