Purchasing Manager
About The Position
Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense Company is seeking a Purchasing Manager for its Simsbury, Connecticut location. Reporting to the Senior Supply Chain & Logistics Manager, the Purchasing Manager leads the procurement function to ensure timely, cost-effective, and quality-focused acquisition of materials, components, and services supporting aerospace manufacturing and operations. The role oversees Buyers, drives supplier performance, and partners with production, engineering, material planning, and quality teams. It ensures compliance with industry regulations, customer requirements, and company policies while building strategic supplier relationships.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Engineering, or a related field.
- At least 7 years of progressive procurement experience.
- At least 3 years of leadership experience within the aerospace or defense industry.
- Strong knowledge of aerospace manufacturing supply chains, regulatory requirements, and supplier qualification processes.
- Proven experience in contract negotiation, cost reduction, and supplier development.
- Proficiency with ERP/MRP systems such as SAP, Oracle, IFS, or similar.
- Strong analytical, negotiation, and communication skills.
- Ability to lead cross-functional projects and influence decision-making.
- Excellent leadership and team development capabilities.
Nice To Haves
- APICS/CPIM, CPSM, or PMP certification.
Responsibilities
- Develop and implement purchasing strategies aligned with business and production requirements.
- Identify, evaluate, and negotiate with suppliers to achieve cost, quality, and delivery objectives.
- Establish long-term agreements and contracts with key suppliers to support supply chain continuity.
- Monitor supplier performance, including on-time delivery, quality, and responsiveness, and drive corrective actions.
- Manage supplier risk and ensure compliance with AS9100/ISO standards and aerospace regulatory requirements.
- Lead, mentor, and develop a team of Buyers and Procurement Specialists.
- Set departmental goals and KPIs aligned with company objectives.
- Foster accountability, continuous improvement, and collaboration.
- Partner with Material Planning, Production, Engineering, and Quality to ensure material availability for production schedules.
- Optimize ERP/MRP purchasing parameters to balance inventory levels and lead-time requirements.
- Implement cost-reduction initiatives through supplier negotiations, value engineering, and supply chain efficiency.
- Drive continuous improvement in procurement processes and policies.
- Ensure compliance with customer flow-down requirements, FAR/DFARS clauses, ITAR/EAR export regulations, and CPSR policies and procedures.
- Support internal and external audits related to purchasing and supplier management.
- Identify and mitigate supply chain risks, including capacity, geopolitical, financial, and single-source risks.
- Track supplier on-time delivery, cost savings and avoidance, inventory turns, material availability, supplier quality, compliance audit results, team performance, and employee engagement.
Benefits
- Medical insurance
- Dental insurance
- Vision insurance
- Retirement benefits
- Paid time off
- Paid holidays
- Life insurance
- Disability insurance
- Employee assistance and wellness resources
- Eligibility for incentive compensation, subject to applicable plan terms and conditions
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Manager
