Metals Buyer

Ascent Aerospace•Macomb Township, MI

18h•Hybrid

About The Position

Ascent Aerospace is seeking a Raw Material / Metals Buyer to manage the sourcing, purchasing, and supplier relationship activities for specialty metals and raw material commodities — including aluminum, steel, and other alloys — supporting aerospace manufacturing programs. This role is responsible for ensuring on-time, cost-effective, and fully compliant procurement of raw materials in accordance with DFARS, ITAR, AS9100, and customer-flowdown quality requirements. The ideal candidate combines strong commercial negotiation skills with technical fluency in metals specifications, mill certifications, and regulated aerospace supply chain documentation.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent combination of education and experience)
3–7+ years of buying/procurement experience, with direct experience purchasing metals or raw materials in an aerospace, defense, or automotive manufacturing environment
Working knowledge of common metal specifications and grades (e.g., aluminum 6061/7075, A36, 1018, A500/A513 tube, A572) and associated ASTM/AMS standards
Familiarity with DFARS specialty metals clauses, ITAR, and other defense-related regulatory compliance requirements
Understanding of MTRs, mill certifications, BOMs, and material traceability documentation
Proficiency with ERP/MRP systems (SAP preferred) and advanced Excel skills for cost and vendor analysis
Strong negotiation, supplier management, and cross-functional communication skills
Demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment

Nice To Haves

Experience purchasing for AS9100/NADCAP-certified manufacturing environments
Professional certification such as CPSM, CPM, CSCP, or APICS/CPIM
Experience with SRM/SaaS procurement platforms and process automation tools
Prior experience supporting cost-savings or supplier-consolidation initiatives
Knowledge of forgings/castings procurement and qualification processes
Eligibility for or current possession of a U.S. security clearance, or ability to obtain one
Experience in both aerospace and automotive raw material sourcing environments

Responsibilities

Source, negotiate, and purchase raw materials (aluminum plate/bar/sheet, steel tube, specialty alloys, forgings, and castings) from qualified mill and service center suppliers (e.g., Alro, Ryerson, Metals USA, and similar distributors/mills)
Manage purchase order issuance, expediting, and on-time delivery across a vendor base supporting hundreds of active suppliers
Track and analyze requisition-to-PO cycle time and other procurement KPIs; identify and resolve process bottlenecks
Monitor commodity market pricing trends (e.g., LME aluminum, steel index pricing) and proactively manage cost exposure through forward buys, index-based contracts, or supplier negotiations
Ensure all raw material purchases comply with DFARS 252.225-7009 specialty metals requirements, including melt-and-pour origin traceability and the COTS/forgings-castings carve-back provisions
Maintain ITAR awareness and ensure procurement activity aligns with export control and USML classification requirements
Review and validate Material Test Reports (MTRs) / Certified Mill Test Reports (CMTRs) for conformance to specification (ASTM, AMS, SAE) and customer flowdown requirements
Support supplier AS9100/ISO 9001 qualification and maintain documentation for audit readiness
Develop and maintain strong relationships with mills, service centers, and distributors; conduct supplier performance reviews and scorecarding
Negotiate pricing agreements, blanket POs, and contract terms; resolve nonconforming material and invoice discrepancies
Identify and qualify alternate/backup sources to mitigate single-source and supply chain risk
Lead or support cost-reduction initiatives, including specification review, material substitution analysis, and process-driven savings opportunities
Partner with Engineering, Quality, and Production Planning to align material specifications, lead times, and inventory strategy
Support new program launches with material sourcing strategy and supplier readiness
Provide input on make/buy decisions and bill-of-material (BOM) accuracy