Senior Buyer

Job Description

Job Description

The Opportunity: 

We are seeking a highly organized and detail-oriented professional to join our Customer Success Team as a Senior Buyer. This role owns complex and high-value purchasing activity and helps shape supply chain strategy and execution. The Senior Buyer works independently with suppliers and Safran stakeholders to manage supplier performance, resolve customer-critical issues, reduce supply risk, and support the successful introduction of new products. The role also provides guidance to other team members and helps strengthen purchasing processes across the team.

Our Technology:

We’re the world leader in Resilient Positioning, Navigation and Timing (R-PNT) solutions that improve the reliability, performance, and safety of critical high-risk operations, even in GPS/GNSS denied environments. We provide virtually fail-safe GNSS and PNT solutions for military and commercial applications worldwide. We do remarkable things! 

How I will Contribute:

• Serve as a lead point of contact for assigned suppliers and internal stakeholders, including international partners, and guide complex supplier discussions.
• Expert in data integrity and maintenance.
• Execute complex requisitions and purchasing strategies supporting company programs and projects.
• Lead cross-functional efforts with Procurement, Planning, Trade Compliance, Quality, Logistics, Engineering, and Operations to resolve significant supply chain issues.
• Own a portfolio of high-value spend involving COTS parts, complex assemblies, and services.
• Lead RFQ activity, quote analysis, supplier selection recommendations, and purchase order placement for complex requirements.
• Lead supplier negotiations involving cost, terms, quality, and delivery.
• Monitor supplier capacity, lead-time risk, and supply chain vulnerabilities; develop and coordinate mitigation plans with stakeholders.
• Lead supplier recovery plans for customer-critical escalations, including corrective actions, stakeholder updates, and follow-through.
• Lead procurement planning and supplier integration for new product introductions.
• Manage relationships with internal stakeholders, including Operations, Business Development, Finance, Quality, and Engineering, and advise them on supplier strategy and risk.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives, standardize processes, and share best practices across the team.
• Support forecasting, demand planning, capacity planning, and month-end finance activities.
• Mentor team members, support alignment on key performance indicators (KPIs), and provide guidance for professional growth.

What You Bring to Safran Federal Systems 

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, military or industry equivalent experience.
• Five or more years of professional purchasing experience managing suppliers.
• Ability to read and communicate technical specifications to technical and non-technical audiences preferred.
• Ability to make sound decisions while complying with company policies and applicable federal regulations.
• Experience working with Aerospace, Defense, or Government customers preferred.
• Strong supplier relationship management and negotiation skills.
• Ability to handle conflict or differing opinions with tact and professionalism.
• Clear communication skills for working with different audiences locally and globally.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Ability to recognize others’ needs and concerns, build trust, and manage working relationships.
• Ability to remain in a seated position at least 50% of the time.
• U.S. citizenship required.
• Position is based in the U.S., with occasional travel to suppliers.
• Ability to be agile and have fun.

About Safran Federal Systems :

Safran Federal Systems has been awarded as a Winner of the USA Today and Rochester Metro Area Top Workplaces 2026 Award. 

In 2022, Safran acquired Orolia, now Safran Trusted 4D, the world leader in Resilient PNT. At the intersection of critical infrastructure and national defense, Safran Trusted 4D solutions govern and protect the integrity of systems that shape the world. In early 2019, Orolia Defense & Security spun off as a separate entity from its parent company Orolia, with the mission of providing resilient Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) solutions and custom engineering services to U.S. Government agencies, U.S. Defense organizations, and their contractors. 

In August of 2019, Safran Federal Systems acquired Talen-X, a U.S. company specializing in advanced GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) Simulation solutions and Interference, Detection, and Mitigation (IDM) technologies. Talen-X's portfolio was an ideal fit and has helped to enhance Safran FS's overall offerings. The acquisition enabled Talen-X's existing resources, operations and capabilities to be scaled and accelerated to better support the warfighter. Read the press release here.

Safran Federal Systems operates as a proxy-regulated company, Free of Foreign Ownership, Control, or Influence (FOCI). As such, Safran FS Defense & Security is approved to work on the full spectrum of U.S. Government classified and unclassified projects and is positioned to support strategic partnerships in the development of key PNT technologies for the defense market.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran

Please note this 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.



 

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran. 

 

Please note this 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.