Technical Buyer

Sauder Family Companies is a family-owned group of manufacturing businesses headquartered in Archbold, Ohio. Across Sauder Woodworking, Sauder Building Products, and Sauder Manufacturing, we design, manufacture, and market furniture, cabinetry, closets, and specialized commercial furnishings that serve customers throughout North America. With a legacy spanning more than 90 years, we are united by a commitment to craftsmanship, innovation, customer service, and creating opportunities for our team members and communities.

About the role

We are looking for a Technical Buyer to support critical purchasing and supply chain needs across our family of businesses. We are open to hiring at either the Technical Buyer I or Buyer II level, depending on the experience, technical knowledge, and leadership capabilities you bring to the role.

The Technical Buyer I is responsible for sourcing and procuring materials and services that support operational success. Through supplier relationship management, negotiations, and effective purchasing practices, this role helps ensure a reliable supply chain, cost competitiveness, and uninterrupted business operations. Executes defined sourcing and purchasing activities with guidance.

The Technical Buyer II is responsible for the strategic procurement of materials and services critical to business operations. Leads complex commodities and supplier development initiatives, conducts complex negotiations, analyzes market conditions, and collaborates with internal stakeholders to improve supply chain performance, reduce costs, and ensure continuity of supply. This role offers a hybrid arrangement, with an agreed-upon portion of work time spent at our office in Archbold, Ohio.

Responsibilities

• Sourcing and Procurement
  • Sources, selects, and negotiates with suppliers to secure goods, services, materials, and production-related components at the lowest total cost of ownership while meeting quality, delivery, and operational requirements.
  • Develops and executes procurement strategies to optimize cost, quality, lead times, inventory availability, and continuity of supply.
  • Ensures compliance with company policies, industry standards, and ethical sourcing practices.
  • Collaborates with operations, engineering, quality, planning, and other cross-functional teams to determine procurement needs, specifications, and timing requirements.
  • Maintains visibility in each facility where assigned commodities or purchased products are used and brings commodity suppliers into the applicable production, assembly, or operational areas to strengthen supplier understanding of product applications, usage requirements, and business needs.
• Supplier Management
  • Identifies and evaluates potential suppliers to ensure that they meet quality, cost, and reliability standards.
  • Develops and implements effective negotiating strategies.
  • Maintains strong relationships with existing suppliers and negotiates favorable terms, including pricing, payment terms, lead times, service expectations, and delivery requirements.
  • Manages the supply base to ensure materials, equipment, components, and services meet current and future production needs.
  • Monitors supplier performance related to cost, quality, on-time delivery, responsiveness, capacity, and overall reliability.
• Cost, Inventory, and Data Management
  • Manages continuous improvement and cost-reduction projects within assigned commodities to improve total cost, quality, delivery, and supplier performance.
  • Recommends consolidation, standardization, and alternative sourcing opportunities to eliminate waste, reduce cost, and improve supply chain efficiency.
  • Reviews and maintains appropriate inventory levels, safety stock, reorder points, and order quantities by analyzing ERP demand, forecast, consumption, and production-planning data.
  • Develops and maintains necessary records and files for efficient operation.
  • Maintains accurate supplier, item, pricing, lead time, purchasing-related, and demand-related data in ERP systems.
• Quality Assurance
  • Collaborates with quality assurance, product engineering, operations, and suppliers to ensure purchased products meet quality, safety, drawing, specification, and performance standards.
  • Addresses supplier quality, delivery, and service issues promptly and effectively to minimize production disruption.
  • Facilitates corrective and preventive action plans with suppliers and internal stakeholders to support root cause resolution and sustained improvement.
• Market Research and Analysis
  • Monitors commodity markets, supplier capacity, lead times, pricing trends, tariff impacts, and industry conditions to anticipate risks and identify opportunities.
  • Evaluates new technologies, materials, suppliers, and process improvements that may support cost, quality, supply continuity, or operational objectives.

Requirements

• Essential Knowledge & Skills
  • Working knowledge of procurement, sourcing, supplier management, inventory planning, and manufacturing supply chain practices.
  • Strong negotiation skills with the ability to evaluate supplier proposals, influence favorable terms, resolve issues, and balance cost, quality, delivery, and business requirements.
  • Demonstrated experience using ERP systems to manage purchasing, supplier, inventory, and demand-related data.
  • Proficiency with Microsoft Office tools, including Excel, with the ability to analyze purchasing, supplier, cost, and inventory data.
  • Strong oral and written communication skills.
  • Detail-oriented and organized.
  • Strong analytical skills.
  • Ability to interpret basic engineered drawings, specifications, bills of material, and technical requirements related to purchased materials or components.
  • Ability to evaluate supplier performance, identify supply risks, recommend corrective actions, and escalate issues appropriately.
• Education & Experience
  • Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Supply Chain, Engineering Technology or related field with a minimum 4 years applicable experience preferred.
  • Experience with purchasing, sourcing, supplier evaluation, supplier auditing, supplier negotiations, and supplier performance management.
  • Experience in a manufacturing environment, including exposure to production schedules, material requirements, inventory controls, quality standards, and engineered drawings or specifications.

Pay

For a Technical Buyer I, the expected offer range is: $57,000 - $76,000. The actual salary will be based on factors such as location, relevant experience, and skills.

Benefits

• 3 weeks of vacation and a full benefit package beginning at 30 days.
• 401(k) retirement plan.
• Company-funded health savings account.
• Free counseling services.
• Furniture discounts.
• Tuition reimbursement.
• Culture of continuous improvement and internal advancement.