Senior Mechanical Buyer

Big Belly Solar LLC; Lawrence (MA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Paylocity in Lawrence, MA is seeking a Senior Mechanical Buyer to coordinate high-value mechanical commodities and manage supplier relationships on-site at the Lawrence/Methuen production facility. You will leverage NetSuite to track orders, analyze material requirements, and ensure timely delivery of parts and components.

The role requires 5+ years in mechanical purchasing, strong Excel skills, and experience with sheet-metal and plastic molded components.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in a mechanical purchasing role within manufacturing.
• Bachelor’s degree in a related field as required.
• Hands-on experience with NetSuite or a comparable ERP system for procurement.
• On-site work at Methuen, MA production facility and ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Strong Excel skills (VLOOKUP, Pivot Tables) for data analysis.
• Experience purchasing sheet-metal fabrications and plastic molded components preferred.
• APICS/ISM certifications are a plus.

Responsibilities

• Execute procurement of direct mechanical components and raw materials.
• Collaborate on-site with production, quality, and engineering teams to resolve shortages.
• Optimize NetSuite MRP parameters and demand planning.
• Identify, audit, and onboard supply partners; manage supplier performance.
• Review drawings and BOMs to assess capability and quoting accuracy.
• Lead supplier negotiations and long-term pricing agreements.
• Coordinate with Engineering to manage ECOs and prototype sourcing for NPI.

Skills

Microsoft Excel

VLOOKUP

Pivot Tables

Negotiation

Supplier management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain

Tools

NetSuite

Job description

Description

Department: Supply Chain / Procurement

Location: Lawrence/Methuen, MA (Production Facility)

Employment Type: Full-Time, On-site

The Senior Mechanical Buyer coordinates our manufacturing production with our direct materials supply partners. Based at our Lawrence (Methuen line), MA production facility, you will manage high-value mechanical commodities, lead supplier negotiations and supply programs, and ensure raw materials and custom components arrive on schedule.

As an on-site procurement expert, you will leverage NetSuite ERP to track purchase orders, analyze material requirements, and maintain clean master data to support our active manufacturing lines. While experience with metal fabrication and plastic molding is highly desirable, a strong foundation in mechanical procurement and ERP systems is key to success in this role.

The Senior Buyer is responsible for the procurement and planning of critical manufacturing materials, such as fabricated sheet metal, specialty mechanical components, and plastic moldings. Key duties include supplier management, monitoring inventory levels via MRP tools and planning analysis, and managing supplier relationships to ensure quality and on-time delivery. The role also involves collaborating with production and warehouse teams to resolve delivery and quality issues as well as Service support requirements.

• Strategic Procurement: Execute purchase orders for custom mechanical components, raw materials, and related direct materials based on NetSuite demand planning.
• On-Site Collaboration: Work directly alongside our Methuen plant floor, quality team, and engineering staff to rapidly resolve material shortages, dimensional discrepancies, or quality issues.
• Direct Materials Management: Optimize NetSuite MRP parameters and demand planning to ensure optimal direct material flow. Comfortable with ad hoc demand planning analysis and demand interpretation.
• Supplier Management: Identify, audit, and onboard supply partners. Manage supplier performance and productivity improvement initiatives.
• Drawing Interpretation: Review engineering drawings and BOMs to assess supplier manufacturing capability, tolerances, and ensure accurate quoting.
• Cost Optimization: Lead supplier negotiations, establish long-term pricing agreements, and execute cost-reduction initiatives to improve gross margins.
• Engineering Alignment: Partner closely with Manufacturing Engineering to manage Engineering Change Orders (ECOs) and prototype sourcing for new product introductions (NPI).

Requirements

• Education: A Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Experience: 5+ years of experience in a mechanical Purchasing role, ideally in a small to mid-size manufacturing environment.
• ERP Proficiency: Mandatory, hands-on experience utilizing NetSuite or a comparable ERP system for inventory management, procurement workflows, and material tracking.
• Schedule: Ability to work 100% on-site at our Methuen, MA production facility and manage concurrent priorities in a fast-paced, hands-on environment.
• Data Savvy: Advanced Microsoft Excel skills (VLOOKUPs, Pivot Tables) to synthesize data extracted from NetSuite.
• Specific Commodity Expertise: Prior experience purchasing custom sheet-metal fabrications (stamping, welding, laser cutting) and plastic molded components (injection molding, rotomolding, thermoforming) preferred.
• Low-cost Region Sourcing Experience (Particularly Asia and Mexico) preferred.
• Certifications: APICS (CPIM/CSCP) or ISM (CPM/CPSM) designation preferred.