Sr. Buyer

Job Description

Job Description

We are looking for an experienced Sr. Buyer to support aerospace manufacturing operations in Long Beach, California through strategic sourcing, supplier management, and material planning. This is a Long-term Contract position focused on securing the materials, components, and external services needed to keep production moving efficiently and in compliance with quality and regulatory expectations. The role partners closely with engineering, production, quality, and planning teams to balance cost, delivery, and supply continuity in a highly regulated environment.

Responsibilities:
• Create and carry out sourcing plans that align purchasing activity with production priorities and operational goals.
• Procure raw materials, fabricated parts, electronic items, hardware, and subcontracted processing services required for aerospace manufacturing.
• Evaluate suppliers, support qualification activities, and monitor vendor performance against delivery, quality, and cost targets.
• Negotiate pricing, commercial terms, lead times, and longer-range supply agreements to strengthen supply assurance and manage spend.
• Work with cross-functional teams to anticipate material demand, support build schedules, and address changing business requirements.
• Oversee inventory levels and apply material control practices that reduce excess stock while protecting supply availability.
• Review supplier capacity, lead-time trends, quality results, and potential risks to identify vulnerabilities and maintain continuity of supply.
• Partner with internal stakeholders and suppliers to resolve shortages, quality concerns, and corrective action items in a timely manner.
• Maintain purchase orders, supplier correspondence, and procurement records within the company ERP system while tracking key purchasing and supplier performance metrics.• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, business, engineering, operations, or a related discipline, or equivalent relevant experience.
• At least 5 years of experience in purchasing, procurement, or supply chain roles within aerospace, defense, or another regulated manufacturing setting.
• Demonstrated knowledge of strategic sourcing, inventory planning, and material flow in a production environment.
• Background in negotiating supplier agreements and managing ongoing vendor relationships for quality, cost, and delivery performance.
• Experience using ERP or purchasing systems such as Epicor, Oracle, Costpoint, or comparable platforms.
• Strong Excel and data analysis skills with the ability to interpret purchasing trends and supplier metrics.
• Effective communication, organization, and problem-solving skills in a cross-functional manufacturing environment.