Strategic Buyer

Bauer Compressors•Norfolk, VA

About The Position

The Strategic Buyer sources, purchases, and manages production materials, components, goods, and services that support BAUER's manufacturing and business operations. The role manages assigned direct-material and indirect-spend categories, which may include raw materials, fabricated and purchased components, facilities, maintenance, utilities, information technology, professional services, office operations, safety, logistics support, and capital projects. Working with Supply Chain, Planning, Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, and department leaders, the Strategic Buyer develops sourcing strategies, negotiates supplier agreements, manages supplier relationships, and identifies opportunities to improve cost, quality, delivery, service, and operational efficiency. The position supports continuity of supply and availability of resources needed for production and business operations while advancing the company's financial and operational objectives. This is a full-time position with a normal schedule of 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday. Start and end times may be flexible based on business needs.

Requirements

Five or more years of purchasing, procurement, sourcing, or supply chain experience.
Experience negotiating with suppliers and managing vendor relationships.
Understanding of material requirements planning, inventory, lead times, supplier capacity, and production supply continuity.
Experience using ERP/MRP systems.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office, particularly Excel.
Ability to build productive relationships with internal customers and suppliers.
Ability to negotiate effectively while maintaining positive vendor partnerships.
Ability to analyze pricing, contracts, and supplier proposals.
Ability to prioritize multiple projects and competing deadlines.
Sound business judgment and ability to make data-driven recommendations.
Effective communication with all levels of the organization.
Ability to work independently and collaborate across departments.
Ability to identify process-improvement and cost-reduction opportunities.
Integrity when managing company expenditures.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Finance, Operations, or a related field; equivalent education and experience will be considered.
Experience in a manufacturing environment and purchasing production materials or components.
Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM).
Certified Purchasing Manager (CPM).
APICS/ASCM certification.
Experience with strategic sourcing initiatives.
Experience sourcing direct materials, production components, or engineered-to-order/manufactured products.
Experience managing service contracts.

Responsibilities

Develop sourcing strategies for assigned direct-material and indirect-spend categories; research and evaluate suppliers; and manage RFQs, RFPs, and competitive bids.
Negotiate pricing, terms, service levels, and commercial agreements, and identify cost-reduction opportunities while maintaining quality and service.
Monitor market conditions and recommend alternative sourcing strategies when appropriate.
Develop and execute sourcing strategies for production materials and components, including new product requirements, supplier transitions, and alternate sources of supply.
Partner with Engineering, Quality, Planning, and Manufacturing to assess supplier capabilities, technical requirements, quality expectations, lead times, and total cost.
Identify and mitigate supply risks, including long lead times, capacity constraints, single-source dependencies, tariffs, and market or geopolitical factors.
Purchase assigned production materials, components, indirect goods, and services needed for manufacturing and business operations.
Build and maintain supplier relationships; evaluate supplier performance; resolve quality, delivery, or service issues; and support supplier onboarding and performance reviews.
Monitor supplier delivery, quality, lead time, capacity, and commercial performance, and coordinate with Planning and Operations on shortages, past-due materials, and other threats to production continuity.
Support supplier qualification, development, corrective actions, and source changes in partnership with Quality and Engineering.
Coordinate service agreements and contract renewals; maintain purchasing records, supplier documentation, and contract files; and review purchasing activity for policy and spending-limit compliance.
Assist departments with planning recurring service and purchasing needs, analyze spending trends, and identify opportunities for consolidation or standardization.
Analyze material spend, price variances, supplier concentration, and total cost to identify sourcing and cost-reduction opportunities.
Partner with departments across the organization to understand purchasing needs and recommend sourcing solutions that balance cost, quality, lead time, and business risk.
Support capital equipment purchases and facility improvement projects as assigned, and participate in cross-functional continuous improvement initiatives.
Prepare purchasing reports and spend analyses; track cost savings and procurement initiatives; and monitor purchase price variance, supplier performance, material availability, and other procurement KPIs.
Support budget planning with purchasing forecasts and spending data, and recommend improvements to procurement processes, supplier performance, and purchasing controls.