Senior Buyer-Direct Materials

CSP (Teijin Automotive Technologies)•Auburn Hills, MI

About The Position

CSP is the industry leader in the formulation and molding of lightweight, advanced composite components for the transportation industries. As an innovative, full-service Tier One supplier, we offer an entrepreneurial environment where you’re only limited by your own imagination. In addition to our team-focused environment, we provide industry-leading benefits, called BENEfits4U. Our comprehensive offering includes: affordable medical, dental, and vision care; flexible spending accounts; life insurance; 401k with company match and much, much more. CSP generates annual revenues exceeding USD 1.1 billion and is IATF 16949 certified, operating under OEM customer-specific requirements and APQP/PPAP disciplines across its full production network. The Direct Materials portfolio spans SMC & DLFT raw materials, production parts (stampings, castings, extrusions, fasteners, seals/gaskets, latches/hinges), and paint & external paint — representing a combined spend of ~$465M+ and a critical driver of cost competitiveness and program quality.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Engineering (Mechanical, Industrial, or Materials), Business, or related field — or equivalent professional experience.
A technical engineering background is strongly preferred given the production parts focus of this role.
5+ years of direct material purchasing experience in an automotive Tier-1 or manufacturing environment, with a clear focus on production parts (stampings, castings, extrusions, fasteners, seals, or equivalent metallic/engineered categories).
Demonstrated track record of delivering cost savings through structured sourcing, RFQ execution, and supplier negotiations; experience with index-linked pricing and commodity market management.
Proven APQP/PPAP experience: participation in program launches, engineering change management, and cross-functional sourcing coordination in an automotive environment.
Technical commodity knowledge: solid understanding of metallic and engineered component manufacturing processes — Material properties, tooling economics, cost drivers, and supplier capabilities.
Strong analytical skills: proficiency in Excel (pivot tables, cost modeling, PPV/BIP tracking) and familiarity with BI tools (Power BI preferred).
Experience with ERP/procurement systems — QAD EE preferred; Coupa or similar eProcurement platforms advantageous.
Strong negotiation, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills in a matrixed automotive environment.
Ability to manage a variety of complex tasks with a wide degree of independence and sound decision-making latitude.

Nice To Haves

SMC composites or resin commodity experience is not required for this role.

Responsibilities

Own end-to-end sourcing for assigned production parts categories: evaluate and select suppliers based on technical fit, manufacturing capability, capacity, quality, and total cost of ownership.
Develop and maintain Long-Term Agreements (LTAs) and pricing frameworks; manage index-based pricing mechanisms (e.g., steel PPI, non-ferrous indices) and inflation/deflation tracking at corporate level across all CSP plants.
Build and maintain deep commodity market knowledge: material properties, manufacturing processes, cost drivers, supplier landscapes, and supply/demand dynamics for metallic and engineered components.
Build and maintain strong working relationships with suppliers supporting CSP plants; support Supplier Quality audits and financial health assessments of critical suppliers as required.
Identify and execute cost savings opportunities via spend analytics, should-cost modeling, competitive tendering (RFQ/RFP), and value engineering (VAVE) in close collaboration with Engineering.
Analyze supplier quotes using structured cost breakdowns (material, labor, overhead, tooling, logistics); build and maintain reporting/dashboards (Power BI, Excel) to track commodity pricing trends, PPV/BIP, savings pipelines, and supplier performance.
Monitor and forecast commodity price exposure across the assigned portfolio; support rolling forecast reconciliation and program cost reviews with Finance.
Participate in APQP program kickoffs; coordinate sourcing timelines with Engineering, Program Management, Sales, and plant teams; expedite as necessary to ensure supply continuity and on-time program launches.
Place and manage purchase orders via QAD EE; manage engineering changes (ECs), supplier transitions, and customer-directed sourcing requirements throughout the full program lifecycle.
Ensure compliance with CSP procurement policies, IATF 16949 requirements, and OEM customer-specific sourcing and quality standards; adhere to all CSP company policies, guidelines, and procedures.
Manage day-to-day supplier performance for assigned categories: monitor OTIF, quality PPM, and corrective action closure; escalate and resolve supply disruptions in coordination with plant teams and SQD.
Maintain a supplier risk register for assigned categories; participate in supplier financial health assessments and quality audits for critical production part suppliers.