Sr Regional Lead Buyer

United States Career • Houston, TX

4d

About The Position

The Regional Lead Buyer – Plant & Production Materials is responsible for the execution of sourcing activities supporting production, maintenance, and operational reliability across North America, with primary focus on the United States. This role supports plants and operations by sourcing, negotiating, and managing suppliers for equipment, spare parts, raw materials, and maintenance related goods. Operating within the Strategic Procurement framework, the role partners closely with Operations and Reliability teams to ensure timely availability, cost competitiveness, and compliance with procurement policies. The position plays a critical role in supporting plant maintenance activities, turnarounds, and capital or reliability driven equipment purchases, while contributing to savings, supplier performance improvement, and standardization initiatives. Why Messer? Messer is the world’s largest privately held industrial gases company and what we do matters because it is woven into every part of life, from the medical gases that patients rely on to the essential elements needed to safely and sustainably produce the goods our communities depend on. The true strength of Messer is our people—at every level and in every role. Join us and take pride in the impact you will make by providing solutions essential to our world and lives. Reach your highest potential at our stable, inclusive company with diverse opportunities in a growing industry, supported by people who care. Messer stands apart because we put what matters first, and you matter.

Requirements

• Strong collaboration and stakeholder management skills.
• Executionâ focused mindset with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a plantâ driven environment.
• Clear communicator with the ability to work effectively across technical and nonâ technical teams.
• High standards of integrity, accountability, and compliance.
• Experience sourcing for plant maintenance, turnarounds, and productionâ related equipment or materials.
• Strong understanding of procureâ toâ pay processes and handsâ on experience with procurement systems such as SAP, Coupa, or similar tools.
• Ability to analyze spend data, pricing, and supplier proposals to support factâ based sourcing decisions.
• Familiarity with raw material markets, equipment supply chains, and industrial service environments.
• Functional knowledge of economic conditions, raw material pricing drivers, labor and service market trends, and supply chain risks.
• Understanding of regulatory, environmental, and compliance considerations relevant to industrial operations.
• Ability to balance cost, quality, delivery, and risk in operational sourcing decisions.
• Language skills: Fluent in English. Spanish or Portuguese are a plus.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Engineering, or a related field.
• Minimum 5+ years of experience in procurement or supply chain roles.
• At least 3 years of experience supporting sourcing activities for industrial plants, maintenance operations, or constructionâ related environments.

Nice To Haves

• Six Sigma or Lean Tools expertise preferred

Responsibilities

• Procurement Execution & Sourcing Lead and execute procurement activities for equipment, spare parts, raw materials, and productionâ related goods supporting Plants and Production.
• Support sourcing needs related to maintenance activities, plant turnarounds, reliability projects, and operational improvements.
• Execute RFQs, RFPs, and sourcing events in alignment with procurement policies and category strategies.
• Negotiate commercial terms, pricing, and conditions with regional and national suppliers.
• Supplier & Contract Management Negotiate, implement, and manage frame agreements (MSAs) with approved suppliers supporting production and maintenance requirements.
• Develop and maintain strong working relationships with key suppliers to ensure service reliability, responsiveness, and continuous improvement.
• Benchmark supplier performance and costs against market standards to drive competitiveness and value.
• Operational & Stakeholder Support Act as a key procurement interface for plant operations and reliability Consolidate and manage procurement plans provided by Operations and Reliability Managers to ensure visibility and execution alignment.
• Support major equipment purchases and capitalâ related sourcing initiatives as required.
• Improve internal compliance and buyerâ customer interfaces through clear communication and process alignment.
• Performance, Reporting & Continuous Improvement Create and maintain savings pipelines, ensuring accurate tracking and reporting of financial benefits.
• Monitor and report KPIs to Procurement leadership and business stakeholders.
• Support standardization and automation of tactical procurement activities in alignment with the Procurement Execution team.
• Contribute to Procurement transformation and continuous improvement initiatives across Plants & Production sourcing.
• Collaboration & Risk Awareness Work crossâ functionally to ensure seamless coordination of procurement strategies.
• Apply awareness of market conditions, raw material pricing, supplier capacity, and geopolitical or economic factors impacting supply and cost.
• Support risk mitigation efforts related to supplier continuity, lead times, and operational criticality.

Benefits

• Messer’s safety culture, commitment to providing dependable supply and innovative gas technology solutions help customers unlock opportunities to be safer, more sustainable, more productive and more efficient, so their business thrives.
• We nurture lasting, meaningful relationships with customers, our communities, and with one another.
• We offer comprehensive benefits and appreciable pay, with steady schedules and opportunities for ongoing training and career progression.
• We prioritize and invest in our people at every level of our organization – the dedication, knowledge, customer focus and entrepreneurial spirit of our employees is what make Messer refreshingly different.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level