Senior Buyer

Our client, a growing and forward-thinking manufacturing organization, is seeking a Senior Buyer to join their high-impact Supply Chain team. This role is ideal for an experienced procurement professional who thrives in a fast-paced production environment, excels at supplier management, and enjoys leading others through coaching, training, and best-practice development.

Under the direction of the Purchasing Manager, the Senior Buyer is responsible for managing complex purchasing activities, ensuring continuity of supply for strategic materials, and supporting operations through proactive planning, cost control, and cross-functional collaboration. This position serves as a technical and behavioral mentor to the Buyer team and plays a key role in elevating procurement performance across the department.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Procurement & Material Planning

• Own high-impact suppliers and critical supply lines, including long-term forecasting, contract pricing, and supply agreements.

• Evaluate and optimize MRP signals, safety stock, and planning parameters to reduce risk and support continuous flow.

• Anticipate supply constraints and implement mitigation plans before operational impact occurs.

Supplier Relationship & Performance Management

• Lead regular supplier business reviews focused on quality, delivery, cost, and responsiveness.

• Drive supplier performance improvement initiatives and escalate structural issues as needed.

• Conduct supplier site visits to strengthen relationships and validate readiness.

Cost Management & Negotiation

• Lead complex negotiations involving pricing, contracts, engineering changes, and commercial terms.

• Identify opportunities for cost reduction through consolidations, alternate sourcing, logistics optimization, and inventory strategies.

• Partner with Finance to resolve pricing discrepancies, invoice issues, and payment timing concerns.

Operational Execution

• Manage purchase orders, change orders, and system updates with exceptional accuracy.

• Ensure MRP data integrity through monitoring, troubleshooting, and corrective action.

• Collaborate with Operations, Planning, and Production to ensure materials align with manufacturing schedules.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Manufacturing, NPI, Quality, and Planning on new product introductions, ECO changes, and readiness activities.

• Act as the procurement lead for cross-functional teams and the escalation point for complex supplier concerns.

Coaching & Mentorship

• Mentor and train Buyers on supplier management, communication, MRP best practices, prioritization, and procurement processes.

• Support development of departmental standards, templates, procedures, and best practices.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of purchasing, supply chain, or material planning experience in a manufacturing environment.

• Proven success managing high-value commodities and complex supplier relationships.

• Strong negotiation and cost-improvement experience.

• Advanced knowledge of MRP systems, planning logic, and inventory optimization.

• Experience coaching or mentoring junior supply chain team members.

• APICS/ISM certification or coursework preferred.

• Excellent communication, problem-solving, and stakeholder-management skills.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Excel required).

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Operations, or a related field preferred; equivalent experience will be considered.

Working Conditions

• Primarily office-based with regular collaboration on the manufacturing floor.

• PPE may be required in production areas (safety glasses, hearing protection).

• Occasional supplier travel (up to 10%).

If you are a strategic, hands-on procurement leader ready to influence operations and shape supplier performance, we’d love to connect.
Apply today through LHH for consideration.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled

Military connected talent encouraged to apply

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The Company will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records in accordance with federal, state, and local laws and/or security clearance requirements, including, as applicable:

• The California Fair Chance Act
• Los Angeles City Fair Chance Ordinance
• Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers
• San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance

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