Senior Purchasing Agent – Aerospace Manufacturing

Salary: $80,000 annually | Full-time, permanent position in Columbus, MS.

About the Role

This role requires someone who can combine day-to-day purchasing execution with long-term supplier strategy. The selected professional will secure quality materials at competitive costs, improve supplier reliability, resolve delivery challenges, and help ensure production teams receive the components they need on schedule. The ideal candidate has experience purchasing engineered products in an aerospace, defense, aviation, electronics, or similarly regulated manufacturing environment.

Responsibilities

• Source components, raw materials, assemblies, and custom-manufactured items.
• Research and evaluate prospective suppliers based on capability, quality, pricing, capacity, and delivery performance.
• Prepare requests for quotation and compare supplier proposals.
• Negotiate pricing, lead times, payment arrangements, and contractual terms.
• Create purchase orders and manage them through delivery and final receipt.
• Follow up with suppliers regarding late orders, shortages, production delays, and changing requirements.
• Work with internal departments to resolve material and supplier-related issues.
• Establish alternate suppliers for critical or single-source products.
• Review supplier performance and recommend corrective actions when expectations are not met.
• Help reduce material costs through competitive sourcing, negotiations, and value-analysis efforts.
• Support inventory goals by balancing production requirements against excess stock and obsolescence risk.
• Maintain complete procurement records, supplier documentation, and purchasing data.
• Assist with supplier audits, compliance reviews, and documentation requests.
• Provide guidance to less-experienced members of the purchasing team.
• Support ITAR-controlled purchasing activities and follow FAR and DFARS requirements.
• Maintain documentation for internal and external audits.
• Support import and export compliance.
• Confirm that suppliers meet contractual and quality requirements.
• Protect sensitive technical and procurement information.

Cross-Functional Partnerships

The Strategic Procurement Specialist will work closely with:

• Engineering
• Quality Assurance
• Production
• Material Planning
• Inventory Control
• Logistics
• Program Management
• Finance

The position will serve as a key connection between internal technical teams and external suppliers.

Requirements

• At least five years of experience in purchasing, procurement, strategic sourcing, or supply-chain operations.
• Previous experience supporting manufacturing, production, or an engineered-product environment.
• Demonstrated ability to negotiate with suppliers and improve commercial terms.
• Experience sourcing technical materials, manufactured components, or subassemblies.
• Familiarity with RFQs, supplier proposals, purchase orders, delivery schedules, and expediting.
• Ability to identify and document cost savings or cost-avoidance opportunities.
• Working knowledge of ERP or MRP systems.
• Strong attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work onsite in Columbus, Mississippi.

Preferred Qualifications

• Procurement experience within aerospace, defense, aviation, military manufacturing, or government contracting.
• Familiarity with ITAR, FAR, and DFARS regulations.
• Experience purchasing custom-machined parts, electronic components, sensors, assemblies, composites, or other specialized products.
• Knowledge of supplier-quality processes and corrective-action programs.
• Experience using SAP, Oracle, or another manufacturing ERP platform.
• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Engineering, Operations, or a related discipline.
• Professional certification through APICS, ASCM, or ISM, including CPSM, CPIM, or CSCP.
• Previous experience coaching, mentoring, or training other purchasing professionals.

What Makes This Role Appealing

• Opportunity to support advanced aerospace and defense manufacturing programs.
• Direct responsibility for high-value supplier and sourcing decisions.
• Ability to influence purchasing costs, supplier quality, and production readiness.
• Regular interaction with engineering and operational leadership.
• Exposure to technically complex products and regulated purchasing requirements.
• Opportunity to strengthen procurement processes and supplier partnerships.
• Permanent position with meaningful ownership and organizational visibility.