Senior Buyer

Redbock - an NES Fircroft company; Costa Mesa (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Redbock - an NES Fircroft company in Costa Mesa, CA, seeks a Senior Buyer/Planner to support procurement, material planning, inventory management, and supply chain activities for GMP drug product manufacturing in a fast-paced CDMO setting.

The role requires strong experience in ERP/MRP-driven planning, supplier management, and cycle counts, with a track record of ensuring timely availability of materials for manufacturing schedules.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field.
• 5–10+ years in Buyer/Planner, Supply Chain, or procurement within life sciences.
• Strong experience with ERP/MRP systems and inventory control.
• Proven ability to manage direct and indirect materials.

Responsibilities

• Create and maintain material requirements plans based on schedules and forecasted demand.
• Develop purchasing plans and procure raw materials, packaging, and supplies.
• Collaborate with Manufacturing, Quality, Warehouse, Finance, and Supply Chain to ensure material availability.
• Monitor inventory levels and perform cycle counts and audits.
• Analyze ERP/MRP data to support planning and decision-making.
• Manage supplier relationships, POs, vendor performance, and qualifications.
• Develop demand forecasts and supply plans aligned with production schedules.

Skills

Inventory management

ERP/MRP planning

Supplier management

Demand planning

Analytical skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Logistics, Engineering, Life Sciences, or related field

Tools

ERP/MRP software

Job description

Our client is seeking a Senior Buyer/Planner to support procurement, material planning, inventory management, and supply chain activities for GMP drug product manufacturing operations within a fast-paced CDMO environment. This individual will be responsible for ensuring the timely availability of raw materials, components, consumables, and packaging materials required to support manufacturing schedules while partnering closely with Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Warehouse, Quality, Finance, and Engineering teams. The ideal candidate will bring experience from a CDMO, biologics manufacturing, or pharmaceutical manufacturing environment and have strong expertise in inventory management, cycle counts, material planning, purchasing, supplier management, and ERP/MRP-driven planning. This is an urgent backfill opening and the client is looking to move quickly on qualified candidates.

Responsibilities

• Create and maintain material requirements plans based on production schedules, inventory levels, lead times, and forecasted demand.
• Develop purchasing plans and manage procurement activities for raw materials, consumables, packaging materials, and manufacturing supplies.
• Partner closely with Manufacturing, Quality, Warehouse, Finance, and Supply Chain teams to ensure uninterrupted material availability and proactively mitigate supply risks.
• Monitor inventory levels and maintain inventory accuracy through cycle counts, audits, reconciliation activities, and material control processes.
• Analyze ERP/MRP data and inventory trends to support planning, forecasting, and supply chain decision-making.
• Manage supplier relationships, purchase orders, vendor performance, supplier qualification activities, and contract negotiations.
• Develop demand forecasts and supply plans aligned with manufacturing schedules, customer requirements, and inventory objectives.
• Monitor material deliveries and supplier commitments to ensure manufacturing timelines are met.
• Identify and mitigate material shortages, delivery delays, and broader supply chain risks.
• Drive process improvements within procurement, inventory management, and supply chain operations.
• Support GMP manufacturing operations, including change controls, deviations, CAPAs, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Develop short- and long-range procurement and inventory strategies to support business objectives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Logistics, Engineering, Life Sciences, or a related field preferred.
• 5-10+ years of Buyer/Planner, Supply Chain, Procurement, Material Planning, Manufacturing Support, or related experience within the life sciences industry.
• Strong inventory management experience, including cycle counts, inventory accuracy, material control, and warehouse coordination.
• Experience managing both direct and indirect materials.
• Hands-on experience with purchasing, procurement, demand planning, and supplier management.
• Strong ERP/MRP system experience and the ability to pull, analyze, and interpret inventory and planning data.
• Experience developing material requirements plans, production plans, and demand forecasts.
• Experience supporting GMP-regulated manufacturing operations.
• Strong analytical, organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work cross-functionally with Manufacturing, Quality, Warehouse, Finance, Engineering, and Supply Chain teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working within a CDMO environment/supporting drug product manufacturing operations.
• Experience within biologics, pharmaceutical manufacturing, or aseptic manufacturing environments.
• Knowledge of GMP requirements and regulated manufacturing operations.
• Experience with supplier qualification, vendor management, and procurement strategy.
• Track record of improving inventory accuracy, planning processes, or supply chain operations.

Location

Costa Mesa, CA (onsite). There may be flexibility for 1 day/week remote in the future, but candidates should expect to be onsite full-time initially.