Sr. Buyer

AeroVironment, Inc.; Virginia Colony (CA); On-site; USD 111,000 - 189,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental vision

401K with company matching

9/80 work schedule

Paid holiday shutdown

Job summary

AeroVironment, Inc. is seeking a Sr. Buyer to lead procurement of services, supplies, and equipment. You will review requisitions, coordinate purchasing with manufacturing, planning and engineering, and process RFQ/RFP packages to secure cost-effective inventory.

The role requires extensive experience, strong negotiation skills, and knowledge of FAR/DFAR in a manufacturing context. This position is office-based with ITAR considerations and a path toward leadership in the supply chain team.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Business, or Accounting or APICS/ISM certification required.
• Certification for purchasing or supply chain professionals required.
• 8–12 years of relevant experience in procurement and supply chain.
• Experience with manufacturing processes and procurement in manufacturing/engineering environments.

Responsibilities

• Monitors cost, schedule and scope of subcontracts to negotiate terms and pricing.
• Develops new supply sources when vendors are non-competitive.
• Manages supplier relationships to reduce costs and ensure on-time delivery.
• Negotiates terms and pricing for materials and services.
• Writes and completes RFQ/RFP packages.
• Collaborates with Finance to resolve accounting discrepancies.
• Works on procurement projects and with the Supply Chain Manager.
• Addresses complex issues requiring in-depth data analysis and evaluation.

Skills

Procurement experience

Vendor negotiation

MRP/ERP familiarity

Cost reduction

Education

Bachelor's degree in Finance, Business, or Accounting

APICS or ISM certification

Tools

MS Office Suite

ERP systems

Job description

Job Description Summary

Worker Type Regular Job Description Summary The Sr. Buyer performs procurement duties related to the purchasing of services, supplies and equipment in accordance to policies and regulations. In this role, one reviews and analyzes purchase requisitions as well as coordinates purchasing activities with manufacturing, planning and engineering departments to acquire inventory in a cost effective and timely manner. The Senior Buyer will process purchase requisitions, purchase change orders and requests for quotes to suppliers. Participates in maximizing the procurement teams' changes, part parameters; quote table maintenance, supplier database information, error report analysis, and part number/supplier code information.

Position Responsibilities

• Monitors the cost, schedule and scope of assigned subcontracts to negotiate terms and pricing for increasingly larger, complex and difficult materials & services.
• Develops new supply sources where vendors and suppliers are no longer competitive.
• Manages and develops supplier relationships to reduce costs, improve & maintain quality, and ensure on-time delivery of purchased materials.
• Negotiates terms and pricing for increasingly larger, complex and difficult materials and services.
• Writes and completes RFQ/RFP package.
• Work with finance to resolve Accounting discrepancies in a timely manner.
• Work on procurement/material projects as assigned by the Supply Chain Manager.
• Works on complex issues where analysis of situations or data requires an in-depth evaluation of variable factors.
• Exercises judgment in selecting methods, techniques and evaluation criteria for obtaining results.
• Determines methods and procedures on new assignments and may coordinate activities of other personnel (Team Lead).
• Other duties as assigned.

Basic Qualifications (Required Skills & Experience)

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Business, or Accounting or APICS or ISM certification is required or equivalent combination of experience and education.
• Certification for purchasing or supply chain professionals required.
• 8 - 12 years of relevant experience.
• Proven experience in various processes as it relates to assigned commodity, i.e. CNC, injection molding, etc.
• Has technical knowledge regarding manufacturing processes of an assigned commodity and demonstrates experience with purchasing practices and processes in manufacturing and engineering environments.
• Possesses understanding of commercial and FAR/DFAR Procurement rules, regulations and laws.
• Ability to negotiate terms and pricing for materials and services is critical.
• Proven understanding and intermediate usage of computerized MRP / ERP systems.
• Demonstrates effective problem-solving, mathematical, time management, interpersonal and communication skills.
• Proficient in MS Office Suite (Word, Access, PowerPoint, Excel).

Preferred Qualifications (Desired Skills & Experience)

• Oracle experience strongly preferred.
• APICS or ISM certification preferred.
• Demonstrates ability to read and interpret technical drawings / specifications.
• Has effective problem-solving, mathematical, time management, interpersonal and communication skills.
• Demonstrates proficiency using MS Office Suite (Word, Access, PowerPoint, Excel).
• Having wide-ranging experience, uses professional concepts and company objectives to resolve complex issues in creative and effective ways.
• Highly organized and strong coordination skills to meet deadlines.
• Able to excel in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment, where small teams share a broad variety of duties.
• Displays strong initiative and drive to accomplish goals and meet company objectives.
• Takes ownership and responsibility for current and past work products.
• Is committed to learning from mistakes and driven to improve and enhance performance of oneself, others, and the company.

Physical Demands

Physical Demands Ability to work in an office environment (Constant) Regularly required to, stand, sit; talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer and telephone keyboard.

Clearance Level

No Clearance

Salary

The salary range for this role is: $111,000 - $188,500 AeroVironment considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the location, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, education/training, and key skills.

ITAR Requirement

ITAR Requirement: This position requires access to information that is subject to compliance with the International Traffic Arms Regulations ("ITAR") and/or the Export Administration Regulations ("EAR"). In order to comply with the requirements of the ITAR and/or the EAR, applicants must qualify as a U.S. person under the ITAR and the EAR, or a person to be approved for an export license by the governing agency whose technology comes under its jurisdiction. Please understand that any job offer that requires approval of an export license will be conditional on AeroVironment’s determination that it will be able to obtain an export license in a time frame consistent with AeroVironment’s business requirements. A "U.S. person" according to the ITAR definition is a U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident (green card holder), or protected individual such as a refugee or asylee. See 22 CFR § 120.15. Some positions will require current U.S. Citizenship due to contract requirements.

Benefits

• medical
• dental vision
• 401K with company matching
• 9/80 work schedule
• paid holiday shutdown

For more information about our company benefit offerings please visit: http://www.avinc.com/myavbenefits.

We also encourage you to review our company website at http://www.avinc.com to learn more about us.

About AV

AV isn’t for everyone. We hire the curious, the relentless, the mission-obsessed. The best of the best. We don’t just build defense technology—we redefine what’s possible. As the premier autonomous systems company in the U.S., AV delivers breakthrough capabilities across air, land, sea, space, and cyber. From AI-powered drones and loitering munitions to integrated autonomy and space resilience, our technologies shape the future of warfare and protect those who serve. Founded by legendary innovator Dr. Paul MacCready, AV has spent over 50 years pushing the boundaries of what unmanned systems can do. Our heritage includes seven platforms in the Smithsonian—but we’re not building history, we’re building what’s next. If you're ready to build technology that matters—with speed, scale, and purpose—there’s no better place to do it than AV.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

We are proud to be an EEO/AA Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/veterans. AeroVironment, Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and welcomes all qualified applicants. Qualified applicants will receive fair and impartial consideration without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic data, sexual orientation, gender identity or other legally protected status.

Careers at AeroVironment