Senior Buyer - SBQ Steel & Tubes

AAM - American Axle & Manufacturing•Detroit, MI

15d

About The Position

The Sr. Buyer for SBQ Steel and Tubes is responsible for supporting sourcing activities that enable new business growth, supplier development, and long-term commodity strategy for Special Bar Quality (SBQ) steel and tube products. This role serves as the commercial lead for supplier selection recommendations, cost analysis, negotiations, and market intelligence while ensuring continuity of supply and operational support for existing programs. The successful candidate will collaborate closely with engineering, quality, operations, program management, and suppliers to identify competitive sourcing solutions that align with business objectives, cost targets, and quality requirements. In addition to strategic sourcing responsibilities, the Sr. Buyer supports ongoing supplier performance, capacity planning, supply disruptions, cost recovery actions, and day-to-day procurement activities.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Finance, Business, Engineering, or related field
5+ years of experience in purchasing, sourcing, or procurement within the automotive industry or related manufacturing industry (preferably with steel, tubing, or other metal components).
Knowledge of corporate purchasing policies and procedures
Understanding of global sourcing, landed cost, and supply chain risk management
Strong negotiation skills with a history of cost savings and supplier performance improvement
Proficiency in ERP systems (Oracle / Plex Preferred) and data analytics tools
Self-starter who takes initiative, able to work independently, identifies what needs to be done, prioritizes, and effectively completes tasks
Excellent communication, problem-solving, and project management skills
High degree of planning and organization skills
Ability to travel as required for supplier visits and audits

Nice To Haves

Master of Business Administration (MBA) or equivalent
Strong understanding of SBQ steel products, seamless and welded tubing, hot rolled and cold finished bar products, and related manufacturing processes.
Knowledge of steel cost drivers, including scrap markets, alloy surcharges, conversion costs, freight, tariffs, and metal market adjustment mechanisms.
Intermediate to Advanced level computer skills required including strong Excel skills (Pivot Tables, V-Lookups)
Experience negotiating long-term supply agreements, pricing contracts, and commercial terms with domestic and international suppliers.

Responsibilities

Execute contract and PO life cycle management activities, such as reporting for expiring or aged POs and execution of PO administration, clean-up, and line closure.
Coordinate with suppliers and business partners to resolve routine issues such as past-due POs, match exceptions, discrepancies with freight charges and freight billings, cost recoveries, price/invoice issue resolution, updating/incrementing POs, etc.
Identify and qualify new suppliers to improve the supply base and reduce costs while maintaining quality and performance standards.
Analyze supplier cost structures and market trends to identify opportunities for cost reductions.
Contribute to annual procurement budget development process and submit monthly forecasts to finance team.
Conduct cost and price negotiations and establish long-term agreements with suppliers to deliver the highest value materials that meet cost, quality, and delivery requirements and drive cost savings and supplier performance improvements.
Develop and manage relationships with suppliers to ensure quality, cost competitiveness, and on-time delivery.
Support and drive VA/VE initiatives to improve competitiveness of category spend to meet or exceed budget and business plan targets.
Lead technical reviews with supply base, systems engineering, component engineering and supplier quality engineering contacts to close out all issues and ensure cross-functional support of sourcing recommendations.
Identify and mitigate risks in the supply chain, including material shortages, price fluctuations, and geopolitical factors.
Coordinate with suppliers and logistics teams to ensure efficient inventory levels and prevent supply disruptions.
Work with Quality and Engineering teams to ensure supplier compliance with IATF 16949, ISO 9001, and other AAM and industry standards.
Collaborate on sourcing strategies for new business programs to ensure timely supplier sourcing and readiness.
Implement process improvements to enhance supply chain efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
Work with internal teams (engineering, manufacturing, finance) to align procurement strategies with company objectives.