Purchasing Specialist

Kardow; Newton (MA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Novanta is seeking a Purchasing Specialist to lead supplier relationships and strategic sourcing for electronic, mechanical, and custom-engineered components. You will balance cost, quality, and delivery while aligning procurement with business objectives on a global scale.

You will collaborate with engineering, planning, manufacturing, quality, and suppliers to strengthen procurement processes and support growth. A background in manufacturing or engineering is preferred.

Qualifications

• Experience in a Purchasing Specialist, Buyer, Strategic Buyer, Procurement Specialist, or Supply Chain role within a manufacturing or engineering environment.
• Strong commercial acumen with proven supplier negotiation and relationship management experience
• Knowledge of procurement principles, sourcing methodologies, and supplier performance management
• Experience purchasing technical products, components, or materials within a manufacturing setting
• Ability to analyse spend, identify cost-saving opportunities, and make data-driven decisions
• Familiarity with ERP/MRP systems and procurement metrics
• Excellent organisational, communication, and stakeholder management skills
• CIPS qualification or working towards CIPS is desirable

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute sourcing strategies for electronic, mechanical, and custom-engineered components
• Manage supplier relationships, performance, and commercial agreements to achieve cost, quality, and delivery objectives
• Lead supplier negotiations including pricing, lead times, payment terms, and service levels
• Identify opportunities for cost reduction, value engineering, and supply chain optimisation
• Work closely with planning and operations teams to ensure material availability and inventory targets are achieved
• Assess supply risks and implement mitigation plans to maintain continuity of supply
• Support new product introductions by identifying, evaluating, and onboarding suppliers
• Drive supplier performance improvements through KPI reviews and corrective action plans
• Manage procurement data, contracts, pricing, and sourcing information within ERP/MRP systems
• Support continuous improvement initiatives across procurement and supply chain processes

Skills

Supplier negotiations

ERP/MRP

Data analysis

Stakeholder management

Cost reduction

Supply chain

Tools

ERP/MRP systems

Costing analysis tools

Job description

Build a career powered by innovations that matter! At Novanta, our innovations power technology products that are transforming healthcare and advanced manufacturing—improving productivity, enhancing people’s lives and redefining what’s possible. We create for our global customers engineered components and sub-systems that deliver extreme precision and performance for a range of mission-critical applications—from minimally invasive surgery to robotics to 3D metal printing.

Novanta is one global team with over 26 offices located in The Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific. Looking for a great place to work? You have found it with a culture that embraces teamwork, collaboration and empowerment. Come explore Novanta.

Purchasing Specialist

Location: Cambridge (On-site in Newton)

Play a Key Role in Procurement for Advanced Technology Manufacturing

At Novanta, effective procurement is fundamental to delivering the high-performance technologies our customers depend on across medical and industrial markets. As a Purchasing Specialist, you will take ownership of supplier relationships, strategic sourcing activities, and procurement performance, ensuring materials are available, competitively sourced, and aligned to business objectives.

This is a varied role where you will work closely with engineering, planning, manufacturing, quality, and suppliers worldwide. You will balance cost, quality, delivery, and risk while helping to strengthen procurement processes and support business growth.

What You Will Be Doing

• Develop and execute sourcing strategies for electronic, mechanical, and custom-engineered components
• Manage supplier relationships, performance, and commercial agreements to achieve cost, quality, and delivery objectives
• Lead supplier negotiations including pricing, lead times, payment terms, and service levels
• Identify opportunities for cost reduction, value engineering, and supply chain optimisation
• Work closely with planning and operations teams to ensure material availability and inventory targets are achieved
• Assess supply risks and implement mitigation plans to maintain continuity of supply
• Support new product introductions by identifying, evaluating, and onboarding suppliers
• Drive supplier performance improvements through KPI reviews and corrective action plans
• Manage procurement data, contracts, pricing, and sourcing information within ERP/MRP systems
• Support continuous improvement initiatives across procurement and supply chain processes

What You Will Bring

• Experience in a Purchasing Specialist, Buyer, Strategic Buyer, Procurement Specialist, or Supply Chain role within a manufacturing or engineering environment
• Strong commercial acumen with proven supplier negotiation and relationship management experience
• Knowledge of procurement principles, sourcing methodologies, and supplier performance management
• Experience purchasing technical products, components, or materials within a manufacturing setting
• Ability to analyse spend, identify cost-saving opportunities, and make data-driven decisions
• Familiarity with ERP/MRP systems and procurement metrics
• Excellent organisational, communication, and stakeholder management skills
• CIPS qualification or working towards CIPS is desirable

Why Join Novanta?

• Join a global technology company supporting healthcare and advanced manufacturing markets
• Have a direct impact on supplier strategy, procurement performance, and business results
• Work with innovative products, complex supply chains, and advanced manufacturing technologies
• Collaborate with engineering, operations, and commercial teams across the organisation
• Opportunity to develop your procurement expertise within a growing global business

We are committed to providing an inclusive recruitment process.

If you require reasonable adjustments at any stage of the process, including application, interview, or assessment, please let us know.

We will work with you to ensure appropriate support is in place.

Novanta is proud to be an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action workplace.

We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, military and veteran status, disability, genetics, or any other category protected by federal law or Novanta policy.

Please call [phone] if you need a disability accommodation for any part of the employment process.