Senior Buyer

Senior Buyer

At Solarcraft, we design and build integrated outdoor automation and power systems for Upstream, Midstream, Utility, Communications, and Remote Automation environments. With in-house engineering, metal fabrication, control panel integration, and solar and UPS power solutions, our teams work side by side to deliver reliable, rugged systems proudly made in the USA. Our success is driven by the people behind the work and the care they bring to every project.

Our Total Rewards package reflects our commitment to fairness, respect, and long-term growth. We offer competitive compensation that is based on skills, experience, qualifications, and job-related requirements. We also offer a comprehensive benefits package that supports you and your family, including medical, dental, and vision insurance, retirement plans, and paid time off.

Solarcraft is guided by a strong set of values established by our President and lived out every day by our team. These values shape how we treat our customers and each other: Clarity, Responsibility, Accuracy, Fulfillment, Tenacity.

Why Join Solarcraft

• Family-First Culture: Work in an environment where people are respected, supported, and valued as part of a close-knit team.
• Career Growth: Build a meaningful career with opportunities for development, learning, and advancement.
• Culture of Excellence: Collaborate with talented professionals who take pride in their work and support one another.
• Comprehensive Benefits: Enjoy benefits designed to support your professional success and personal well-being.

Position Summary

Solarcraft is seeking an experienced, highly organized, and results-driven Senior Buyer to support its project-driven, high-mix/low-volume manufacturing operation. The Senior Buyer is responsible for ensuring the continuous and cost-effective supply of materials, components, equipment, and outsourced services required to support Solarcraft manufacturing projects. The position supports purchasing activities associated in manufacturing project activity and must be comfortable managing multiple priorities in an environment where customer requirements, project schedules, engineering releases, material availability, and manufacturing priorities can change quickly. This is a 100% onsite position at Solarcraft's Sugar Land manufacturing facility. The Senior Buyer serves as the primary onsite purchasing resource supporting Manufacturing, Engineering, Planning/Scheduling, Materials, Quality, Project Management, and Operations. The role also provides day-to-day purchasing direction, prioritization, coaching, and escalation support to remote tactical buyers while personally managing complex, high-risk, long-lead, high-dollar, engineered-to-order, and strategically important purchases. The ideal candidate is detail-oriented, task-driven, analytical, commercially minded, and comfortable balancing strategic supplier activities with hands-on daily purchasing execution.

Key Functions and Responsibilities

• Purchase materials, components, equipment, and services in accordance with established cost, quality, delivery, and project requirements.
• Review ERP/MRP requirements, production schedules, shortages, project priorities, and supplier commitments to determine daily purchasing priorities.
• Personally manage long-lead, high-dollar, engineered-to-order, sole-source, quality-critical, or capacity-constrained purchases.
• Effectively manage multiple projects and purchasing priorities simultaneously.
• Provide day-to-day functional direction and purchasing priorities to remote tactical buyers.
• Help prioritize buyer workload based on project requirements, shortages, manufacturing need dates, and supplier risk.
• Review critical open purchase orders, shortages, supplier acknowledgments, and past-due items.
• Coach tactical buyers on purchasing processes, supplier communication, ERP accuracy, documentation, and escalation requirements.
• Utilize Solarcraft's ERP/MRP system to manage purchasing requirements and supplier commitments.
• Maintain accurate purchasing information including supplier, part information, unit of measure, quantity, unit price, lead time, promise date, ship-to information, and supplier acknowledgment.
• Maintain supplier quotes, confirmations, pricing agreements, and key communications for traceability.
• Review ERP/MRP messages and take appropriate purchasing actions.
• Use purchasing and supplier data to identify shortages, trends, risks, and cost-saving opportunities.
• May perform other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Operations, or related field preferred.
• 5+ years of progressive purchasing, procurement, or supply-chain experience.
• Manufacturing or assembly-facility purchasing experience required.
• Experience managing multiple projects, suppliers, and purchasing priorities simultaneously.
• Experience purchasing complex, high-dollar, long-lead, or engineered components.
• Demonstrated supplier negotiation experience.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and task-focused with strong follow-through.
• Ability to work independently and reprioritize quickly as manufacturing and project schedules change.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong Microsoft Excel, Outlook, Teams, and Office 365 skills.
• Experience working with ERP/MRP systems.
• Ability to develop productive working relationships with suppliers and internal departments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience sourcing materials or components associated with one or more of the following is preferred: Industrial solar power systems, solar panels, charge controllers, inverters, and converters.
• Batteries, battery energy-storage systems, UPS, and power systems.
• Uses ERP/MRP information, purchasing history, quotations, supplier data, and project requirements to make fact-based decisions.

Work Environment & Physical Requirements

• This position is 100% onsite at Solarcraft's Sugar Land, Texas manufacturing facility.
• Regular onsite interaction with Engineering, Manufacturing, Materials, Quality, Planning/Scheduling, and Operations is required.
• Must be willing and able to travel approximately 10-15% based on business requirements.
• Travel may include supplier visits, negotiations, capability assessments, supplier-performance meetings, and new-source development.
• Must be comfortable visiting manufacturing and supplier facilities where noise, temperature, environmental conditions, and climate control may vary.
• Able to work effectively in both office and non-climate-controlled manufacturing environments as business needs require.

Success in the Role

The successful Senior Buyer will help move Purchasing from a reactive function to a proactive manufacturing partner. Success means critical materials are identified and managed before they become production shortages; purchasing priorities stay aligned with changing manufacturing schedules; remote tactical buyers receive clear direction and escalation support; suppliers are held accountable for commitments; strategic supplier agreements deliver measurable value; and supply risks are communicated early with options and recommended actions - no surprises.