Buyer Sr.

Blue Origin; Huntsville (AL); On-site; USD 81,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

Blue Origin is seeking a Senior Buyer to support day-to-day tactical purchasing for construction and facilities projects and to lead a small team of buyers. You will manage supplier relationships, price negotiations, and contract execution to ensure on-time delivery within budget for spaceflight programs.

The role requires strong negotiation, communication, and analytical skills, with experience in FAR/DFAR compliance and procurement of avionics or major subcontracts.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration / Management, Accounting, Economics, Finance, Engineering, or a related field with a minimum of 10 years of tactical experience in procurement / supply chain; Master's degree with a minimum of 7 years of tactical experience.
• Interprets and applies company policies, procedures, and U.S. government regulations (FAR, DFAR, SOX).
• Strong analytical skills and data-driven approach to program metrics.
• Ability to perform price reasonableness determinations and analyses using various pricing methods.
• Ability to develop negotiation plans and lead negotiations (pricing, terms, conditions, FAR / customer contract flowdowns, schedule).
• Understanding of AS9100 quality management system requirements.

Responsibilities

• Owns procurement process from requisition to final payment of invoices.
• Prepare and issue RFx (RFP/RFQ) and conduct price reasonableness determinations.
• Lead negotiations of all contract types and manage strategic agreements (LTAs, IDIQ).
• Ensure timely delivery of production materials within budget and technical performance requirements.
• Collaborate with suppliers, customers, and internal stakeholders to improve efficiencies.

Skills

Analytical skills

Price analysis

Negotiation

Communication

Process development

Problem solving

Influencing

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration / Management or related field

Master's degree (preferred)

Tools

Costpoint

Coupa

JIRA/Atlassian

Tableau

Job description

Application close date:

Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until the requisition is closed.

At Blue Origin, we envision millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth. We're working to develop reusable, safe, and low-cost space vehicles and systems within a culture of safety, collaboration, and inclusion. Join our team of problem solvers as we add new chapters to the history of spaceflight!

This role is part of Blue Origin Operations, which is comprised of Integrated Supply Chain, Test Operations, Safety, Quality, and Mission Assurance. This includes Manufacturing and Supply Chain support across all Blue Origin facilities.

This role is part of Blue Origin Operations, which is comprised of Global Supply Chain, Facilities, and Security. This includes Manufacturing and Supply Chain support across all Blue Origin facilities.

We are a team of collaborators, doers, and problem-solvers who are relentlessly committed to a culture of safety. This position will directly impact the history of space exploration and will require your commitment and detailed attention towards safe and repeatable space flight. Join us in lowering the cost of access to space and enabling Blue Origin's vision of millions of people living and working in space to benefit Earth.

As part of a small, passionate, hardworking, and accomplished team of experts, you will support the performance of day-to-day tactical purchasing functions for various construction and facilities projects as well as provide support for a small team of buyers. You will share in the team's impact on all aspects of supplier communications, products, equipment, and services pricing, quality, and schedule and will be responsible for supplier management and performance. You will serve as a primary point of contact and escalation for your assigned procurements. This position will directly impact the history of space exploration and will require your dedicated commitment and detailed attention towards safe and repeatable spaceflight.

Responsibilities

Our Buyer Sr will ensure program requirements are appropriately prioritized and executed to meet the needs of Blue Origin. They will be competent in Blue Origin Supply Chain and Federal Acquisition Regulations compliance standards, strategies, and initiatives. They have excellent oral and written skills, and solid communication skills. They also have experience preparing and issuing Requests for Proposal / Requests for Quote, writing price reasonableness determination / price analyses in support of supplier proposals, and have led formal negotiations of all types (pricing, terms and conditions, scope of work, schedule, etc.) Our Buyer Sr is experienced in constructing various contracting types for major procurement activities to meet the requirements of the programs and needs of the business to include long range procurement agreements, sourcing partnerships, continuous improvement initiatives, and identification of opportunities for enhanced efficiencies. They take ownership of the procurement process from requisition creation through final payment of invoices and are accountable to resolve issues within this process. They will lead the identification, implementation, negotiation, execution, and management of strategic agreements (i.e., Long Term Agreements (LTAs), Indefinite Delivery / Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ)) where mutually beneficial. They will support the overall procurement organization's strategic direction and ensure corporate strategic objectives are achieved to include delivery of production materials that are on time, within budget, and meet technical performance requirements.

Key candidate attributes to facilitate success in this role include influencing, facilitation, presentation, communication, process development, analysis, and problem solving. We are looking for someone to apply their technical expertise, leadership skills, and commitment to quality to positively impact safe human spaceflight. Passion for our mission and vision is required!

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration / Management, Accounting, Economics, Finance, Engineering, or a related field with a minimum of 10 years of tactical experience in procurement / supply chain; Master's degree in Business Administration / Management, Accounting, Economics, Finance, Engineering, or a related filed with a minimum of 7 years of tactical experience in procurement / supply chain
• Interprets and applies company policies, procedures, work instructions, business standards and U.S. government regulations, i.e., FAR, DFAR, SOX Compliance
• Strong analytical skills, data driven with experience in establishing and tracking program metrics
• Ability to perform written price reasonableness determinations / price analyses using various pricing methods and data sources
• Ability to develop negotiation plans and act as the lead negotiator in negotiations of all types, including, but not limited to, pricing, terms and conditions, FAR / customer contract flowdowns, schedule, scope of work
• Working understanding of AS9100 quality management system requirements
• Ability to interpret engineering data such as specifications, drawings, & supplier statements of work, and make suggestions internally to our customers & externally to our suppliers based off this data
• Experience working with other than Firm Fixed Price contract types
• Track record of effectively working with large, single / sole source suppliers
• Track record of working in ambiguous, development-type programs, and ability to define processes that can scale
• Experience in procurement of avionics, machined parts, raw materials, and / or major subcontracts
• Ability to earn trust, maintain positive and professional relationships, and contribute to a culture of inclusion.
• Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum

Desired

• Experience with Costpoint, Coupa, JIRA Atlassian software, Tableau
• Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) Certification
• Project Management (PMP) Certification
• Experience working with Certified Cost or Pricing Data
• Experience supporting US Government proposals

Base Pay Range for:

WA applicants is $96,074.00 - $134,502.90

Culture Statement

Don't meet all desired requirements? Studies have shown that some people are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single desired qualification. At Blue Origin, we are dedicated to building an authentic workplace, so if you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with every desired qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Export Control Regulations

Applicants for employment at Blue Origin must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (i.e. current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a