Senior Buyer

JOB SUMMARY

The Senior Buyer is responsible for the strategic sourcing, negotiation, and procurement of fabricated and machined aerospace components. This role requires a deep understanding of aerospace materials, manufacturing processes, and supply base management to ensure quality, cost, and delivery objectives are met. The Senior Buyer will work cross-functionally with Engineering, Quality, Planning, and suppliers to support both development and production programs. This role will also lead supplier performance mitigation strategies and collaborate closely with Planning to ensure material requirements are accurately understood and met on time.

JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Source, negotiate, and manage purchase orders for fabricated and machined aerospace parts, including precision components, assemblies, and subassemblies.
2. Develop and maintain relationships with key suppliers to ensure consistent performance in cost, quality, and delivery.
3. Collaborate with Engineering and Manufacturing teams to understand technical requirements and translate them into sourcing strategies.
4. Work closely with Planning to ensure material requirements are accurately communicated, understood, and met by suppliers in alignment with production schedules.
5. Read and interpret technical drawings, specifications, and bill of materials (BOMs) to validate supplier capability and quote accuracy.
6. Conduct supplier evaluations, including capacity, capability, and risk assessments.
7. Lead and execute supplier performance mitigation strategies for underperforming vendors, including creation of recovery plans, risk assessments, and dual/multi-sourcing strategies.
8. Monitor supplier performance using scorecards and KPIs; identify performance gaps and initiate corrective actions in collaboration with Quality and Operations teams.
9. Engage in root cause analysis and continuous improvement efforts with suppliers to address recurring quality or delivery issues.
10. Support new product introduction (NPI) by sourcing prototypes and transitioning to production suppliers.
11. Negotiate and manage long-term agreements (LTAs), supplier contracts, and terms & conditions.
12. Stay informed of market trends, commodity pricing, and geopolitical factors that may affect supply.
13. Maintain ERP/MRP system accuracy for pricing, lead times, delivery dates, and supplier data integrity.
14. Ensure timely delivery of materials and proactive resolution of potential supply chain disruptions.