Overview

The Senior Buyer is responsible for managing the end-to-end purchasing lifecycle to ensure material availability in support of production while balancing service level, cost, inventory, and working capital objectives. This role analyzes demand and inventory signals, places and manages purchase orders, and maintains strong supplier partnerships to achieve high levels of on-time delivery, quality, and reliability.

This role operates in a fast-paced, lean manufacturing environment and works cross-functionally with Planning, Operations, Engineering, Quality, and Finance to proactively resolve supply challenges, mitigate risk, and support sourcing of custom, precision, and long-lead materials.

Key Responsibilities

Purchasing & Inventory Management

• Analyze demand, inventory levels, lead times, and open orders to ensure timely and cost-effective material availability.
• Manage the full purchase order lifecycle in the ERP system, aligning procurement activities with production schedules and customer needs.
• Monitor and expedite open orders to ensure on-time delivery and resolve supply issues proactively.
• Balance service levels, inventory targets, and working capital objectives through data-driven decision-making.
• Support inventory performance, including turns and working capital objectives.

Supplier Management & Strategic Sourcing

• Own supplier relationships, maintaining alignment on pricing, delivery performance, lead times, and capacity.
• Evaluate supplier performance and drive corrective actions to improve quality, cost, and delivery outcomes.
• Lead negotiations for pricing and terms within scope; partner on complex or high-value sourcing initiatives.
• Identify and mitigate supply risks to ensure continuity of production and customer commitments.
• Support development of a scalable and diversified supplier base, including international sourcing.
• Contribute to supplier development efforts and broader strategic sourcing initiatives.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Planning, Operations, and Engineering to align sourcing strategies with production and technical requirements.
• Collaborate with Quality and Manufacturing to resolve supplier-related issues and drive continuous improvement.
• Work with Finance to resolve invoice and pricing discrepancies.
• Mentor junior buyers and support team effectiveness.
• Participate in cross-functional projects and initiatives that support process improvement and operational performance.

Systems, Data & Continuous Improvement

• Maintain accurate ERP data and leverage analytics to improve purchasing decisions and inventory performance.
• Identify and implement process improvements to enhance efficiency, supplier performance, and material flow.
• Support lean and continuous improvement initiatives across the supply chain.
• Perform other duties as assigned to support business objectives.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, or a related field preferred.
• 5+ years of progressive experience in buying, procurement, or supply chain within a manufacturing environment.
• Experience supporting production-driven environments with changing priorities.
• Experience working in lean or continuous improvement-focused organizations preferred.
• Proficiency with ERP systems such as JDE, SAP, Oracle, or similar.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Strong working knowledge of purchasing, materials management, and supplier coordination practices.
• Ability to analyze inventory, demand, and supply data to make sound purchasing decisions.
• Understanding of lean manufacturing principles and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to work effectively across functions and with external suppliers, including negotiations.
• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and execute with a high level of follow-through.
• Ability to independently resolve routine issues and exercise good judgment within established procedures.
• Intermediate or above proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel.

Working Conditions & Physical Demands

Primarily office-based with regular interaction on the manufacturing floor.
Occasional lifting of materials up to 25 lbs may be required.
Ability to work in a manufacturing environment with moderate noise levels and varying temperatures

Additional Requirements:

Certain positions with IDEX Corporation and its business units require access to controlled goods and technologies subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations or the Export Administration Regulations. Applicants for these positions may need to be "U.S. Persons," as defined in these regulations. Generally, a "U.S. Person" is a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, lawful permanent resident, or an individual who has been granted refugee or asylum status.