Senior Buyer (HLK)

About the role

The Senior Buyer is responsible for overseeing and executing material plan goals and objectives based on business needs. This includes managing external suppliers, negotiating with vendors, establishing strategic relationships, and continuously improving material flow to maximize cash flow and material turns while maintaining on-time delivery objectives.

Responsibilities

• Responsible for procurement and planning activities – sharing best practices and strategic supplier development.
• Manage external suppliers and ensure raw materials and sourced parts are bought at the most competitive price and delivered on time for production.
• Collaborate with production planning, operations, and logistics to align procurement with demand forecast.
• Establish strategic relationships with key suppliers who are aligned to the company's needs.
• Support and lead negotiations with vendors for material that supports the operations. Track supplier performance to help with the contract process.
• Lead supplier selections, RFQs, and contract negotiations to achieve cost savings and favorable terms, including discount structures and volume rebates.
• Work closely with R&D, Engineering, Production, Planning, Finance, and others in support of all procurement requirements and business development.
• Maintain supplier performance (Quality, Delivery, Cost, Responsiveness) and drive continuous improvements – including secondary sourcing strategies to reduce supply risk.
• Build trust, positive, and professional relationships among our team members and suppliers.
• Review supplier contracts and share with our Corporate Sourcing/Legal Team – compliance documents to insurance forms for external suppliers that perform work in the plant.
• Understand material specifications and quality metrics pertaining to the components. Work with Eng./R&D and Suppliers.
• Demonstrate the ability to effectively perform under a heavy volume, time-constrained environment.
• Resolve pricing, lead time, and other issues that do not meet the business needs, identify, and implement new opportunities and cost savings.
• Continually improve purchasing methods and drive down external spending.
• Supplier visits to review performance and opportunities. Such visits may be at very short notice.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree preferred or APICS/ISM Certification
• Knowledge of ERP/MRP principles and supply chain planning
• 3+ years of Materials, Planning, and Inventory experience
• Proven analytical and problem-solving skills
• Excellent communication skills across all levels of the organization
• Strong negotiation and influencing skills
• Knowledge of import/export regulations and tariffs
• Proficient in Excel and Project Planning

Benefits

The estimated salary range is $80,000 - $105,000 per year. U.S. Tsubaki offers a competitive compensation and benefits package, including health benefits effective on date of hire, dental and vision benefits effective on the first of the month following date of hire, Paid Time Off ("PTO"), 10 paid holidays, generous 401(k) match and profit sharing, annual bonus potential, life insurance, short and long-term disability, flexible spending accounts, commuter benefits, education reimbursement, home and auto insurance discounts, and pet insurance.

Pay

$80,000 - $105,000 / per year

Schedule

N/A