NPI Project Buyer

ZEISS•Dublin, CA

22h

About The Position

The NPI / Project Buyer leads procurement activities for new product introduction (NPI), product development, and other cross-functional projects from early development through production release. The role is the primary procurement interface on project teams and ensures supplier, material, cost, and sourcing readiness in alignment with project milestones. The buyer works with Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, Planning, Operations, Finance, and suppliers to identify and resolve procurement risks that could affect product launch, cost, quality, or schedule. The position manages sourcing, supplier readiness, bill of materials and material readiness, cost management, engineering-change purchasing activities, and the transition from NPI into sustaining production. It supports procurement status tracking, risk mitigation, forecasting, project cost reviews, and accurate purchasing information in SAP or other ERP systems. The annual pay range is $77,000–$96,000, and the position is eligible for a performance bonus or sales commissions.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, Operations, or a related field.
Typically 5 or more years of experience in procurement, strategic sourcing, NPI purchasing, project buying, or supply chain.
Experience supporting new product introduction and product-development projects in a manufacturing environment.
Experience working with engineering BOMs, drawings/specifications, ECOs or engineering changes, and prototype-to-production transitions.
Experience managing suppliers through development, qualification, ramp-up, and production readiness.
Experience with ERP/MRP systems, preferably SAP.
Ability to manage purchasing milestones, risks, deliverables, and dependencies against an NPI schedule.
Strong understanding of RFQs, sourcing, supplier selection, lead-time alignment, capacity/readiness, and material availability.
Ability to compare quotations, negotiate pricing, identify cost-reduction opportunities, and track NPI material cost.
Ability to assess BOM sourcing status, lead times, shortages, cost, and supply risk.
Ability to coordinate purchasing implications of ECO/PCO and design changes and supplier transitions.
Ability to identify long-lead, single-source, capacity, quality, obsolescence, and supply-continuity risks.
Ability to collaborate with Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Planning, Quality, Operations, Finance, and suppliers.
Ability to ensure purchasing and supplier readiness for transition into sustaining production.
Comfort working with suppliers and manufacturing teams across regions and time zones.
Strong ownership and accountability.
Ability to work with incomplete information during early NPI phases.
Excellent follow-through and attention to detail.
Ability to challenge suppliers and internal stakeholders professionally.
Strong communication and escalation skills.
Ability to manage several projects and priorities simultaneously.
Proactive rather than transactional purchasing mindset.
Strong understanding of interdependencies among Engineering, Procurement, Planning, Manufacturing, Quality, and Finance.
Knowledge of SAP/ERP/MRP systems, BOM and material-master structures, purchase orders and requisitions, RFQ and sourcing processes, supplier lead-time management, inventory and demand-planning fundamentals, and Excel/data analysis.

Nice To Haves

APICS/ASCM, CPSM, or project-management certification.
Experience with SAP MDG.
Experience with KMAT/configurable products.
Experience in complex capital-equipment manufacturing.

Responsibilities

Lead procurement activities for assigned NPI and product-development projects from concept and prototype through production readiness.
Represent Procurement on cross-functional project teams and integrate purchasing deliverables into project plans.
Drive sourcing and material readiness against NPI milestones and production launch requirements.
Track procurement status, open issues, risks, and critical-path items.
Manage RFQs, supplier evaluations, negotiations, and sourcing recommendations.
Partner with Strategic Sourcing and Engineering to select suppliers based on cost, quality, capability, lead time, capacity, and supply risk.
Coordinate supplier readiness for prototypes, pilot builds, qualification, and production ramp.
Identify supplier, long-lead, single-source, and capacity risks and develop mitigation plans.
Review project BOMs and drive sourcing status for purchased components.
Identify and escalate material shortages, long-lead items, and sourcing gaps that may affect project schedules.
Coordinate purchasing activities related to engineering changes, including ECO/PCO implementation.
Support accurate material-master, purchasing, and sourcing information in SAP/ERP systems.
Obtain and evaluate supplier quotations, negotiate commercial terms, and track purchased-material costs against project targets.
Identify design-to-cost, value-engineering, and cost-reduction opportunities with Engineering and suppliers.
Provide procurement input for forecasting, business cases, and project cost reviews.
Ensure procurement and supplier readiness before transition from NPI into sustaining production.
Hand off supplier, pricing, lead-time, purchasing, and open-risk information to operational procurement and planning teams.
Support stabilization during the initial production ramp.