Buyer/Planner II-US

• Bachelor's Degree (B.A. or B.S.) required; Supply Chain, Business Management, or related field preferred
• Professional Supply Chain or Contract Management certification preferred (CPSM, APICS, etc.)
• 5+ years of procurement, strategic sourcing, or supply chain experience
• Experience managing contracts and framework/multi-year agreements with spend responsibility in the ***–$20M range
• Strong experience in:
  • Strategic Sourcing
  • Contract Negotiation
  • Vendor/Supplier Management
  • Category Management
• Working knowledge of SAP, Ariba, Power BI, and related procurement systems
• Strong stakeholder management and relationship-building skills
• Excellent communication and influencing abilities across matrixed organizations
• Experience with planning, project management, and business analysis
• Ability to evaluate Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and supplier risk
• Proven ability to mentor and support junior buyers

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's Degree
• Utility, energy, infrastructure, construction, or capital project procurement experience

The Senior Buyer is a key member of the Procurement organization, responsible for leading sourcing initiatives, negotiating agreements, developing category strategies, and delivering savings and operational efficiencies.

This role partners closely with suppliers, internal stakeholders, and procurement colleagues to drive strategic sourcing decisions, manage supplier relationships, evaluate risk, and support long-term business objectives.

The Senior Buyer leverages analytics, market intelligence, supplier insights, and procurement expertise to develop sourcing strategies, improve supplier performance, and enhance overall value through Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and risk mitigation approaches.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Category Management

The Senior Buyer must be able to think independently and develop actionable solutions that drive value and support business objectives.

Category Strategy Development

• Partner with Category Managers/Leads and stakeholders to evaluate business needs.
• Develop flexible, long-term category strategies that incorporate value opportunities, supplier performance criteria, and risk mitigation plans.
• Apply innovative and forward-thinking approaches to category management.

Supplier Engagement

• Regularly engage suppliers to obtain feedback, identify improvement opportunities, and resolve issues.
• Drive continuous improvement in supplier performance while maintaining alignment with *** objectives.

Analytics

• Utilize complex data sets to identify sourcing opportunities, contract lifecycle improvements, and cost-saving initiatives.
• Incorporate analytics into category strategy development and execution.

Market Research

• Conduct market and industry analysis.
• Evaluate supplier capabilities and performance.
• Integrate market intelligence into sourcing events and category strategies.

Strategic Sourcing & Procurement

Source Event Management

• Lead sourcing initiatives including:
  • RFx Events
  • Sole Source Procurements
  • Direct Negotiations
• Develop tailored sourcing strategies that optimize value, reduce risk, and support business objectives.

Stakeholder Coordination

• Build and maintain relationships with business units and suppliers.
• Serve as a bridge between internal stakeholders and suppliers to facilitate collaboration and issue resolution.

Bid Analysis

• Evaluate responses to complex sourcing events.
• Analyze commercial differences and supplier offerings.
• Develop recommendations for supplier selection and contract awards.

Process Management & Continuous Improvement

• Identify and eliminate waste across the end-to-end supply chain.
• Develop innovative procurement solutions that improve efficiency and generate savings.
• Clearly communicate proposed improvements and change initiatives to stakeholders and governance boards.

Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)

• Evaluate procurement decisions using Total Cost of Ownership methodologies.
• Assess supplier and contract switching costs to support informed decision-making.

Commercial Negotiation

• Develop negotiation strategies with clearly defined objectives.
• Successfully lead complex negotiations under aggressive timelines.

Supplier Commercial Understanding

• Develop a comprehensive understanding of supplier motivations, leverage points, and desired outcomes.
• Maximize value for the company while maintaining productive supplier relationships.

KPI Development

• Partner with Contract Management teams to establish supplier performance metrics and KPIs within contractual frameworks.

Supplier Relationship Management

The Senior Buyer will regularly engage with suppliers to identify opportunities for continuous improvement and strengthen supplier performance.

Foundation Criteria

• Identify critical suppliers and establish engagement plans.
• Proactively manage supply chain risk and support continuous improvement initiatives.

Value Creation

• Foster collaborative relationships with suppliers.
• Develop integrated plans that drive value for business operations and customer requirements.

• Bachelor's Degree (B.A. or B.S.) required; Supply Chain or Business Management preferred
• Master's Degree preferred
• Professional Certification in Supply Chain or Contract Management (CPSM, APICS, etc.) preferred
• 5+ years of procurement experience
• Experience managing contracts and framework/multi-year agreements with spend responsibility in the ***–$20M range
• Strategic sourcing, contract negotiation, and vendor management experience required
• Proficiency with ERP systems such as SAP and Ariba
• Working knowledge of Power BI and data analytics tools
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and relationship management skills
• Experience operating within multinational and matrixed organizations
• Strong planning, project management, stakeholder engagement, and business analysis capabilities
• Ability to influence stakeholders and clearly communicate recommendations
• Ability to mentor and support procurement team members
• Equivalent combinations of education, procurement expertise, and industry experience may be considered