Buyer – Seat Foam

Jobtailor; Dearborn (MO); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Jobtailor is seeking a seasoned automotive purchasing professional to drive cost, quality, and material efficiencies across programs. You will set annual savings goals, influence senior leadership, and coordinate with Category Manager and Product Development to understand supply base health and trends.

You will analyze market balances, align sourcing to material requirements, and conduct regular design reviews with engineering, leveraging your data-driven mindset and strong negotiation skills.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• 3 years of automotive purchasing experience.
• Proficiency in Purchasing systems and procedures.
• Demonstrated energy and drive to learn and develop commodity expertise.
• Ability to influence senior executives and drive decision-making.
• Experience developing and executing negotiation strategy.
• Familiarity with manufacturing processes is a plus.
• Strong data-driven analytical ability across scenarios and plans.
• Strategic mindset to shape future commodity direction.
• Creative thinker and problem solver.
• Self-starter capable of independent work and team collaboration.
• Strong persuasion and communication skills to secure commitments.

Responsibilities

• Manage cost, quality, and material efficiencies over program lifetime.
• Set annual cost savings goals; identify commercial leverage vs design improvements.
• Collaborate with Category Manager and Product Development on supply base trends.
• Analyze market supply/demand balances and deficit risks.
• Align sourcing to materials, components, and part requirements.
• Conduct regular design reviews with engineering.

Skills

Strong analytical skills

Negotiation skills

Persuasive communication

Self-starter

Team collaboration

Influencing skills

Creative problem solving

Data analysis

Market analysis

Design review

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Job description

• Manage cost, quality, and material efficiencies (Total Value Management) over program lifetime.
• Understand and set cost savings goals annually to identify pure commercial leverage versus design efficiencies and end-to-end supply chain improvements.
• Work with the strategic Category Manager and Product Development to understand latest supply base footprint, financial health ratings, technologies, and trends.
• Analyze market supply/demand balances and deficit risks.
• Align on sourcing to materials, component, and part requirements.
• Conduct regular design reviews with engineering.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree
• 3 years of automotive purchasing experience.
• Proficiency in Purchasing systems and procedures.
• Extremely high energy with a relentless pursuit of learning and development to drive commodity expertise.
• Ability to influence senior executives to drive decision-making.
• Ability to develop and successfully execute negotiations strategy.
• Familiarity with manufacturing processes a plus.
• Strong analytical skills (Must be data driven and able to analyze multiple potential scenarios / business plans).
• Big Picture / Strategic Mindset (Must be able to drive the future of the commodity).
• Creative thinker and problem solver.
• Must be a self-starter/ motivated and be able to work both independently as well as in a team setting.
• Strong negotiation skills (creating leverage in both offensive and defensive situations).
• Persuasive and convincing communication skills (e.g., proposals, reports, plans) to secure commitment from business leaders.

Core Competencies

Demonstrates expertise in automotive purchasing, including cost management, negotiation strategy, and supply chain improvements. Strong analytical and strategic mindset to drive commodity expertise and influence decision-making.

Highest-signal resume keywords

• Automotive Purchasing Experience
• Negotiation Strategy Development
• Analytical Skills
• Purchasing Systems Proficiency
• Supply Chain Management

ATS Optimization Keywords

Hard Skills

• Cost Management
• Market Analysis
• Design Review
• Supply Chain Improvement
• Data Analysis

Soft Skills

• Creative Problem Solving
• Persuasive Communication
• Self-Starter
• Team Collaboration
• Influencing Skills

Certifications & Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree

Industry Keywords

• Total Value Management
• Commodity Expertise
• Manufacturing Processes
• Financial Health Ratings
• Supply Base Footprint