Senior Buyer Planner

Aston Carter•San Diego, CA

9d•$45 - $55•Onsite

About The Position

This contract-to-hire Senior Buyer / Planner role offers the opportunity to own consumables procurement and planning within a lean, high-performing supply chain team in a life sciences manufacturing environment. You will manage end-to-end purchasing and planning for wet chemicals, organic materials, packaging, and plastics, ensuring materials are available to support continuous production. This position is ideal for an experienced life sciences professional who thrives in a fast-paced, onsite environment and can step into an established procurement function and execute with minimal oversight.

Requirements

5–8 years of buying and planning experience.
Life sciences industry experience, specifically supporting a manufacturing environment.
Hands-on consumables procurement experience, particularly with wet consumables, chemicals, organic materials, packaging, and plastics.
Strong analytical mindset with the ability to interpret procurement data and accurately translate technical and chemical material descriptions.
Proficiency with NetSuite ERP, including the ability to navigate and manage purchase orders and related transactions (strongly preferred).
Advanced Excel skills, including independent proficiency with VLOOKUPs and pivot tables.
Proven experience in supplier relationship management, especially with domestic suppliers, and the ability to maintain and communicate with international suppliers.
Experience in purchase order management, inventory planning, and demand planning within a manufacturing context.
Strong cross-functional communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with manufacturing teams and suppliers.
Comfort operating in a fast-paced environment with minimal oversight, demonstrating responsiveness, proactivity, and attention to detail.
Transactional buying experience combined with an analytical approach to procurement and supply chain data.
Bachelor’s degree preferred.

Nice To Haves

Experience with chemical, organic, or wet consumable procurement in a life sciences setting.
International supplier management experience.
Master’s degree.
Experience at a life sciences company with a strong consumables supply chain, such as large-scale sequencing or diagnostics organizations.
Packaging and plastics procurement experience.
Organic chemistry knowledge or familiarity with chemical materials and terminology.
Strong analytical and data-driven mindset applied to procurement and inventory decisions.
Demonstrated ability to support a manufacturing environment within life sciences.
Experience working in a lean, high-performing supply chain team.
Comfort using Excel for advanced analytics, including VLOOKUPs, pivot tables, and related functions.

Responsibilities

Manage the procurement and planning of consumables, including wet chemicals, organic materials, packaging, and plastics to support manufacturing operations.
Translate chemical descriptions, technical specifications, and unit measures accurately to ensure correct purchasing and inventory management.
Maintain and manage relationships with an established base of domestic and international suppliers, with a heavier focus on domestic partners.
Process and manage purchase orders in NetSuite ERP from creation through receipt, ensuring accuracy and timely completion.
Monitor and analyze procurement data, inventory levels, and material usage using advanced Excel tools such as pivot tables and VLOOKUPs.
Collaborate closely with manufacturing teams to ensure material availability, production continuity, and alignment between supply and demand.
Support demand planning and inventory analysis to keep supply levels aligned with production forecasts and operational needs.
Operate within an established supplier network, focusing on execution, maintenance, and communication rather than building new supplier relationships.
Provide transactional buying support with an analytical approach to procurement data and process improvement.
Communicate proactively with suppliers and internal stakeholders to resolve issues, manage lead times, and mitigate supply risks.
Contribute to a fast-paced, collaborative supply chain culture by being responsive, communicative, and reliable.
Maintain compliance with internal processes and controls related to purchasing, inventory, and ERP transactions.