Senior Buyer
Location: Winsted, Connecticut
Work Arrangement: Fully Onsite
Salary: $90,000–$105,000 per year
Position Overview
We are seeking an experienced and results-driven Senior Buyer to join our manufacturing organization in Winsted, CT. This position will play a key role in managing purchasing activities, supplier relationships, material availability, and procurement strategy while supporting the organization’s production and operational goals.
The ideal candidate will have 5+ years of progressive purchasing/procurement experience within a manufacturing environment, including experience purchasing raw materials and managing or mentoring a purchasing team. Strong communication, negotiation, analytical, and leadership skills are essential for success in this role.
Key Responsibilities
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Lead and oversee daily purchasing activities to ensure the timely and cost-effective procurement of raw materials, components, and production supplies.
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Manage, mentor, and provide direction to members of the purchasing/procurement team.
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Develop and maintain strong relationships with key suppliers and strategically manage vendor performance.
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Negotiate pricing, contracts, payment terms, lead times, delivery schedules, and other commercial agreements with suppliers.
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Monitor raw material requirements, inventory levels, forecasts, and production schedules to ensure uninterrupted manufacturing operations.
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Analyze supplier pricing, market conditions, material costs, and purchasing trends to identify cost-saving opportunities.
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Partner closely with Operations, Production, Planning, Engineering, Quality, and Finance to ensure materials are available when needed.
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Review purchase orders and ensure purchasing activity aligns with company policies, budgets, quality requirements, and production needs.
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Identify and resolve supplier performance issues involving pricing, quality, delivery, or availability.
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Support supplier selection, qualification, development, and ongoing performance management.
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Develop procurement strategies designed to improve cost, quality, delivery, and overall supply-chain performance.
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Monitor inventory and purchasing metrics and provide reporting and analysis to leadership.
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Assist with forecasting and long-term material planning.
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Identify opportunities to improve purchasing processes, strengthen supplier relationships, and increase overall procurement efficiency.
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Maintain accurate purchasing records and ensure ERP purchasing data is current and accurate.
Qualifications
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5+ years of progressive purchasing, procurement, or buying experience.
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Recent manufacturing experience is required.
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Proven experience purchasing raw materials and manufacturing components.
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Previous experience leading, supervising, or managing a purchasing/procurement team.
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Strong negotiation skills with demonstrated success achieving favorable pricing, terms, and supplier agreements.
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Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
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Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
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Experience managing supplier relationships and resolving vendor issues.
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Strong understanding of inventory management, material requirements, lead times, and manufacturing processes.
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Ability to work effectively with Operations, Production, Finance, Engineering, and other cross-functional teams.
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Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
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Experience with ERP/MRP systems and Microsoft Excel.
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Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Operations, or a related field preferred.
Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate is a strong purchasing leader and communicator who understands the unique demands of a manufacturing environment. You should be comfortable negotiating with suppliers, managing a team, analyzing material costs, and making purchasing decisions that directly impact production, profitability, and customer satisfaction.
This is an excellent opportunity for a Senior Buyer who wants to take ownership of the purchasing function, develop a team, strengthen supplier partnerships, and make a meaningful impact on the overall performance of the organization.
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