Senior Buyer - Contract Manufacturing
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Description
SENIOR BUYER – CONTRACT MANUFACTURING
Location: Willowbrook, IL – Hybrid
$80,000 - $100,000
Midtronics has an exciting and challenging opportunity for a Senior Buyer to lead procurement strategy for our Contract Manufacturing (CM) supplier base. This is a highly visible role, reporting to the Supply Chain Manager, with regular interaction across Suppliers, Project Managers, Quality, and Leadership. The Senior Buyer owns the end-to-end health of our assemblies — ensuring parts availability, managing component lifecycle risk, and driving supplier performance — while partnering closely with Production, Quality, and Engineering to keep production running without disruption.
Key metrics managed by the Senior Buyer include Vendor Scorecards (Quality, On-Time Delivery, Pricing, Responsiveness), assembly parts availability, and component lifecycle/obsolescence risk. Additional participation in strategic cost savings and supplier risk mitigation activities would also be expected.
A DAY IN THE LIFE:
Typical responsibilities include but are not limited to:
- Own the relationship and performance of Contract Manufacturing (CM) suppliers, including pricing, capacity, lead times, and delivery commitments
- Monitor and maintain the health of assemblies by tracking parts availability and resolving shortages before they impact production
- Perform component lifecycle analysis, proactively flag end-of-life (EOL)/obsolescence risk, and lead efforts to qualify alternates or last-time-buys
- Validate multi-level bills of materials (BOMs) for accuracy and work with Engineering on ECOs to assess supply impact of design changes
- Partner with Production on build schedules and material readiness
- Partner with Quality on supplier NCRs, corrective actions, and audits
- Partner with Engineering on component selection, alternates, and new product introduction (NPI) supply readiness
- Report on supply health, risks, and key decisions to Project Managers and Leadership
- Prepare requests for quote (RFQ’s) and purchase orders (PO’s); negotiate cost, terms, and delivery with CM/PCBA and component suppliers
- Track supplier on-time delivery, quality, and responsiveness; drive continuous improvement and cost-down initiatives
- Identify long-lead-time items and single-source risk; build mitigation plans (safety stock, dual-sourcing, buffer strategies)
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
- Bachelor of Science (Engineering, Business, Supply Chain) or equivalent work experience in supply chain / operations required
- 5+ years of buying/procurement experience in electronics manufacturing, with direct experience managing Contract Manufacturing and/or PCB Assembly suppliers
- Strong understanding of electronic component lifecycle management and obsolescence/EOL mitigation
- Experience reading and managing multi-level bills of materials (BOMs)
- Proven track record partnering cross-functionally with Production, Quality, Engineering, Project Managers, and Leadership
- Skilled in RFQ processes, supplier negotiation, and contract terms
- Working knowledge of MRP/ERP software (e.g., Epicor, SAP, Oracle) and supplier scorecards
- Ability to travel domestically and internationally to vendor/supplier sites as needed
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with comfort presenting supply status and risk to Leadership
- APICS / CPSM / CPM certification a plus
WHAT WE OFFER:
Comprehensive Medical, Dental, & Vision Benefits; Life & Disability Insurance at no Additional Cost; 401(K) Savings Plan with Company Match; Annual Bonus & Profit-Sharing Opportunities; Generous Vacation & Holiday Schedules; Reimbursement for Continuing Education & 50% of Textbook costs; Onsite Wellness Screening & Flu Shots; Subsidized Health Club Memberships; Auto Supplier Discounts; Free Charging Stations for Plug-In Hybrids & EVs in Parking Lot; Monthly Employee Meeting/Lunch; Annual Picnic, Holiday and other events.
ABOUT US:
Midtronics manufacturers advanced cutting-edge battery testing and charging equipment incorporating wireless communication and data analytics for traditional 12V, 24V, and high-voltage EV batteries for emerging Electric Vehicle platforms. Midtronics is a fast-growing company with an energetic, passionate, and innovative leadership team. As the world is determined to reduce carbon emissions and improve vehicle safety, the rapid evolution of the transportation industry – from electrification and connectivity to autonomous vehicles — Midtronics, is a committed partner in developing superior battery management solutions to meet those exciting challenges in the years ahead.