Strategic Buyer

Who is Senior plc?

Senior plc is an international, market-leading, engineering solutions provider with 30 operating businesses in 13 countries. Senior designs, manufactures and markets high-technology components and systems for the principal original equipment producers in the worldwide aerospace, defense, and land vehicle and power & energy markets. The Group is split into two divisions, Aerospace and Flexonics, servicing five key sectors.

Our global values underpin what we do, and how we do it ...

Safety - Integrity - Customer Focus - Respect & Trust - Accountability - Excellence

Who is SSP?

Senior Aerospace SSP, specializes in designing, manufacturing, and qualifying complex ducting systems for aerospace applications. Since its humble roots in 1945, the campus has now expanded to include a 59,000 sq. ft high-volume production facility, in addition to its legacy 131,000 ft2 main buildings which combined, accommodate over 500 employees. Vertically integrated with its own foundry, fabrication shop, and ISO certified engineering lab, Senior Aerospace SSP acquired by Senior PLC in 1995 and has continued its expansion into new programs and technologies.

What does the job involve?

Summary: The Strategic Buyer plays a key role in the procurement of aerospace components, raw materials, and services critical to manufacturing operations. This role focuses on developing sourcing strategies, managing supplier relationships, negotiating long-term agreements, and ensuring on-time delivery of high-quality, compliant materials. The Strategic Buyer will drive cost savings, risk mitigation, and supplier performance initiatives that align with the company's operational and quality objectives in a highly regulated aerospace environment.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Under general supervision, must be able to perform a variety of job duties including, but not limited to:

• Develop and execute sourcing strategies for assigned commodities, ensuring alignment with production schedules and customer requirements.
• Identify and qualify suppliers capable of meeting stringent aerospace industry standards (AS9100, ISO 9001, etc.).
• Conduct market analysis and benchmarking to identify new suppliers, technologies, and cost reduction opportunities.
• Lead Request for Proposal (RFP) and Request for Quotation (RFQ) processes; evaluate supplier proposals based on quality, cost, and capability.
• Negotiate and manage long-term agreements (LTAs), ensuring favorable pricing, lead times, and service levels.
• Build strong, collaborative relationships with key suppliers to foster innovation, continuous improvement, and strategic partnerships.
• Monitor supplier performance metrics, including quality, on-time delivery, and responsiveness; implement corrective actions when necessary.
• Drive cost-saving initiatives through strategic negotiations, value analysis/value engineering (VA/VE), and supplier consolidation.
• Collaborate with engineering, quality, and production teams to support product development and cost reduction programs.
• Ensure compliance with aerospace industry standards, export control regulations (ITAR, EAR), and company policies.
• Identify and mitigate supply chain risks, including single-source dependencies and geopolitical or economic factors impacting supply.
• Partner with Engineering, Quality, and Production teams to support new product introduction (NPI) and ensure sourcing strategies meet program requirements.
• Participate in cross-functional project teams focused on supply chain optimization and operational excellence.

In addition to the above, Strategic Buyers are to maintain an organized, clean and safe work area using safety standards and expectations while adhering to all quality practices. Senior is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and/or Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Finance, or related field with a minimum (5) years related experience and/or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 5 years of strategic sourcing/purchasing experience in aerospace manufacturing or a highly regulated industry.
• Strong knowledge of aerospace materials (metals, composites, fasteners, machined parts and processes.
• Familiarity with aerospace quality standards (AS9100, ISO 9001) and export compliance (ITAR/EAR).
• Proficient in ERP/MRP systems (SAP, Oracle, or equivalent) and Microsoft Office Suite.
• Exceptional negotiation, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to interpret technical drawings and specifications.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate and influence at all levels.
• Certifications such as CPSM, CPIM, or PMP are desirable.
• Other

Required Skills:

• Language: Ability to read, comprehend, and write (in English). Must have the ability to interact with employees of all levels and cultural backgrounds. Ability to deal with people at all levels tactfully and in a pleasant manner so as to represent the company properly under all circumstances to obtain and understand market prices and trends.
• Reasoning Ability: Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out detailed, written and oral instructions. Ability to solve problems involving many variables in various situations.
• Mathematical Skills: Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.
• Other Abilities: Must have the ability to handle many customers with a variety of requests. Must be able to effectively multi-task and quickly change from one task to the next and back.

ITAR Compliance:

• Access to our facility (and, therefore, employment) is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and/ or Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to U.S. Citizens, lawful permanent residents, U.S. refugees, asylees or temporary residents under amnesty provisions [as defined in 8 USC 1324b(a)(3)] and properly licensed foreign persons. Applicants receiving a conditional offer of employment will be required to provide information to determine whether they are subject to these regulations and, if so, to assess their country of chargeability for export control purposes. Additionally, potential employee's names will be screened against the Consolidated Screening List (maintained by the United States government) to determine eligibility to receive technical data.