Senior Buyer - Capital Equipment & Tooling - Piston Automotive

The Sr. Buyer, Capital Equipment & Tooling, leads purchasing activity for capital equipment, tooling, and supporting services for all new launches and large engineering. This role interfaces with Piston Engineering and Cost Estimating teams.

Piston Automotive wasn’t just founded to make things. It was founded to make things better. And that begins with building better teams solely dedicated to achieving excellence at every level of execution through a combination of experience, expertise, and a deep seeded passion for what we do. Our assemblies consistently set the standard because our people consistently raise the bar. 

Why Piston Automotive?

Competitive Wages, Paid Holidays & Vacation, Medical & Rx Plans, Dental & Vision Plans, Flexible Spending Accounts, Health Savings Accounts, Employee Assistance Program, Life & Disability Coverage, 401K with Company Match, Tuition Reimbursement , Vehicle and Product Discounts

Location: Hybrid remote at our Southfield, MI offices, weekly onsite attendance is required. 

• Developing and evaluating new potential capex and tooling suppliers.
• Compile all necessary documents for setting up new suppliers in ERP system.
• Lead and support RFQ packages for non-production purchases and service contracts.
• Negotiate price, timing, and deliverables with suppliers for all purchase orders and service contracts.
• Evaluate bids for best value and offers recommendations for selection.
• Complete cost breakdown and provides justification for proposals.
• Resolve supplier disputes with regards to price, delivery, or warranty of goods and services.
• Build and maintain supplier bid lists, supplier profile forms, and contact lists.
• Administer purchase order process, including issuing and reconciling purchase orders.
• Engage with Engineering teams to monitor supplier performance.
• Develop small set of key metrics to measure supplier performance used for sourcing decisions.
• Monitor and analyze purchasing spend to assist Cost Estimating.
• Management and oversight of single source supplier list.
• Negotiate discounts levels and standard pricing for single source suppliers.
• Reinforce policy and procedure compliance within the organization.
• Assist with continuous improvement efforts within Purchasing and related cross-functional teams.
• Work closely with Accounts Payable to ensure supplier payments and to resolve invoice discrepancies.

• Eight years’ experience as a Buyer, with direct experience focused on automation, equipment, and tooling.
• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Engineering, or a related field.
• Strong understanding of automated equipment.
• Strong Word, Excel, and Powerpoint skills.
• Eight years’ experience working with minimal direction and making decisions independently.
• Eight years’ experience working with cross functional teams (collaborating as well as challenging others.).
• Eight years’ experience with demonstrated strong writing skills (summarizing positions in Powerpoint).
• Eight years’ experience effectively presenting information (i.e. responding to questions from internal leadership, customers, suppliers, etc.).

PREFERRED SKILLS/QUALIFICATIONS:

• Eight years’ experience working with a good financial acumen and a demonstrated ability to convey numerical information concisely.
• Eight years’ experience analyzing, and interpreting general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations.
• Eight years’ experience defining problems, collecting data, establishing facts, and drawing valid conclusions.

Piston Automotive, part of the Piston Group family of companies, is an equal opportunity employer, dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace that values the unique contributions of every employee. We encourage all candidates to apply for positions that match their skills and capabilities, ensuring equal consideration without discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status. For any questions regarding job opportunities or the application process, please reach out to us at pistongrouptalent@pistongroup.com. We are committed to providing accommodations for individuals with disabilities during the job search and application process, reinforcing our commitment to inclusivity for all job seekers.