Buyer

Aston Carter • San Diego, CA

5d • $32 - $38 • Onsite

About The Position

Aston Carter is recruiting an experienced Buyer/Planner for a life sciences company in San Diego’s Sorrento Valley. This contract-to-hire role is part of a lean, fast-moving supply chain team and focuses on procurement and planning of consumables in a manufacturing environment. The position is fully onsite in San Diego, California. The listed pay range is $32.00–$38.00 per hour; individual compensation depends on factors including qualifications, skills, experience, job knowledge, location, and internal equity.

The successful candidate will bring life sciences industry experience and expertise procuring consumables such as wet chemicals, organic materials, packaging, and plastics. They will accurately interpret technical material descriptions and units of measure, process purchase orders in NetSuite ERP, analyze procurement and inventory data with advanced Excel, and coordinate with suppliers and manufacturing teams to support material availability and production continuity. The role also supports demand planning and inventory analysis and requires a responsive, proactive approach with minimal oversight.

Requirements

• Five to eight years of buying and planning experience (the posting states “58 years”).
• Life sciences industry experience is mandatory.
• Experience procuring consumables, including wet consumables, chemicals, organic materials, packaging, or plastics.
• Analytical ability to interpret procurement data and technical material descriptions.
• Advanced Excel skills, including VLOOKUPs and pivot tables.
• Strong communication skills for collaboration with suppliers and cross-functional manufacturing teams.
• Responsive and proactive, and comfortable working in a fast-paced environment with minimal oversight.
• Experience supporting a manufacturing environment within life sciences.

Nice To Haves

• Strong experience with NetSuite ERP.
• Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• Experience with chemical, organic, or wet consumable procurement.
• International supplier management experience.
• Master’s degree is a plus.
• Experience at a life sciences company with a strong consumables supply chain, such as Illumina.

Responsibilities

• Manage procurement and planning of consumables, including wet chemicals, organic materials, packaging, and plastics.
• Translate chemical descriptions and units of measure accurately to support correct purchasing and inventory management.
• Maintain relationships with domestic and international suppliers, with a heavier focus on domestic suppliers.
• Process and manage purchase orders in NetSuite ERP from creation through receipt.
• Analyze procurement data and inventory levels using advanced Excel, including pivot tables and VLOOKUPs.
• Communicate with manufacturing teams and suppliers to ensure material availability and production continuity.
• Support demand planning and inventory analysis to align supply with production needs.
• Execute and maintain established supplier network relationships.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage, subject to eligibility.
• Critical illness, accident, and hospital coverage, subject to eligibility.
• 401(k) retirement plan with pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available, subject to eligibility.
• Voluntary life insurance and AD&D coverage for the employee and dependents, subject to eligibility.
• Short- and long-term disability coverage, subject to eligibility.
• Health Spending Account (HSA), subject to eligibility.
• Transportation benefits, subject to eligibility.
• Employee Assistance Program, subject to eligibility.
• Time off/leave, including PTO, vacation, or sick leave, subject to eligibility.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed