Senior Buyer

Senior Buyer

Job Description

The Senior Buyer is responsible for sourcing and purchasing goods and services to support production needs while optimizing cost, quality, and delivery. This role ensures continuity of supply, maintains strong supplier relationships, and supports organizational objectives through effective material planning, negotiation, and cross-functional collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Manage material planning through MRP systems by consolidating requirements and determining the most effective purchasing methods to meet production schedules.

• Participate in supplier qualification processes and maintain strong, collaborative relationships to ensure supplier reliability and performance.

• Prepare and issue requests for quotation (RFQs), analyze supplier proposals, and negotiate pricing and terms to achieve best overall value.

• Create, release, and maintain purchase orders, ensuring vendor details, pricing, and delivery schedules are accurate and up to date in the ERP system.

• Communicate proactively with suppliers and internal teams, providing transparent and timely updates on order status, changes, and potential risks.

• Monitor and evaluate supplier performance, address issues, and work with suppliers to identify and implement opportunities for improvement.

• Expedite and track orders, manage lead times, and resolve delivery challenges to prevent production delays and maintain continuity of supply.

• Monitor inventory levels, manage surplus and obsolete materials, and coordinate appropriate disposition actions as needed.

• Address product rejects and quality issues by investigating root causes, communicating findings to suppliers, and ensuring corrective actions are implemented.

• Generate, maintain, and analyze reports related to purchasing activities, supplier performance, and cost analysis to support data-driven decisions.

• Act as a liaison between purchasing, engineering, and production teams to ensure materials meet specifications and are delivered on time.

• Support cost optimization initiatives by identifying savings opportunities, improving purchasing processes, and leveraging data to drive better outcomes.

• Ensure accurate data entry and maintenance of purchasing records, including contracts, pricing agreements, and supplier information in ERP and related systems.

Essential Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, or a related field, or equivalent experience.

• 3–5 years of purchasing experience in a manufacturing or similar environment.

• Demonstrated purchasing and procurement experience, including buying mechanical or industrial components.

• Strong negotiation skills with a proven ability to secure favorable pricing and terms.

• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data and support cost optimization initiatives.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Excel for data entry, reporting, and analysis.

• Experience working with ERP systems, including creating and maintaining purchase orders and vendor data.

• Familiarity with MRP-based material planning and managing lead times.

• Experience with vendor management and supplier performance monitoring.

• Ability to manage the full purchasing process from RFQ through contract and order fulfillment.

• Strong communication and collaboration skills for working with suppliers and cross-functional internal teams.

• High attention to detail and accuracy in data entry, documentation, and reporting.

• Solid problem-solving skills with the ability to resolve supply, delivery, and quality issues.

• Experience with data management related to purchasing, inventory, and supplier information.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience purchasing mechanical components such as nuts, bolts, and similar hardware.

• Experience with global suppliers or global supply chain exposure.

• Experience in contract negotiations and managing purchasing contracts.

• Hands-on experience with ERP platforms such as SAP or similar systems.

• Knowledge of supply chain operations and the end-to-end buying process.

• Experience generating and maintaining purchasing and supplier performance reports.

• Comfort working with Microsoft Office tools for communication, documentation, and analysis.

• Ability to contribute to continuous improvement initiatives in purchasing and supply chain processes.

Work Environment

This role is 100% onsite, working Monday through Friday with typical hours of either 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. or 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The position is primarily based in an office environment with moderate noise levels, where you will work extensively with computers, ERP systems, and standard office software. Occasional trips to manufacturing areas are required to collaborate with production and engineering teams and to better understand material and component needs. The organization offers a collaborative culture with team-oriented events such as summer gatherings and casual activities like tailgating and ice cream socials, creating an engaging and supportive workplace.

Job Type & Location

This is a Permanent position based out of Sheboygan Falls, WI.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $80000.00 - $85000.00/yr.

Employee Benefits Paid Time Off (PTO): Employees become eligible for PTO immediately upon hire. Wellness Program: The company offers access to its Wellness Center and has an onsite physical therapy service. Recreational Access: Employees receive free access to the company's private golf course. Health Insurance: The benefits plan covers various medical services, including hospice care, inpatient/outpatient hospital services, and pre-admission testing. Short-Term Disability: A short-term disability plan is available for employees. Second Shift Benefits: Second-shift positions, such as the Painter role, offer additional benefits like a shift premium, paid lunch, and extra vacation time after one year of service.

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Sheboygan Falls,WI.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Jul 21, 2026.

About Aston Carter

Aston Carter provides world-class corporate talent solutions to thousands of clients across the globe. Specialized in accounting, finance, human resources, talent acquisition, procurement, supply chain and select administrative professions, we extend the capabilities of industry-leading companies. We draw on our deep recruiting expertise and expansive network to meet the evolving needs of our clients and talent community with agility and excellence. With offices across the U.S., Canada, Asia Pacific and Europe, Aston Carter serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® Platinum Award winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email View email address on click.appcast.io (%View email address on click.appcast.io) for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.