Buyer, Senior (Full-time)

Overview An established and expanding industrial equipment manufacturer with multinational ties is seeking a Lead Buyer/Planner to oversee direct material procurement and supply planning. This role sits at the intersection of procurement strategy, ERP-based planning, and supplier performance leadership—ideal for someone who thrives in a fast-paced, data-driven environment. This position reports to the North American Purchasing Head and requires close coordination across U.S. and EMEA-based supply nodes. Mandarin or German language skills are considered a plus due to occasional coordination with tooling vendors and raw material brokers overseas.
Key Responsibilities Supervise and develop a regional team of junior buyers; foster best practices in sourcing and materials planning.
Utilize ERP (SAP preferred) for demand planning, PO generation, and raw material alignment across multi-shift operations.
Execute sourcing strategies that drive cost optimization and quality improvement; lead vendor contract negotiations and supplier evaluations.
Interpret commodity trends (e.g. stainless steel, castings, polymers) to make informed purchase decisions.
Maintain procurement records: Source Lists, PIRs, Agreements, and contract frameworks.
Lead vendor reviews and quarterly business performance sessions using custom-built dashboards.
Represent procurement in daily S&OP and plant sync meetings.
Collaborate with chemical engineering, production, and customer service teams to forecast and align raw material demand.
Actively reduce obsolete inventory, rebalance slow-moving stock, and ensure audit compliance (ISO 14001 familiarity a plus).
Enforce master data hygiene within ERP material records and supplier catalogs.
Ideal Candidate Profile Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Industrial Engineering, or Business (equivalent European technical degree acceptable).
5-10 years of purchasing/planning experience in a regulated or engineered-products environment
Steel buying is a big plus
SAP experience (MM module), MRP and advanced Excel modeling required.
Proven team leadership and procurement project delivery experience.
Able to manage ambiguity, adjust to cross-border supply constraints, and lead vendor remediation plans.
Global mindset; multilingual candidates encouraged to apply (Spanish, German, or Mandarin desirable but not required).
APICS, ISM, or CIPS credentials are advantageous.
Seniority level Mid-Senior level
Employment type Full-time
Job function Purchasing, Manufacturing, and Strategy/Planning
Industries: Motor Vehicle Manufacturing, Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing, and Manufacturing
Location: Muskegon, MI

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