Sr. Buyer

Job Description

Job Description

  About the Company:

Bell and Howell delivers technology-driven Automation Services and Automation Solutions that help businesses optimize performance, reduce downtime, and improve customer experiences.

Our Automation Services bring a dedicated team of expert mechatronic service engineers completely covering North America and backed by our Integrated 360™ advanced technology enabling remote repair, diagnostics, automated SmartOps Dispatch™ and 24/7/365 technical assistance for our clients. We provide a comprehensive and certified level of support for thousands of diversified clients.

Our Automated Solutions product portfolio consists of next-generation equipment delivering best-in-class performance enhancing workflow efficiency and elevating customer experiences across multiple markets including retail, pharmaceuticals, packaging, mail production, ecommerce and manufacturing – all backed by the best service in the industry.

Location: Durham, NC (on-site)

Job Summary:

The Senior Buyer leads strategic and tactical procurement activities for assigned complex, high-value commodities supporting the company’s automation products, manufacturing requirements, and service operations.

This position owns the end-to-end sourcing process for assigned commodities, including market analysis, sourcing strategy, supplier identification and selection, competitive bidding, commercial negotiations, contract coordination, purchase execution, supplier performance, cost management, and supply-risk mitigation.

The Senior Buyer works independently and partners with Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Planning, Finance, Service Operations, and other stakeholders to ensure the timely and cost-effective availability of parts, equipment, materials, and services. The position is accountable for improving total cost, supplier quality, delivery performance, inventory efficiency, and continuity of supply.

Job Responsibilities:

• Develop and execute sourcing and commodity strategies for assigned automation products, components, equipment, materials, and services in alignment with organizational goals, production requirements, and customer commitments.
• Manage assigned commodities and procurement spend, including analyzing historical spend, demand forecasts, supplier capacity, market conditions, pricing trends, lead times, and supply-chain risks.
• Lead the end-to-end competitive sourcing process, including preparing requests for information, quotations, and proposals; analyzing supplier responses; conducting supplier due diligence; recommending awards; and documenting sourcing decisions.
• Negotiate complex commercial arrangements involving price, payment terms, lead times, minimum-order quantities, warranties, freight, tooling, inventory commitments, service levels, and other contractual terms.
• Partner with Legal, Finance, Quality, Engineering, and other stakeholders to support the development, review, negotiation, execution, and administration of supplier agreements.
• Deliver measurable cost savings, cost avoidance, working-capital improvements, and process efficiencies through competitive sourcing, supplier negotiations, value analysis, demand consolidation, standardization, and other cost-management strategies.
• Evaluate purchasing decisions based on total cost of ownership, including purchase price, freight, tariffs, lead times, quality, inventory requirements, warranty exposure, service costs, and supply risk.
• Ensure the availability of required parts, equipment, and materials by reviewing production schedules, forecasts, material requirements, inventory levels, open orders, supplier commitments, and customer requirements.
• Prepare and submit purchase orders in accordance with approved sourcing decisions, production schedules, delegated authority, company policies, and applicable contractual terms.
• Monitor purchase-order acknowledgments and supplier delivery commitments; expedite overdue, constrained, and critical materials when necessary to prevent production interruptions or customer-service delays.
• Lead supplier performance management for assigned commodities by monitoring and reporting supplier performance related to cost, quality, delivery, responsiveness, lead time, capacity, and contractual compliance.
• Develop and maintain supplier scorecards, conduct supplier business reviews, communicate performance expectations, and lead corrective-action efforts when supplier performance does not meet requirements.
• Resolve complex supplier-related issues involving quality, delivery, pricing, invoicing, capacity, damaged materials, nonconforming products, and contractual requirements.
• Identify, evaluate, qualify, and recommend new suppliers based on capability, capacity, financial stability, quality systems, pricing, delivery performance, technical expertise, geographic risk, and overall business fit.
• Develop alternate-source, dual-source, and business-continuity strategies for critical or high-risk materials to reduce dependency and protect the organization from supply interruptions.
• Partner with Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Planning, and suppliers to support new-product introductions, engineering changes, product substitutions, design-for-supply, component standardization, and supplier qualification.
• Review technical specifications, bills of material, drawings, prints, and schematics to understand purchasing requirements and align requirements with qualified supplier capabilities.
• Communicate projected demand, production changes, engineering requirements, and capacity needs to suppliers to support short- and long-term material availability.
• Maintain current knowledge of assigned commodities, supplier markets, emerging technologies, material availability, economic conditions, industry trends, and regulatory developments that could affect cost or supply.
• Prepare and present procurement reports, savings updates, supplier-performance information, risk assessments, sourcing recommendations, and other analyses to Procurement leadership and business stakeholders.
• Maintain information within applicable enterprise resource planning, material requirements planning, and procurement systems.
• Ensure procurement activities comply with company policies, delegated authority, contractual requirements, internal controls, ethical standards, and applicable laws and regulations.
• Recommend and implement improvements to procurement processes, systems, procedures, supplier-management practices, and reporting tools.
• Serve as a procurement subject-matter resource for internal stakeholders and provide guidance or informal mentoring to Buyers, Planners, or other less-experienced team members.
• Operate with limited supervision and exercise independent judgment when evaluating suppliers, analyzing commercial alternatives, negotiating terms, managing risk, and recommending sourcing decisions.
• Contribute to departmental and organizational goals by completing related assignments in a cooperative, timely, and professional manner.

Decision Making Authority:

The Senior Buyer makes purchasing and sourcing decisions within established delegated-authority levels and recommends supplier awards, commercial terms, sourcing strategies, and risk-mitigation actions that affect cost, quality, delivery, inventory, and continuity of supply.

Decisions involving commitments outside delegated authority, material contractual risk, significant financial exposure, or exceptions to established policy must be escalated to the Procurement Manager or other appropriate leadership

Supervisory Responsibilities: None. The Senior Buyer may lead sourcing projects, coordinate cross-functional work, and provide guidance or mentoring to Buyers, Planners, and other team members.

Competencies (Skills, Knowledge and Abilities):

• Advanced negotiation, supplier-management, analytical, problem-solving, planning, project-management, and organizational skills.
• Ability to independently develop and execute commodity and sourcing strategies.
• Ability to conduct market research, analyze supplier quotations, compare commercial alternatives, and prepare fact-based sourcing recommendations.
• Ability to interpret technical prints, drawings, bills of material, specifications, and schematics and match technical requirements to supplier capabilities.
• Ability to analyze complex cost information and identify opportunities for cost savings, cost avoidance, process improvement, and risk reduction.
• Ability to manage multiple sourcing projects, priorities, suppliers, and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong interpersonal and customer-relations skills, including the ability to influence stakeholders and suppliers without direct authority.
• Ability to communicate complex procurement information clearly to technical, operational, financial, and leadership audiences.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams and coordinate the activities of others to accomplish sourcing and business objectives.
• Ability to exercise independent judgment, maintain confidentiality, and make sound decisions involving significant cost, quality, delivery, and supplier considerations.
• Advanced proficiency with spreadsheet, presentation, procurement, enterprise resource planning, and material requirements planning applications.
• Strong proficiency with Microsoft Excel, including the ability to analyze spend, pricing, supplier performance, and other procurement data.
• Receptive to and supportive of collaborative team efforts and organizational goals.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain management, business administration, engineering, finance, operations, or a related field.
• At least five years of progressively responsible procurement, strategic sourcing, supply-chain, or purchasing experience, including experience purchasing manufacturing-related or technically complex materials.
• Demonstrated experience managing assigned commodities or categories, leading competitive sourcing events, negotiating commercial terms, and managing supplier performance.
• An equivalent combination of education and directly related experience may be considered.
• Experience supporting automation, industrial equipment, electronics, engineered products, field-service operations, or a high-mix manufacturing environment is preferred.
• Certified Professional in Supply Management, Certified Purchasing Manager, Certified Supply Chain Professional, or Certified in Planning and Inventory Management certification is preferred.

Travel:

This position does not require travel in the United States and Canada.

Physical Requirements:

• Sitting: Frequently
• Standing and walking: Occasionally
• Talking and hearing: Frequently
• Using hands and fingers to operate a computer and other office equipment: Frequently
• Close visual work, including reviewing documents, drawings, and computer screens: Frequently
• Lifting and carrying items weighing up to 20 pounds: Occasionally
• Out-of-town travel: Occasional, up to approximately 24 days per year

Work is generally performed in controlled office and manufacturing environments. The employee may occasionally be exposed to noise, machinery, warehouse conditions, or other conditions associated with manufacturing and supplier facilities

Other Duties:  

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice. 

Bell and Howell is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is company policy to administer employment based solely on an individual’s qualifications, ability and performance without regard to race, color, religion, gender identity, sex (including pregnancy, lactation, childbirth or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, age, national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, genetic information (including testing and characteristics), veteran status, uniformed servicemember status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.