Senior Purchasing Specialist

Responsibilities

• Demand Planning & Supply Management
• Partner with contract manufacturers to ensure forecasted demand can be supported through available production capacity.
• Collaborate with Planning teams to review demand trends, identify potential risks, and communicate changing business requirements to suppliers.
• Perform long-range capacity planning with manufacturing partners to ensure sufficient production resources are allocated to anticipated demand.
• Monitor supplier delivery performance and work with vendors to resolve delays or disruptions.
• Conduct supplier site visits as needed to strengthen relationships and support operational objectives.
• Supplier Relationships & Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Work alongside Product Development and Strategic Sourcing teams to confirm supplier capabilities align with new product launches and sourcing initiatives.
• Provide input during supplier selection activities, including reviewing quotations and supporting supplier award decisions.
• Evaluate supplier quality and delivery performance on an ongoing basis and partner with Quality teams to resolve recurring concerns.
• Drive improvements in supplier reliability to support on-time, in-full (OTIF) performance goals.
• Support supplier development efforts to enhance overall performance and accountability.
• Cost Management & Continuous Improvement
• Identify opportunities to reduce procurement costs and improve internal purchasing efficiencies.
• Lead pricing discussions and negotiations with suppliers to support margin objectives.
• Champion process improvement initiatives that increase efficiency, improve data quality, and strengthen decision-making capabilities.
• Support the development of scalable procurement practices that align with the organization's growth strategy.
• Mentor and coach members of the Purchasing team by sharing procurement best practices and industry knowledge.
• Purchasing Operations
• Create and manage purchase orders in accordance with planning and inventory requirements.
• Sure procurement activities comply with established financial controls and operational procedures.
• Proactively manage inventory levels and supplier commitments to minimize supply risks.
• Build and maintain productive supplier partnerships that support long-term business goals.
• Respond quickly to urgent material requirements and supply disruptions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree preferred or equivalent professional experience.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in Purchasing, Procurement, or Supply Chain.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Proven negotiation experience.
• Able to influence and mentor others within a procurement environment.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
• Experience managing supplier relationships, forecasting requirements, and improving supply chain performance.
• Strong internal and external customer service focus.

Preferred Experience

• Within the Medical Device industry or a highly regulated manufacturing environment.
• Prior leadership or team mentoring experience.
• ASCM certifications such as CPIM or CSCP.
• Demonstrated success leading supplier-focused initiatives or process improvement projects.