Senior Buyer

About the role

Watlow is a global technology and manufacturing leader providing world-class engineering expertise through innovative thermal products and systems. The Senior Buyer manages day-to-day purchasing activities for an assigned product line and supports cost-down and supplier improvement initiatives. This role partners with Engineering, Quality, Operations, Planning, Finance, and Logistics to ensure continuity of supply, improve supplier performance, reduce costs, and manage supply-chain risk.

Responsibilities

Purchasing & Supplier Management

• Place, expedite, and track purchase orders for assigned materials and components against production and project schedules.
• Review MRP/ERP requisitions and exception messages, including shortages, late orders, and past-due purchase orders.
• Monitor supplier lead times, safety stock, and open-order backlogs to identify and mitigate supply risks.
• Own supplier relationships for assigned commodities, negotiating pricing, lead times, and terms.
• Resolve supplier delivery, quality, invoice, receiving, and material discrepancies.
• Support supplier onboarding, qualification, performance reviews, and corrective actions.
• Manage supplier engineering changes, obsolescence, and end-of-life notifications.
• Maintain accurate supplier and item master data in the ERP system.
• Track and communicate open orders, past-due items, and supply risks to Planning and Management.

Cost Reduction & Sourcing

• Identify and lead cost-reduction opportunities through negotiations, re-sourcing, volume consolidation, and design-for-cost initiatives.
• Conduct should-cost analysis and benchmarking to validate pricing and establish negotiation targets.
• Partner with Engineering on Value Engineering/Value Analysis (VE/VA) opportunities.
• Lead or support RFQ/RFP activities and evaluate total cost of ownership.
• Evaluate alternate and second-source suppliers to improve cost, lead time, and supply risk.
• Support annual price negotiations and contract renewals.
• Track and report committed and realized savings against cost-down targets.

Cross-Functional Support

• Partner with Engineering on new part introductions, BOM changes, and ECOs to ensure supply continuity.
• Coordinate incoming freight shipments with Logistics, Trade Compliance, and Engineering.
• Support accurate HTS classifications and required import/export documentation.
• Participate in Lean and continuous-improvement activities.
• Serve as a subject matter expert and mentor within the purchasing function.

Requirements

• 5–8 years of purchasing, procurement, sourcing, or related supply-chain experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• Strong experience with supplier management, purchasing, negotiation, and material planning.
• Experience with MRP/ERP systems and Microsoft Excel.
• Strong analytical, negotiation, problem-solving, and conflict-resolution skills.
• Excellent communication, organization, follow-up, and customer-service skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and build effective internal and external relationships.
• Project management and leadership experience preferred.

Preferred Qualifications

• APICS (CPIM, CSCP, CFPIM), ISM (CPM, CPSM, CSM), or equivalent certification.
• Lean certification.

Occasional intrastate travel.

Benefits

• Annual Incentive Program
• 401(k) plan with company match and annual company contribution tied to company performance
• Wellness incentives
• Employee Personal Assistance Program
• Dental, medical, vision, short-term and long-term disability insurance
• Paid holidays, personal time, and vacation
• Parental leave
• Tuition reimbursement