Senior Buyer

Overview Senior Buyer, Indirect Materials & Services is responsible for the strategic and operational procurement of indirect materials and services supporting operations, engineering, marketing, sales, and corporate functions. This role manages complex and business-critical categories, negotiates and administers commercial agreements, develops suppliers, drives cost reduction and standardization, and supports procurement compliance and supply continuity. Responsibilities Develop and execute sourcing and category-management strategies for indirect materials and services aligned with organizational, operational, financial, and risk-management objectives. Lead RFIs, RFQs, RFPs, competitive bidding events, supplier negotiations, benchmarking, and total-cost-of-ownership analyses for assigned categories and projects. Negotiate and administer supplier contracts, service agreements, statements of work, confidentiality agreements, pricing schedules, and commercial terms within established approval limits, partnering with Legal, Finance, and other functions as required. Deliver sustainable cost reductions and value improvements across indirect materials and services through competitive sourcing, specification optimization, demand management, supplier consolidation, process improvement, and commercial negotiations. Identify and drive product and service standardization opportunities across sites and functions to reduce complexity, improve leverage, support compliance, and lower total cost. Identify, evaluate, qualify, onboard, develop, and rationalize suppliers based on capability, competitiveness, quality, service, compliance, financial stability, and supply-continuity requirements. Manage supplier performance against agreed cost, quality, delivery, service-level, responsiveness, and contractual requirements; lead corrective actions and continuous-improvement plans when needed. Identify and mitigate supplier, contractual, operational, financial, compliance, and supply-continuity risks, including supplier transitions, critical-service interruptions, and dependency on single or limited sources. Build fact-based sourcing recommendations and business cases, clearly documenting scope, assumptions, savings methodology, risks, implementation requirements, and stakeholder impact. Maintain accurate supplier, pricing, contract, and procurement records in the ERP and related systems; support audits, spend analysis, procurement reporting, invoice discrepancy resolution, and contract-renewal planning. Manage multiple categories, sourcing projects, suppliers, priorities, and cross-functional stakeholders simultaneously, communicating status, decisions required, risks, and recommendations to management. Ensure compliance with procurement policies, approval requirements, competitive bidding procedures, supplier qualification requirements, ethical sourcing standards, and applicable contractual obligations. Primarily an office/plant-based role. Occasional domestic and/or international travel may be required for supplier visits, negotiations, and audits. Minimum Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, or a related field. At least 5 years of progressive experience in strategic sourcing and purchasing, preferably involving indirect materials and services in an industrial or manufacturing environment. Demonstrated strength in commercial negotiations, contract administration, supplier management, and delivery of measurable cost or value improvements. Strong analytical, project-management, and organizational skills, including the ability to manage multiple priorities and develop fact-based recommendations. Demonstrated leadership, sound judgment, and ability to work independently, influence stakeholders, and manage escalations effectively. Excellent communication skills and proficiency with Microsoft Office, ERP, and procurement systems. Desired Qualifications MBA or advanced degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, Finance, or a related field. Professional certification such as CPSM, CSCP, CPIM, or equivalent. Experience sourcing MRO, consumables, PPE and safety products, equipment, tooling, facilities services, maintenance services, professional services, information technology, or other indirect categories. Experience with international sourcing, cross-border supplier management, supplier development, and multi-site standardization initiatives. Experience with Oracle Cloud, Oracle Fusion, PeopleSoft, or comparable ERP and procurement platforms. Experience partnering with Legal and Finance on contract terms, supplier risk, compliance, and commercial governance. Rain Bird is an Equal Opportunity Employer #J-18808-Ljbffr