Sr Buyer

**Career Area**:Manufacturing & Supply Chain**Nature and Scope**This position acts with a sense of urgency and is diligent in providing timely support to internal clients and external customers. This individual operates in compliance with corporate and Supply Chain policies and procedures. A Senior Buyer will manage relationships of non-strategic suppliers as well as critically strategic or complex suppliers. This position may be located centrally or in regional offices. This individual has no direct reports, but works within a team structure typically including a Sourcing Specialist, Supply Chain Coordinator/Planner, Supplier Technical Engineer, Supplier Development Engineer, and reports directly to a Site Sourcing Manager or Supply Chain Manager. There is an expectation to participate on or possibly lead projects that directly support organizational objectives.The primary functions of the job include but are not limited to:Supply Chain Management- Applies advanced Supply Chain concepts and performs complex analyses to develop procurement strategies ensuring supplier capacity that supports Purchase Order (PO) commitments.- Develops and maintains relationships with internal clients and lower-level supplier executives functioning as the Supply Chain and Solar ambassador.- Monitors and manages ownership of risk from financial, business continuation, and compliance perspectives. Ensures procurement processes meet audit, regulatory, and legal standards.- Maintains all detailed documentation for performing the role.Contract Management- Develops agreements that align with sourcing strategies. Utilizes appropriate standard Solar contracts and templates with legal review, as required. Identifies and balances key risks at all stages. Integral in tracking contract execution, leading contract teams, closing contracts, and enforcing any applicable rights beyond contract completion.- Works closely with users defining supplier performance measurements and reporting frameworks.- Manages the transition process when changing contracted suppliers.Negotiation- Able to collect and synthesize a complete data package as well as assist in developing the strategy in preparation of negotiation.- Able to ethically execute negotiation strategies for low criticality/low complexity items displaying varied negotiation techniques to achieve best results.- Identifies and resolves areas of risk.Supplier Selection & Management- Integral part of supplier selection process and managing the relationships of existing suppliers.- Manages performance of low to moderately complex suppliers.Cost Management- Applies business strategies to daily activities, contributes to make-buy decisions, identifies market opportunities, gaps and trends.- Understands, applies and coaches others in building and analyzing Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) models.Purchasing Execution- Resolves high complexity purchasing related grief issues with mínimal assistance.- Develops, recommends, and provides training/mentorship around purchasing processes, process changes, and procurement tools.- Executes risk mitigation strategies to avoid Supply Chain disruption.- Validates data integrity, identifies data gaps, and updates & corrects system data.Internal clients include, but not limited to, the following: Global Supply Chain, Finance, Global Enabling Systems, Logistics, Legal, Customer Services (Field Services, Overhaul & Repair, Service Parts), Manufacturing, Business Management, New Product Introduction & Design Engineering, Project Application Engineering, Test Engineering, Project Engineering, and external Suppliers.The primary challenges of this position include:- Making sound decisions with the Business’ best interest in mind and knowing the impact decisions will have on organizational objectives.- Improving and sustaining supplier performance with regards to Quality, Cost, Delivery, and Field Support (when required).- Achieving business commercial objectives where mínimal supplier leverage exists.- Management of critical supplier contract development and execution.- Concurrently managing multiple critical priorities.- Building relationships inside and outside of the Global Supply Chain Organization; influencing, persuading, and collaborating with others in order to support business objectives.The decisions that are made by the Senior Buyer will be based on: Supply Chain Management, Site Sourcing Manager and/or Sourcing Specialist input or direction, our Values in Action, Worldwide Procedures, Solar Policies, Quality Management System, other process documentation, import/export compliance guidelines as well as adherence to State, Federal, and international regulations. Failure to achieve results, erroneous decisions or recommendations, could result in legal issues, production delays, impact to supplier relationships and/or the allocation of additional resources.This position could use all or any of the following tools: