Sr. Program Purchasing Buyer

ZF Group; Lansing (MI); Hybrid; USD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual Incentive Plan

Paid Vacation

401k Plan

Health Care Benefits

Paid Holidays

Hybrid Work Schedule (2 days remote/3 days onsite)

Supportive Employee Groups

Job summary

ZF Group in Lansing, Michigan is seeking a Sr Program Purchasing Buyer to lead sourcing and procurement activities, ensuring successful new product launches. This role requires at least 6 years of experience in purchasing or supplier development and great communication skills.

The candidate will coordinate with various teams, manage costs, and address supplier performance, all while supporting continuous improvement initiatives. Benefits include a hybrid work schedule and comprehensive health care plans.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 6+ years of experience in purchasing or supplier development.
• Good at spoken English.
• Structured and organized with an outspoken personality.
• Experience in automotive electronics business.
• Knowledge of automotive APQP/PPAP and Gate review process.

Responsibilities

• Lead sourcing and procurement activities for successful new product launches.
• Coordinate with cross-functional teams to ensure timely deliveries.
• Manage BOM cost and drive cost-reduction initiatives.
• Lead supplier sourcing and performance management.
• Monitor program and supplier risks.

Skills

Purchasing or supplier development experience

Communication and interpersonal skills

Advanced skills in Excel/Word/PowerPoint

Negotiation skills

Continuous improvements mind set

Tools

SAP

Job description

About the Team:

The team supports end-to-end program purchasing by working closely with engineering, manufacturing, and suppliers to ensure on-time launches, cost competitiveness, and supply continuity. They drive sourcing excellence, manage risks, and continuously improve cost, quality, and delivery performance across the product lifecycle.

What you can look forward to as Sr Program Purchasing Buyer:

• Act as the purchasing representative for assigned programs, leading sourcing and procurement activities to support successful new product launches and program execution.
• Coordinate cross‑functionally with Engineering, Project Management, Logistics, Plants, and shared services to ensure timely deliveries, supplier readiness, and transparent communication and execution.
• Manage Bill of Material (BOM) cost, drive cost‑reduction initiatives, and implement VA/VE, localization, tariff mitigation, and productivity improvement actions.
• Take a leading role in providing purchasing input to the CQA (Customer Quote Analysis) team, driving alignment of product BOM costs with cross‑functional stakeholders through a forward‑looking cost strategy.
• Lead supplier sourcing, evaluation, nomination, and performance management to meet Quality, Cost, and Delivery (QCD) targets throughout the product lifecycle.
• Support sourcing preparation, RFQs, negotiations, contracts, tooling, prototypes, and capacity planning in alignment with commodity and purchasing strategies.
• Monitor program and supplier risks, including capacity constraints, material shortages, engineering changes, and lifecycle topics such as CRB (Change Review Board), LTB (Last Time Buy / Bridge), and make‑versus‑buy decisions.
• Track sourcing status, savings, and program metrics; maintain purchasing documentation, support continuous improvement, and ensure compliance with policies and processes.

Your profile as Sr Program Purchasing Buyer:

• A minimum of 6+ years of experience in purchasing or supplier development
• Good communication and interpersonal skills, Good at spoken English
• Structured and organized, outspoken personality
• Advanced skills in Excel/Word/PowerPoint) and SAP
• High assertiveness and negotiation skills
• Continuous improvements mind set
• Experience in automotive electronics business
• Knowledge of automotive APQP/PPAP and Gate review process

What We Offer:

• A supportive collaborative team environment
• Annual Incentive Plan
• Paid Vacation
• 401k Plan
• Health Care Benefits
• Paid Holidays
• A Hybrid Work Schedule (2 days remote/3 days onsite)
• Supportive Employee Groups and community outreach activities