Senior Buyer

Sr. Buyer

Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 115,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.

This position works out of our Pleasanton, CA location in the Heart Failure Division. In Abbott's Heart Failure (HF) business, we're developing solutions to diagnose, monitor and manage heart failure, allowing people to restore their health and get on with their lives. Abbott Heart Failure designs and manufactures complex, life-saving medical devices.

As the Sr. Buyer, you'll be responsible for purchases of raw materials, sub-assemblies, products and services in conformance with approved purchase orders at the lowest cost consistent with considerations for quality, reliability of source and urgency of need. The senior buyer provides support for all basic aspects of purchasing including but not limited to vendor negotiations, vendor analysis, cost reductions, utilization of the purchasing system, expedition of orders and vendor relations.

What you'll work on:

• Identify, research, evaluate and suppliers that meet the organisation's standards of price, quality, timing, and reliability of supply.
• The role will evaluate complex sales and promotional campaigns to secure reduced prices.
• Negotiates and manages long term contracts which are not managed by the commodity management teams, within established limitations and scope of authority to obtain the most favorable business partnerships, including but not limited to quality, availability and cost.
• Plans and schedules deliveries to optimize inventories in support of production schedules/business demands by working with forecasting data/teams, planning teams, commodity teams and shipping/receiving teams.
• Reviews purchase requisitions and confers with vendors to obtain product information such as price, availability and delivery schedule, reviewing quotes for accuracy and competitive strategies.
• Implements process and procedure best practices by partnering with other functional leadership with the related product lines.
• Facilitates vendor corrective action and partners with SQE and suppliers to improve quality.
• Participates in Research and Development projects, developing and implementing action plans to support requirements bringing new products expeditiously to market.
• Recommends pricing strategies to achieve department operating goals.
• Creates and maintains mutually beneficial long-term partnerships with suppliers to foster feedback and continuous improvement, usually being the single source of contact for the vendor.
• Performs as purchasing subject matter expert for internal and external customers due to extensive knowledge of purchasing and product line operations.
• Provides coaching and mentoring to junior members of the purchasing team.
• Monitors supplier performance, communicates and takes action to maintain high levels of supplier performance.
• Maintains and updates supplier databases as required.
• Generates highly complex reports and performs data analysis to proactively plan or resolve issues.
• Works with inventory management/warehouse management to resolve issues.

Qualifications:

Required:

• Bachelor degree in Business, Supply Chain or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years of progressively responsible experience in purchasing/commodity management.
• 3+ years working with purchasing/commodity mgt. software.
• Experience negotiating terms and purchasing agreements.
• Ability to work in a highly matrixed and geographically diverse business environment.
• Ability to work within a team and as an individual contributor in a fast-paced, changing environment.
• Ability to leverage and/or engage others to accomplish projects.
• Strong verbal and written communications with ability to effectively communicate at multiple levels in the organization.
• Ability to travel approximately 10%, including internationally.

Preferred:

• 2+ years working in a highly regulated environment preferred