Program Purchaser

We are looking for an experienced Program Buyer to manage purchasing activities for new automotive programs within the Tier 1 business. The role involves strategic sourcing, supplier selection, commercial negotiations, cost optimization and ensuring purchasing deliverables are met throughout the program lifecycle, from RFQ to SOP.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end purchasing activities for new automotive programs, from RFQ and sourcing through production launch.
• Identify, evaluate and select suppliers in coordination with Commodity Buyers and cross-functional teams.
• Lead commercial negotiations to achieve program cost targets and purchasing objectives.
• Manage supplier nominations, sourcing decisions and commercial agreements.
• Ensure adherence to program budgets, cost targets, timelines and purchasing milestones.
• Coordinate with Engineering, Program Management, Quality, Manufacturing and Commodity Purchasing teams.
• Manage supplier quotations for new projects, engineering changes and product modifications.
• Drive cost-reduction initiatives through VA/VE, resourcing and supplier negotiations.
• Monitor supplier readiness, capacity, quality and delivery to ensure successful program launches.
• Coordinate tooling procurement, tooling cost negotiations and supplier development activities.
• Ensure timely completion of purchasing deliverables during prototype, validation and production phases.
• Identify and mitigate commercial and supply-chain risks throughout the program lifecycle.
• Track purchasing performance, cost changes and savings against program targets.

Candidate Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Supply Chain Management, Business or a related discipline.
• Relevant experience in automotive purchasing, program purchasing or project purchasing.
• Experience in new product development (NPD) and automotive program launches.
• Strong knowledge of RFQ management, strategic sourcing, supplier selection and commercial negotiations.
• Experience in cost analysis, cost reduction, VA/VE and achieving target costs.
• Knowledge of automotive manufacturing processes and supplier management.
• Familiarity with APQP, PPAP, tooling procurement and production launch activities.
• Strong stakeholder management, analytical and communication skills.
• Proficiency in MS Excel and SAP is preferred.

Preferred Experience

• Experience with Tier-1 automotive suppliers.
• Exposure to Clean Mobility, exhaust systems, emission control systems or related automotive components.
• Experience managing multiple automotive programs simultaneously.
• Ability to independently manage suppliers and deliver purchasing targets with minimal supervision.

Key Skills

Program Purchasing | Strategic Sourcing | Automotive Procurement | RFQ | Supplier Selection | Cost Negotiation | Cost Reduction | VA/VE | NPD | APQP | PPAP | Tooling | Supplier Management | Automotive