Senior Buyer, Controls and Vehicle Systems

Australian Blue Bird Brand Pty Ltd; Troy (MI); On-site; USD 95,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental and vision insurance

14 paid holidays

Vacation time

401k matching

Job summary

Blue Bird Corporation in the United States seeks a Senior Buyer, Electrical, Controls & Vehicle Systems to lead strategic sourcing, supplier transition, and continuity for vehicle electrical architecture and related systems. This role covers wire harnesses, control modules, switches, sensors, and cockpit systems, balancing tech-driven sourcing with risk mitigation.

Ideal candidates bring 7+ years in automotive purchasing, strong ERP/Excel skills, and a proven record of managing high-spend

Qualifications

• Technical knowledge of automotive electrical architectures and vehicle systems.
• Experience with supply chain for electronics and components.
• Proven track record of high-spend portfolio management and complex supplier agreements.
• Experience leading supplier recovery and business continuity in manufacturing.
• Knowledge of APQP/PPAP, electrical schematics, and functional safety.
• Strong ERP and Excel data analysis skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute sourcing strategies for Electrical, Controls & Vehicle Systems to optimize TCO, quality, delivery, and continuity.
• Lead risk management for highly constrained commodities and establish cross-functional recovery teams.
• Negotiate multi-million-dollar contracts and multi-year supply agreements with Tier-1 suppliers.
• Monitor On-Time Delivery and quality, conduct 8D investigations and corrective actions with suppliers.
• Conduct regular supplier capacity reviews and risk assessments to mitigate shortages.
• Support new product introductions and supplier transitions with Engineering and Program Management.
• Develop contingency strategies to mitigate supply chain shocks.

Skills

Technical Commodity Expertise

Electronics Supply Chain Fluency

Advanced Sourcing & Negotiation

Operational Recovery

Quality & Engineering Literacy

Systems Proficiency

Education

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

Tools

SAP

Oracle

Infor

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Senior Buyer, Controls and Vehicle Systems

Job Category: Procurement

Requisition Number: SENIO004794

• Posted : October 8, 2026
• Full-Time
• On-site

Locations

Showing 1 location

Description

About Blue Bird Corporation

Blue Bird (NASDAQ: BLBD)isrecognized as a technology leader and innovator of school buses since its founding in 1927. Our dedicated team members design,engineerand manufacture school buses with a singular focus on safety, reliability, and durability. School buses carry the most precious cargo in the world –25 million childrentwice a day – making them the most trusted mode of student transportation. The company is the proven leader in low- and zero-emission school buses with more than 25,000 propane, natural gas, and electric powered buses sold. Blue Bird is transforming the student transportation industry through cleaner energy solutions. For more information on Blue Bird’s complete product and service portfolio, visit www.blue-bird.com .

JOB SUMMARY:

Reporting to the Senior Manager,Purchasing, the Senior Buyer, Electrical, Controls & Vehicle Systemsis responsible forleading strategic sourcing, commercial negotiation, supplier transition, and operational continuity for vehicleelectrical architecture, electrical distribution systems, electronic components, controls, and assigned vehicle systems. This role serves as the commercial owner for critical commodities including wire harnesses, electrical distribution, control modules, switches, sensors, climate and cockpit systems, and related integrated vehicle systems. The position balances technology-driven sourcing with rigorous operational risk mitigation, serving as the primary escalation point forcomponentshortages, long lead-time electronic constraints, supplier recovery, and supply continuity planning to ensure successful launch and continuous production.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Commodity Strategy & Sourcing: Develop and execute comprehensive sourcing strategies for the Electrical, Controls & Vehicle Systems portfolio tooptimizetotal cost of ownership (TCO), quality, delivery, and supply continuity.
• Supplier Risk & Electronics Continuity: Lead operational risk management for highly constrained commodities; serve as the primary escalation point for critical electronics and wire harness shortages,establishingswift cross-functional recovery teams.
• Contract & Technology Negotiation: Lead multi-million-dollar contract negotiations, multi-year supply agreements, and pricing structures with tier-1 automotive electronics, harness fabricators, controls, and vehicle systems suppliers.
• Supplier Performance & Technical Recovery: Monitor On-Time Delivery (OTD) and quality metrics; lead 8D root-cause investigations and corrective action plans directly with supplier facilities whencomponentquality or delivery targets are missed.
• Lifecycle & Capacity Mapping: Conduct regular supplier capacity reviews, sub-tier electroniccomponentrisk assessments, and vulnerability mapping to safeguard against semiconductor or global electronic supply chain shocks.
• Program Launch & Supplier Transition: Lead purchasing activities supporting new product introduction and supplier transition, including sourcing readiness, commercial closure, tooling, capacity validation, APQP/PPAP execution, and production launch readiness in partnership with Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, and Program Management.
• Resilience Planning: Proactivelyidentifysingle-source electrical and electronic components and critical vehicle systems; develop dual-sourcing, validation, component-substitution, or manufacturing contingency strategies to mitigate supply risk.
• Operational Reporting & Mentorship:Maintainoperational KPI dashboards, managecomponentcost tracking, and mentor junior buyers and operational specialists within the purchasing department.

REQUIREDKNOWLEDGE,SKILLSAND ABILITIES:

• Technical Commodity Expertise: Strong knowledge of automotive/commercial vehicle electrical architectures, electrical distribution systems, wire harness manufacturing, electronic control modules, switches, sensors, vehicle controls, and related integrated vehicle systems.
• Electronics Supply Chain Fluency: Strong understanding of electroniccomponentlifecycles, lead-time management, and navigating global electronics/semiconductor distribution channels.
• Advanced Sourcing & Negotiation: Proventrack recordof managing high-spend portfolios, executing complex supplier agreements, and handling indexing for raw materials (such as copper).
• Operational Recovery: Demonstratedexperience leading supplier recovery efforts and managing business continuity in high-pressure manufacturing environments.
• Quality & Engineering Literacy: Strong understanding of automotive quality standards, APQP, PPAP, electrical schematics, and functional safety considerations.
• Systems Proficiency: Highproficiencyin ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle, or Infor) and advanced Microsoft Excel data analysis capabilities.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, Operations Management, or related field
• 7+ years of supply chain, purchasing, operations, planning, or supplier management experience
• 3+ years of strategic sourcing, commodity management, supplier management, or purchasing experience within automotive, commercial vehicle, heavy truck, aerospace, or similar complex manufacturing environments; electrical, electronics, controls, or vehicle systems experience preferred.
• 2+ years leading cross-functional projects, crisis management initiatives, supplier transition, or supplier development teams.
• Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident

PREFERRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• MBA orMaster’sdegree ina technicalor business discipline.
• Experience with automotive or commercial vehicle electrical architecture, controls, wire harnesses, electronics, or integrated vehicle systems preferred.
• Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM), APICS/ASCM, or PMP certification.
• Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt witha strong foundationin Lean manufacturing.
• Experience presenting commodity strategies and electronic risk mitigation updates to executive leadership.
• Automotive or commercial vehicle experience strongly preferred

WE VALUE

• Strategic thinking with operational execution capability
• Leadership during crisis situations
• Ability to influence and build relationships
• Strong analytical skills
• Strong customer and production support focus

INCLUDES

• Benefits including medical, dental and vision insurance, 14 paid holidays, vacation time and 401k matching

WORK CONDITIONS

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonableaccommodationmay be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Local travel 30%
• Office environment and production environment
• Must work in manufacturing environment with exposure to heat,coldand noise
• Fast pacedproduction area with moving objects and sheet metal
• Occasional periods of standing or sitting for extended periods of time
• Must wearappropriate PPEwhen and whererequired
• Frequent weeks working 40+ hours
• Frequent communication with people throughout the day

*The specific statements shown in each section of this description are not intended to be all-inclusive. Theyrepresenttypical elements and criteria necessary to successfully perform the job. Reasonableaccommodationsmay be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions

Blue Bird® is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisionson the basis ofmerit.We strive to have the best available talent in every job based on the Knowledge,Skillsand Abilities each person brings. Blue Bird is committed to compliance with all applicable lawsprovidingequal employment opportunities. This commitment applies to allpersonsinvolved in Company operations and prohibits unlawful discrimination in all forms.

All candidates must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. Candidates mustbe authorized towork in the United States and willbe requiredto provide proof of employment eligibility at the time of hire.

#LI-Onsite

Qualifications

Education

Required

Bachelors or better in Business Administration or related field.

Experience

Required

2 years:

Leading cross-functional projects, crisis management initiatives, supplier transition, or supplier development teams

7 years:

Supply chain, purchasing, operations, planning, or supplier management experience

Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.