Senior Buyer

About the role

New England Biolabs® is a biotechnology company dedicated to advancing science for societal benefit. Founded in 1974, NEB® specializes in enzyme production for molecular biology applications, trusted globally for its quality and reliability.

Responsibilities

• Support cross-functional stakeholders with strategic sourcing initiatives of raw materials such as reagents, enzymes, chemicals, packaging, and other life sciences inputs critical to NEB operations.
• Establish and maintain strong supplier partnerships to ensure quality, compliance, supply continuity, and optimal total cost of ownership.
• Conduct commercial negotiations covering pricing, lead times, long-term agreements, and supply assurance.
• Identify, assess, and resolve procurement challenges, including supply disruptions, contractual disputes, and compliance issues.
• Serve as a subject matter expert in our SAP MRP / ERP system, managing purchasing transactions, supplier master data, pricing, lead times, and inventory drivers.
• Ensure procurement activities comply with global trade regulations, import/export requirements, quality standards, and internal governance policies.
• Analyze supplier performance, spend data, market dynamics, and raw material trends to inform strategic sourcing decisions.
• Manage multiple high-visibility sourcing initiatives simultaneously in close collaboration with Production Planning, Manufacturing, R&D, Quality, and Finance.
• Drive continuous improvement activities that optimize procurement processes, strengthen supplier performance, and deliver sustainable cost savings.
• Collaborate with Accounting and suppliers to proactively identify, investigate, and resolve invoice discrepancies, minimizing payment delays and financial exposure.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain management, business, science, or a related field.
• Minimum of 5 years of progressive responsibility in a procurement or strategic sourcing role.
• Proven negotiation, analytical, and problem-solving capabilities.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex sourcing initiatives independently with minimal supervision.
• Solid working knowledge of global procurement regulations, compliance requirements, and supply risk management.
• Broad, hands-on knowledge of MRP / ERP systems (SAP preferred) and strategic sourcing methodologies.
• Experience working in regulated environments such as biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, or life sciences manufacturing.

Qualifications

• Strong strategic mindset with the ability to move procurement from transactional execution to proactive sourcing and supplier management.
• Demonstrated success in negotiating and securing long-term supply agreements and mitigating supply risk in constrained or volatile markets.
• Data-driven approach to supplier performance management, cost modeling, and market analysis.
• Ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders and shape sourcing strategy in support of operational and scientific priorities.

Skills

• Experience sourcing specialized, regulated, or single-source life sciences materials (e.g., enzymes, reagents, chemicals, or validated raw materials) direct (production) and indirect (non-production) materials.
• Data-driven approach to supplier performance management, cost modeling, and market analysis.
• Ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders and shape sourcing strategy in support of operational and scientific priorities.

Benefits

Base salary decisions depend on several factors, including, but not limited to, individual qualifications, job location, internal equity, and market data alignment. Exceptional benefits package at a nominal cost to the employee including a 10% 401k match.

Pay

Estimated base salary hiring range for a Senior Buyer is $75,000-$90,000.

Schedule

Flexible work schedule to accommodate the needs of the position and the team.