Senior Buyer

Purchasing Position

This purchasing position is responsible for vendor selection and procurement functions directly associated with the company's needs for electrical and mechanical production materials and services. This position will be focused on identifying and working with potential suppliers for battery energy storage components and materials. These products and services are to be secured with a focus on total cost (price/cost, quality, and delivery levels) consistent with company policy and performance standards. The position is further responsible for the timely planning and delivery scheduling of materials, as needed.

Essential Job Functions

• Identify, evaluate, and negotiate with suppliers across national and international markets to ensure a reliable and cost-efficient supply chain.
• Represent purchasing on various project teams consisting of Systems and Development Engineering, Sales, and Quality Control.
• Provide follow-up information to company teams to reduce designs of products entering obsolescence.
• Assist the Procurement Manager in the establishment and development of relationships with key suppliers and participate in major negotiations to ensure agreements are made which meet the companies' business needs.
• Generate and maintain complete and accurate purchasing records to facilitate future purchasing decisions.
• Responsible for the purchase and on-time delivery of project and commodity requirements.
• Evaluate quotations, negotiate purchase price, elect final supplier and place purchase order of engineering-approved components.
• Work with suppliers to understand and communicate blueprint interpretations to eliminate receiving non-conforming products.
• Negotiate with suppliers to obtain optimum price, highest quality and required delivery.
• Manage and evaluate supplier performance to assure that procurement meets cost, quality and 100% on time delivery.
• Analyze tariff impact on business and identify supply sources that provide the most cost-effective solution without compromising quality of materials.
• Understand and communicate quality requirements to the supplier to ensure compliance to these requirements.
• Implement supplier performance management systems, including KPIs and scorecards, to assess supplier reliability and efficiency.
• Review purchase orders to verify that specs, drawings and revision levels are referenced.
• Assist accounting on invoice discrepancies to ensure timely payment to the supplier.
• Communicate and work with support organizations to ensure all requirements, such as certifications, test reports and miscellaneous documentation are incorporated into the purchase order.
• Identify areas of improvement of purchasing methods and cost effective purchasing; identify daily PO releases having savings opportunities and economies of order placement.
• Apply knowledge of electrical and mechanical components to identify or investigate errors in PO releases.

Education/License Requirements

• Bachelor's degree with emphasis in business administration, supply chain, economics, and/or engineering preferred.
• Candidates with appropriate experience will also be considered.

Experience Requirements

• A minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible purchasing and material control experience in Energy or renewable energy industry.
• Previous experience in an electrical/mechanical systems environment preferred.
• SAP experience a plus.
• Strong negotiation skills and experience managing global suppliers and contracts.

Competencies

• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook required.
• Ability to read and interpret blueprints.
• Well organized and detail oriented.
• Good math and problem solving skills.
• Excellent communication skills (written, listening, and verbal).
• Flexibility and ability to think and react quickly to changing Purchasing requirements.
• Demonstrated emotional intelligence, trust and integrity, high ethical standards and interpersonal competence.
• Creative problem-solving ability, proactive, self-starter.
• Ability to develop and maintain positive vendor relationships.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• None

Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action at Nidec

Nidec is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Affirmative Action Employer encouraging diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to their age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, genetic information, religious creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

No Soliciting

Nidec will not accept unsolicited resumes from individual recruiters or third party recruiting agencies in response to Nidec job postings. No fee will be paid to third parties who submit unsolicited candidates directly to our hiring managers. Pre-approval from the Nidec Talent Acquisition team is required before any external candidate can be submitted and such candidate must be submitted to the Nidec Talent Acquisition team.