Buyer

Position Summary

The Buyer transacts business to procure highly specialized mechanical, electrical, and bioprocess components required by ABEC under the most favorable commercial and technical conditions. This role collaborates closely with Engineering, Design, and Project Management teams to interpret technical specifications, evaluate advanced vendor capabilities, and manage complex supplier relationships to meet strict biopharmaceutical manufacturing standards.

Responsibilities

• Technical Procurement: Support Project Management, Manufacturing, and Service teams with the on-schedule procurement of complex, custom-engineered mechanical and electrical components, structural fabrications, and specialized bioprocess systems.
• Specification Review: Analyze engineering drawings, technical specifications, and Bills of Materials (BOMs) to ensure suppliers provide accurate quotes matching rigorous design parameters.
• Supplier Evaluation: Assess supplier technical capabilities, manufacturing capacities, quality control methods, and lead times to optimize cost and performance.
• Commercial Negotiation: Negotiate pricing, delivery, payment terms, and technical warranties or return policies for highly specialized equipment components.
• Vendor Management: Maintain and improve technical vendor relationships, tracking metrics for on-time delivery, material quality, and compliance with industrial standards.
• Discrepancy Resolution: Partner with Quality Control and Receiving to resolve material or technical documentation issues preventing the formal receipt of specialized goods.
• Cross-Functional Calibration: Coordinate directly with Mechanical and Electrical Design Engineering to resolve part number discrepancies, item description revisions, and stringent vendor documentation code requirements.
• Project Status Updates: Provide Project Managers with proactive, data-driven timeline tracking for long-lead engineering items and participate actively in technical team meetings.
• Sales Proposal Support: Assist Product Management and Sales teams by securing competitive, highly detailed technical quotations for raw materials and services during proposal stages.
• Technical Knowledge Sharing: Coordinate with Engineering to identify opportunities for supplier-led technical training sessions, such as Lunch & Learns, focusing on component advancements, new applications, and manufacturing cost reductions.
• Process Optimization: Collaborate with the Global Supply Chain team to identify and execute workflow improvements, utilize advanced ERP systems, and lower operational procurement costs.
• Compliance & Safety: Maintain rigid adherence to ABEC safety protocols, quality management guidelines, and regulatory compliance standards.
• Travel: Willingness to travel to vendor manufacturing facilities when technical audits or on-site inspections are required.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor of Science (BS) in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain Management with a technical focus, or an equivalent technical degree.
• Experience: 1 to 5 years of procurement experience inside a highly technical manufacturing, biotechnology, industrial equipment, or heavy engineering environment. (Internships included)
• Technical Literacy: Proven ability to read and interpret mechanical blueprints, electrical schematics, Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs), and technical manufacturing data sheets. Analyze planning information
• System Proficiency: Strong command of ERP/MRP platforms (Infor Syteline a plus), alongside proficiency in Microsoft Excel for data analysis and BOM evaluation. Willingness and ability to learn at a challenging pace and in a changing environment.
• Communication: Excellent interpersonal skills to effectively bridge technical conversations between internal design engineers and external vendor technical teams.
• Traits: Self-starter, analytical problem-solver, highly organized, and adaptive to changing technical designs and compressed project schedules.