Senior Buyer

Our client is looking for an experienced Senior Buyer to lead purchasing strategy and supplier partnerships for a manufacturing operation in Spartanburg, South Carolina. This role combines strategic sourcing with day-to-day team guidance (not management), ensuring material availability, cost control, and strong supplier performance across assigned categories. The ideal candidate brings sound commercial judgment, confidence in cross-functional collaboration, and the ability to support both operational execution and long-term procurement goals.

Responsibilities:

• Direct sourcing plans for assigned commodities, making informed decisions on supplier selection, consolidation opportunities, and make-versus-buy approaches.

• Manage competitive bid activities for new and existing components, assess supplier proposals, and present well-supported award recommendations.

• Negotiate commercial agreements with vendors, including pricing, delivery expectations, payment terms, and other supply conditions.

• Monitor supplier results through scorecards and performance metrics, and lead improvement discussions or corrective actions when service or quality issues arise.

• Partner with production, planning, engineering, and quality teams to address material shortages, schedule risks, design updates, and cost-saving initiatives.

• Support the development of category strategies and longer-term procurement plans in collaboration with procurement leadership.

• Provide visibility into market changes, cost movement, and supply risk factors that may affect purchasing decisions within assigned categories.

• Serve as the primary escalation resource for complex supplier concerns, high-risk purchases, and issues requiring advanced purchasing judgment.

• Review purchasing activity completed by team members, offer coaching and training, and help strengthen departmental procedures and onboarding practices.

• Step in as an approval resource for operational purchasing decisions and assist with purchase order oversight, follow-up, and expediting when needed.

• At least 5 years of experience in purchasing, procurement, or supply chain roles within a manufacturing environment.
• Proven background managing a category or commodity group with responsibility for sourcing decisions beyond routine transactional buying.
• Experience guiding, mentoring, or reviewing the work of buyers or purchasing staff in either a formal or informal leadership capacity.
• Demonstrated success negotiating with suppliers and handling complex sourcing decisions independently.
• Working knowledge of purchase order management, order follow-up, and expediting processes sufficient to review and support team activity.
• Ability to interpret technical drawings, product specifications, and bills of materials.
• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Engineering, or a related discipline, or equivalent relevant experience.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel and ERP systems; prior experience with enterprise purchasing platforms is preferred.