Senior Buyer

Responsibilities

• Source, quote, and purchase parts, materials, and services to meet production schedules, quality standards, and cost targets.
• Secure competitive pricing through skillful negotiation, supplier calls, and multi-quote RFQ processes.
• Partner with Production and Planning to evaluate make-vs-buy decisions, balancing in-house capacity, lead time, cost, and quality.
• Vet, qualify, and onboard new suppliers
• Negotiate and manage long-term agreements (LTAs), stocking agreements, and blanket orders to reduce costs, secure capacity, and mitigate long lead times.
• Track and report supplier performance metrics (on-time delivery, PPM, quality, responsiveness) and lead corrective-action conversations with underperforming suppliers.
• Identify and drive continuous improvement projects across the full supply chain lifecycle — sourcing, ordering, receiving, and supplier management.
• Support the Supply Chain Manager in analyzing spend, consolidating vendors, and diversifying the supply base to insulate Fulcrum from disruption.
• Apply analytical tools (Excel, ERP reporting) to identify bottlenecks, support demand forecasting, identify cost-saving opportunities, and recommend min/max inventory levels.
• Work with Quality and Engineering to resolve supplier technical questions related to customer prints, specifications, tolerances, and manufacturing processes.
• Participate in engineering change orders and first-of-kind projects to ensure timely material flow.
• Participate in all safety training and abide by FTI adopted practices.
• Proactively manage material flow to align with production schedules, identifying potential supply chain bottlenecks and resolving blockers before they impact manufacturing timelines.

Requirements

• 3 - 5 years of purchasing and/or supply chain experience in a manufacturing environment, preferably job shop or custom-build.
• Demonstrated negotiation skills and experience managing long-term supplier agreements.
• Experience vetting, qualifying, and onboarding new suppliers.
• Working knowledge of make-vs-buy analysis and production planning concepts.
• Strong analytical skills, including ERP data cleanup and proficiency in Excel (pivot tables, lookups, basic modeling).
• Hands-on experience with M1 or comparable ERP/MRP software.
• Working knowledge of metal fabrication materials and processes (i.e. laser cutting, machining, etc.).
• Experience in purchasing metal in various forms.
• Ability to read engineering blueprints and bills of materials.
• Familiarity with AutoCAD is a plus.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the confidence to run supplier calls and negotiations.
• High attention to detail, with ability to manage complex information across multiple open orders and projects in a fast paced environment.
• Good computer skills, especially MS Word, Excel, and Outlook.
• Effective time management and organizational skills.
• Wear required PPE when entering manufacturing shop floor environment.
• Follow all adopted FTI safety process and procedures.

Job Environment

The job is located in the office at company headquarters. The company operates in a fast-paced manufacturing environment. Personal Protection Equipment must be worn on the manufacturing floor, which is provided by the company.