Tactical Buyer

Eaton; Westminster (MD); On-site; USD 69,000 - 101,000; Full time

Job summary

Eaton is seeking a Tactical Buyer for its Westminster, MD facility to source and procure indirect goods and services across multiple functions. The role focuses on daily purchasing, supplier evaluation, and data-driven cost reduction to meet safety and compliance needs.

The ideal candidate has relevant supply chain experience, ERP proficiency (SAP/Oracle), and strong communication, organizational, and analytical skills. This on-site position offers comprehensive benefits and growth opportunities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with 1 year of supply chain experience in manufacturing OR Associate degree with 3 years of supply chain experience in manufacturing OR High School Diploma/GED with 5 years of supply chain experience in a manufacturing environment.
• No relocation is offered for this position. All candidates must currently reside within 50 miles of Westminster, MD to be considered.
• Eaton will not sponsor immigration for this position. This includes CPT/OPT/STEM OPT/H-1B etc.
• Position requires access to export-controlled information and US person status is required.

Responsibilities

• Procure indirect materials and services for MRO, facilities, IT, engineering services, and other departments.
• Manage daily purchasing activities and support strategic sourcing initiatives.
• Evaluate supplier capabilities, solicit quotes, and execute sourcing decisions per commodity strategies.
• Process purchase requisitions and convert to orders per procedures and compliance.
• Monitor supplier performance and ensure on-time delivery and quality.
• Reconcile purchasing card transactions and monthly statements as applicable.
• Analyze data to support sourcing decisions, cost reduction, and supplier consolidation.
• Collaborate with Strategic Sourcing to implement site-level category strategies.
• Support contract negotiations, renewals, and documentation for indirect categories.
• Identify continuous improvement opportunities in indirect procurement.
• Maintain ERP data including supplier info, pricing, lead times, and orders.
• Serve as primary contact for indirect suppliers on invoices and status updates.

Skills

Communication

Detail orientation

Organization

Analytical thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree in related field

Associates degree

High School Diploma/GED

Tools

SAP

Oracle

Kanban

Vendor Managed Inventory

Job description

Eaton’s AER MSD Mission System Division division is currently seeking a Tactical Buyer. This role is based at the Westminister, MD facility.

The expected annual salary range for this role is $69000 - $101000 a year.

Please note the salary information shown above is a general guideline only. Salaries are based upon candidate skills, experience, and qualifications, as well as market and business considerations.

What You’ll Do

The Tactical Buyer is responsible for sourcing and procuring indirect goods and services that support Operations, Facilities, IT, Engineering Services, and other functional departments. This role manages daily purchasing activities, supports strategic sourcing initiatives, evaluates supplier capabilities, and ensures timely delivery of critical non-production items required to meet operational, safety, and compliance needs. The Indirect Buyer partners closely with internal stakeholders to understand requirements, drive cost reduction, mitigate supply risk, and ensure alignment with Eaton’s Strategic Supply Chain goals.

Job Responsibilities

• Manage the procurement of indirect materials, equipment, and services, including (but not limited to): MRO, facilities services, tooling, professional services, IT hardware/software, calibration, and safety equipment.
• Partner with internal stakeholders to define requirements, scope statements, and service-level expectations before procurement.
• Evaluate supplier capabilities, solicit and analyze competitive quotes, and execute sourcing decisions in alignment with commodity strategies.
• Manage purchase requisitions and convert into orders in accordance with purchasing procedures and compliance requirements.
• Monitor supplier performance, ensuring on-time delivery and service quality; escalation and mitigation risks proactively.
• Execute purchasing card transactions (as applicable) and reconcile monthly statements.
• Perform data analysis to support sourcing decisions, cost reduction initiatives, and supplier consolidation opportunities.
• Work closely with Strategic Sourcing to implement category strategies at the site level.
• Support contract negotiations, renewals, and documentation management for indirect categories.
• Identify and implement continuous improvement opportunities within the indirect procurement process.
• Maintain accurate ERP system data, including supplier information, pricing, lead times, and order status.
• Serve as the primary contact for indirect suppliers inquiring on open invoices and provide timely communication regarding invoice status, risks, and issue resolution.
• Work directly with Eaton's global financial service team to resolve invoice holds, expedite payments, fix interface errors and update supplier records to ensure timely payments to suppliers.

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with 1 year of supply chain experience in manufacturing OR Associates degree from an accredited institution with 3 years of supply chain experience in manufacturing OR High School Diploma/GED from an accredited institution and 5 years of supply chain experience in a manufacturing environment.
• No relocation is offered for this position. All candidates must currently reside within 50 miles of Westminster, MD to be considered. Active-Duty Military Service member candidates are exempt from the geographical area limitation.
• Eaton will not consider applicants for employment immigration sponsorship or support for this position. This means that Eaton will not support any CPT, OPT, or STEM OPT plans, F-1 to H-1B, H-1B cap registration, O-1, E-3, TN status, I-485 job portability, etc.
• “This position requires access to export-controlled information. To conform to U.S. Government export regulations applicable to that information, applicant must be a U.S. person, defined as a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (green card holder), (iii) refugee under 8 U.S.C. 1157, or (iv) asylee under 8 U.S.C. 1158."

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with ERP (SAP, Oracle)
• Experience with kanban systems and vendor managed inventory suppliers is preferred
• MS Office experience

Skills

Soft skills

• Ability to communicate effectively
• Detail oriented, with high level of accuracy
• Strong organizational skills, with ability to effectively prioritize tasks in a fast paced environment
• Utilizes analytical thinking to resolve supply, quality, or process issues while minimizing operational impact

We are committed to ensuring equal employment opportunities for all job applicants and employees. Employment decisions are based upon job-related reasons regardless of an applicant's race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, marital status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other status protected by law.

Eaton believes in second chance employment. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction history will be considered regardless of their arrest or conviction history, consistent with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, the California Fair Chance Act and other local laws.

You do not need to disclose your conviction history or participate in a background check until a conditional job offer is made to you. After making a conditional offer and running a background check, if Eaton is concerned about conviction that is directly related to the job, you will be given the chance to explain the circumstances surrounding the conviction, provide mitigating evidence, or challenge the accuracy of the background report.

To request a disability-related reasonable accommodation to assist you in your job search, application, or interview process, please call us at 1-800-836-6345 to discuss your specific need. Only accommodation requests will be accepted by this phone number.

We know that good benefit programs are important to employees and their families. Eaton provides various Health and Welfare benefits as well as Retirement benefits, and several programs that provide for paid and unpaid time away from work. Click here for more detail: Eaton Benefits Overview. Please note that specific programs and options available to an employee may depend on eligibility factors such as geographic location, date of hire, and the applicability of collective bargaining agreements.