Strategic Buyer

About the Role

Join our team in Syracuse, NY as a Strategic Buyer and play a key role in ensuring our manufacturing operations have the equipment, materials, and production parts needed to meet customer requirements. In this global supply environment, you will partner closely with suppliers and internal teams to achieve the best quality, delivery, and Total Cost of Ownership. This is an excellent opportunity for a proactive procurement professional who enjoys negotiation, supplier management, problem-solving, and making a measurable impact on business performance.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) activities and support production ramp-up and ramp-down.
• Onboard suppliers according to company standards and requirements.
• Act as a primary escalation point for supplier quality and delivery issues.
• Monitor and document supplier performance and support supplier corrective actions to improve on-time delivery.
• Maintain supplier lead-time and vendor management information in SAP/ERP systems.
• Monitor supplier capacity against production forecasts and work with production and sales to resolve capacity or demand misalignments.
• Manage supplier relationships, including evaluating technical capabilities, risk, and performance.
• Trigger and support supplier development activities, supplier visits, supplier releases, and ongoing supplier performance management.
• Lead RFx, negotiation, and supplier award processes.
• Identify and lead cost-improvement initiatives.
• Collaborate with engineering, product development, production, quality, sales, and other cross-functional teams to ensure timely project implementation.
• Handle vendor returns and resolve purchase order errors related to pricing, quantities, and other discrepancies.
• Apply technical knowledge to effectively manage procurement activities within the assigned area of responsibility.
• Monitor standard price versus purchase price and manage pricing and price-change reporting.
• Own and maintain procurement master data.
• Create and maintain Service Level Agreements with suppliers.
• Proactively work with internal departments to forecast material requirements and ensure supply continuity.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives, share best practices, and help establish consistent procurement processes.
• Support and follow up on supplier reimbursement activities.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• A bachelor's degree or relevant certificate in logistics, supply chain, business administration, manufacturing, quality, technology, process engineering, or a related field is preferred.
• At least three years of experience in parts and supplier management, procurement, purchasing, or a related manufacturing environment.
• Strong supplier management, negotiation, communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated ability to identify and lead cost-reduction and process-improvement initiatives.
• Strong business acumen and the ability to partner effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to influence others, manage change, and work effectively across functions.
• Proven ability to take ownership of Buyer deliverables and resolve complex problems in a timely and professional manner.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with an excellent command of English.
• Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Excel, Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint.
• ERP experience is strongly preferred, particularly SAP or a similar procurement system.
• A flexible, creative, dependable, and adaptable approach, with a strong “can-do” attitude.
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Commitment to teamwork, continuous learning, safety, and continuous improvement.
• Ability to work onsite consistently to support manufacturing requirements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with PPAP, supplier development, new product introduction, production ramp-up/ramp-down, or manufacturing change management.
• Experience managing supplier quality and delivery corrective actions.
• Experience working with global suppliers and cross-functional teams.
• Experience negotiating material pricing, contracts, Service Level Agreements, and commercial terms.
• Strong technical knowledge related to manufacturing, production processes, materials, or engineering.
• A demonstrated commitment to attention to detail, corporate responsibility, communication, organizational effectiveness, teamwork, continuous learning, dependability, adaptability, diversity, and safety.
• A continuous-improvement mindset and willingness to challenge existing processes and identify better ways of working.
• The ability to build trusted relationships while holding suppliers and internal stakeholders accountable for commitments and results.

Physical Demands

• Frequently required to sit, stand, walk, reach with arms and hands, and have hand and finger dexterity.
• Regularly required to see, talk, and hear.
• Occasionally required to stoop, kneel, or crouch in an office setting.
• Frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
• Work in both office and manufacturing environments, with exposure to moving mechanical parts, humid conditions, fumes, airborne particles, heat, cold, risk of electrical shock, and vibration.
• Must wear mandatory PPE as required in the manufacturing environment.

Benefits

• Health, dental, and vision insurance.
• 401K retirement plan.
• Long and short-term disability insurance.
• Life insurance.
• Training and tuition reimbursement.
• Paid Time Off (PTO).

Pay

$63,000 - $75,000 annually (DOE).

Location

Syracuse, NY.