Senior Buyer, Avionics & Direct Materials

Milwaukee Succeeds; Oak Creek (WI); On-site; USD 95,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Astronautics seeks a Senior Buyer to secure reliable, cost‑effective supply of avionics, components, and direct materials for development and production programs. You will lead supplier negotiations, manage RFQs and purchase orders, and partner with suppliers to drive performance, quality, and on‑time delivery.

In collaboration with Engineering, Operations, Quality, Customer Service, and Supply Chain, you will secure long‑term pricing agreements, ensure compliance with commercial/government

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Finance, Engineering, or another related field from an accredited institution.
• Alternatively, a High School Diploma with at least three years of full‑time procurement experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
• Minimum five years of experience in a procurement‑related function.
• Familiarity with material procurement in a lean manufacturing environment, leveraging volume spend, inventory turns, and continuous improvement tools.
• Experience working with an ERP system. IFS experience is preferred.
• Experience using Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, and Teams).
• Exposure to methods used to drive direct material sourcing savings.
• Ability to resolve problems to attain goals and manage project timelines to meet deadlines.
• Must be able to build strong working relationships with suppliers, internal customers, and stakeholders.
• Eligible to work in the US without sponsorship.
• One or more years of experience in a procurement or supply chain‑related function
• Experience in Avionics
• Knowledge of FAR/DFAR and commercial procurement regulations

Responsibilities

• Follow a structured negotiation process to conduct supplier negotiations and contracting.
• Track KPIs and goals, monitor scorecards to measure and evaluate supplier performance.
• Evaluate, select, develop, aggregate spend, support sourcing efforts, and maintain relationships with suppliers to ensure a reliable supply of materials.
• Prepare and administer bids, proposals, and commercial and government contracts in accordance with company policies and legal requirements.
• Ensure purchase orders are administered and monitored to maintain compliance with the terms of agreements.
• Develop & sustain relationships with critical suppliers by communicating & conducting regular status and issue reviews.
• Work closely with quality to manage the disposition of defective or rejected products.
• Analyze and evaluate proposals and negotiate long‑term pricing agreements.
• Negotiate commercial terms.
• Utilize ERP tools to ensure that customer deadlines are met.
• Expedite and manage purchase requisitions and purchase orders for timely delivery.
• Ensure compliance with pricing, payment terms, volume commitments, rebates, etc.

Skills

ERP systems experience

MS Office suite

Lean procurement

Supplier negotiations

RFQ & PO management

Avionics domain knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Finance, Engineering, or related field

High School Diploma with 3+ years procurement experience

Tools

IFS ERP

Microsoft Teams

Job description

Astronautics seeks a Senior Buyer to secure reliable, cost‑effective supply of avionics, components, and direct materials for development and production programs. You will lead supplier negotiations, manage RFQs and purchase orders, and partner with suppliers to drive performance, quality, and on‑time delivery.

In collaboration with Engineering, Operations, Quality, Customer Service, and Supply Chain, you will secure long‑term pricing agreements, ensure compliance with commercial/government