Senior Buyer & Sourcing Specialist

Proterial Cable America•Ashaway, RI

About The Position

The Senior Buyer / Sourcing Specialist is responsible for sourcing, pricing, and purchasing raw materials and outside services required to support quoting and production activities. This role owns material cost inputs for RFQs and works closely with the quoting function to develop accurate, competitive, and timely estimates. This position also executes purchasing activities, manages supplier relationships, and ensures material availability to support production schedules and customer commitments. The role is critical to improving quote turnaround, cost accuracy, and supply chain performance.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent
Minimum 3–7 years of experience in purchasing, sourcing, or supply chain (manufacturing environment preferred)
Experience working with long lead-time materials and/or constrained supply chains preferred
Strong communication skills (written and verbal)
Proven ability to interact with suppliers and negotiate pricing and lead times
Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
Strong time management skills with the ability to handle multiple RFQs and orders simultaneously
Analytical mindset with ability to compare quotes and evaluate cost drivers
Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel required)
Ability to learn ERP systems (e.g., JobBOSS or equivalent)

Nice To Haves

Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, or related field
Experience in defense, aerospace, or industrial manufacturing environment
Familiarity with raw material specifications (ASTM, MIL, alloy grades such as HY-80, copper-nickel, stainless, or nickel alloys)
Experience sourcing forgings, castings, and specialty metals
Experience working with customer flow-down requirements and quality clauses
Experience using ERP systems for purchasing and material tracking preferred (JobBOSS or similar)

Responsibilities

Source raw materials (forgings, castings, bar stock, plate, specialty alloys) and outside services (NDT, plating, heat treat, etc.).
Lead material sourcing efforts for RFQs, including identifying new and alternate suppliers for long lead-time or constrained materials.
Evaluate sourcing strategies based on cost, lead time, and supply risk to support competitive quoting.
Develop and maintain a preferred supplier network for key commodities (forgings, castings, specialty alloys, outside processing).
Develop and validate material and subcontractor cost estimates for RFQs, including independent supplier outreach.
Solicit and analyze supplier quotes for cost, lead time, and technical compliance.
Issue purchase orders and manage order acknowledgments, delivery dates, and pricing accuracy.
Track and expedite material deliveries to meet production schedules and customer commitments.
Maintain and develop supplier relationships to improve pricing, lead times, and reliability.
Coordinate with engineering and program teams to understand technical material requirements and specifications.
Ensure all procurement activities comply with customer flow-down requirements and applicable standards.
Maintain accurate records of supplier quotes, pricing history, and lead times for future quoting efficiency.
Identify cost-saving opportunities through alternate sourcing, material substitutions (when allowable), or volume strategies.
Support continuous improvement of procurement and quoting processes, including ERP data accuracy.
Assist in resolving supplier issues including quality, delivery, and documentation discrepancies.