Senior Buyer

About the role

The Senior Buyer leads end-to-end procurement activities to ensure the timely, cost-effective, and compliant acquisition of goods and services that support business operations. This role drives supplier performance, negotiates favorable commercial terms, and partners cross-functionally to mitigate supply risk while improving total cost of ownership.

Responsibilities

• Manage the full procure-to-pay cycle for assigned categories, including requisition review, sourcing, purchase order creation, order tracking, and issue resolution
• Develop and execute sourcing strategies, including RFQ/RFP processes, bid analysis, supplier selection, and award recommendations
• Negotiate pricing, lead times, service levels, payment terms, and contract conditions to achieve cost, quality, and delivery objectives
• Build and maintain strong supplier relationships; conduct performance reviews and drive corrective actions for quality, delivery, and service issues
• Partner with internal stakeholders (Operations, Engineering, Finance, Quality, and Legal) to align specifications, demand forecasts, and procurement plans
• Monitor market conditions, commodity trends, and supplier capacity to identify risks and opportunities; recommend mitigation plans and alternate sources
• Ensure procurement activities comply with company policies, ethical standards, and applicable regulatory requirements
• Analyze spend data and purchasing metrics to identify savings opportunities, process improvements, and standardization initiatives
• Support contract management activities, including maintaining documentation, tracking renewals, and ensuring adherence to negotiated terms
• Mentor and provide guidance to junior buyers and support continuous improvement of procurement processes and tools
• Perform additional responsibilities as assigned

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Finance, or a related field (or equivalent combination of education and experience)
• Minimum 5 years of progressive purchasing/procurement experience, including strategic sourcing and supplier negotiations
• Professional certification preferred/required as applicable (e.g., CPSM, CPIM, CSCP, or equivalent procurement/supply chain certification)

Skills

• Advanced negotiation, contracting, and supplier management skills with a focus on total cost of ownership and risk mitigation
• Strong analytical capability, including spend analysis, cost modeling, and KPI development to drive data-informed decisions
• Effective cross-functional communication and stakeholder management to align requirements, timelines, and priorities
• Proficiency with ERP/MRP systems and procurement tools (e.g., SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics) and strong Excel skills
• Execution and problem-solving skills to manage competing priorities, resolve supply issues, and deliver measurable results
• Analytical thinking to evaluate bids, model costs, and identify savings opportunities
• Communication and collaboration to align cross-functional requirements and manage supplier relationships
• Problem-solving and execution to resolve supply disruptions, quality issues, and delivery constraints
• Negotiation and influencing to secure favorable commercial terms and drive supplier performance
• Technical/functional procurement expertise, including sourcing, contracting, and ERP-based purchasing workflows

Skills may be assessed based on proficiency level, reflecting the degree of knowledge, independence, complexity, and expertise required for the role.