Senior Buyer (Cincinnati, OH, US, 45241)

Location: Onsite

Status Type: Full Time

QUALIFICATIONS

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, business, operations, engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience
• 7 years of progressive purchasing or supply chain experience in a manufacturing environment
• Demonstrated experience purchasing direct materials, components, and services in support of production
• Advanced working knowledge of ERP/MRP systems, bills of material, inventory management, and production planning concepts
• Experience leading supplier negotiations involving pricing, lead times, capacity, payment terms, and other commercial conditions
• Strong analytical, organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills
• Ability to independently prioritize competing requirements, escalate risk, and drive issues to closure

Preferred:

• Experience in a regulated medical device, pharmaceutical, aerospace, automotive, or other highly controlled manufacturing environment
• Proficiency with SAP purchasing, material master, source list, and purchasing information record transactions
• Experience with strategic sourcing, supplier development, cost modeling, and contract review
• Experience supporting new product introduction, engineering changes, and supplier qualification
• APICS, CPSM, or related supply chain certification

Skills & Competencies:

• Strategic sourcing and supplier relationship management
• Material planning, shortage prevention, and risk mitigation
• Commercial negotiation and total-cost analysis
• Supplier performance management and escalation
• Data-driven decision making and financial acumen
• Leadership, influence, and cross-functional collaboration
• Attention to detail, accountability, and responsiveness to business needs
• Coaching and knowledge sharing

Physical Requirements:

• Occasional interaction with the production floor and supplier facilities
• Must be able to remain in a stationary position for extended periods of time
• Must be able to work in an office and manufacturing environment
• Ability to constantly operate a computer and other office equipment, such as printer and telephone
• Position requires being physically present on the premises during regular company hours or as approved by management
• Occasional domestic travel may be required to support suppliers, audits, or business needs

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Own procurement strategy and execution for assigned commodities, suppliers, and materials in support of MRP requirements, production schedules, customer commitments, and inventory targets
• Review MRP messages, exception reports, demand changes, inventory positions, yields, open purchase orders, lead times, and supplier capacity; take timely action to prevent shortages and excess inventory
• Lead supplier communications, order confirmations, recovery plans, expedites, and escalations when material availability, quality, or delivery performance threatens operations
• Negotiate pricing, lead times, minimum order quantities, capacity commitments, payment terms, tooling, and other commercial conditions consistent with company objectives and approval requirements
• Develop and execute sourcing and cost-reduction initiatives using competitive bids, should-cost analysis, volume leverage, alternate sourcing, value engineering, and supplier collaboration
• Monitor and report supplier performance related to delivery, quality, responsiveness, capacity, and cost; lead corrective action and supplier development activities when performance is below expectations
• Identify supply continuity risks and establish mitigation plans, including safety stock, alternate suppliers, capacity reservations, and recovery timelines
• Maintain accurate purchase orders, purchasing information records, source lists, lead times, pricing, and other procurement master data in SAP
• Partner with Planning and Production to align purchase commitments with production requirements and provide clear, early visibility to material constraints and recovery dates
• Support supplier selection, qualification, audits, quality agreements, new part introduction, engineering changes, validation activities, and product transfers
• Collaborate with Quality and Engineering to resolve supplier nonconformances, deviations, specification issues, and corrective actions while protecting production continuity
• Work with Finance and Accounts Payable to resolve invoice discrepancies, track purchase price variance, validate savings, and improve working capital
• Prepare and communicate procurement metrics, supplier status, shortage reports, cost savings, and risk updates to leadership and cross-functional stakeholders
• Lead or participate in continuous improvement projects that improve procurement processes, ERP accuracy, supplier performance, inventory turns, and operational readiness
• Provide day-to-day guidance, training, and support to buyers and other team members; share best practices and serve as a subject-matter resource
• Ensure compliance with company purchasing policies, delegated authority, contractual requirements, ethical standards, and applicable quality-system procedures
• Perform other duties and support business priorities as assigned