Sr. Buyer

Job Description

Sigil Partners is seeking an experienced Sr. Buyer to lead procurement activities for materials, components, equipment, and services supporting defense manufacturing programs. This individual will collaborate with program management, engineering, manufacturing, quality, finance, contracts, and supply-chain stakeholders to ensure suppliers meet cost, quality, schedule, technical, and regulatory requirements.

The ideal candidate will bring strong strategic sourcing and procurement experience, knowledge of defense contracting requirements, and the ability to manage complex supplier relationships in a highly regulated manufacturing environment. This is a remote position within the United States that may require periodic travel to manufacturing facilities, supplier locations, or customer sites.

Responsibilities

• Manage the procurement of direct materials, electronic components, machined parts, assemblies, equipment, and professional services
• Develop and issue requests for information, quotations, and proposals
• Evaluate supplier proposals and negotiate pricing, lead times, payment terms, delivery schedules, warranties, and contractual conditions
• Prepare, issue, maintain, and close purchase orders and subcontract documentation
• Ensure procurement activities support production schedules, program milestones, customer commitments, and inventory objectives
• Collaborate with engineering and manufacturing teams to source technically compliant materials and resolve specification issues
• Monitor supplier performance involving quality, delivery, cost, responsiveness, and regulatory compliance
• Identify supply-chain risks and implement mitigation plans for shortages, obsolescence, long-lead items, and single-source suppliers
• Perform price analysis, cost analysis, market research, and supplier-capability assessments
• Ensure applicable FAR, DFARS, quality, cybersecurity, export-control, and customer requirements are properly flowed down to suppliers
• Maintain accurate procurement records, supplier documentation, approvals, and audit evidence
• Support make-or-buy decisions, sourcing strategies, material forecasts, and cost-reduction initiatives
• Resolve invoice discrepancies, delivery issues, quality concerns, and purchase-order exceptions
• Mentor junior buyers and contribute to standardized procurement processes and best practices

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Finance, Operations, Engineering, or a related discipline
• 5+ years of professional purchasing, procurement, sourcing, or supply-chain experience
• Experience procuring materials, components, or services in a manufacturing environment
• Strong supplier negotiation, contract interpretation, price-analysis, and relationship-management skills
• Experience working with ERP or MRP systems such as SAP, Oracle, Deltek Costpoint, Epicor, or similar platforms
• Knowledge of purchase-order administration, supplier-performance management, inventory planning, and material requirements
• Ability to interpret technical specifications, drawings, bills of materials, statements of work, and contractual requirements
• Strong analytical, organizational, documentation, and problem-solving skills
• Ability to manage multiple procurements, deadlines, and program priorities
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to satisfy applicable export-control and security requirements
• Ability to travel periodically to manufacturing facilities, supplier locations, or customer sites

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience purchasing for aerospace, defense, government contracting, or another highly regulated industry
• Working knowledge of FAR, DFARS, Truthful Cost or Pricing Data requirements, and government-contract procurement practices
• Familiarity with ITAR, EAR, counterfeit-parts prevention, cybersecurity flow-downs, and supplier-quality requirements
• Experience procuring electronic components, raw materials, machined parts, printed circuit board assemblies, or complex mechanical assemblies
• Experience supporting Department of Defense programs and Defense Contract Management Agency or Defense Contract Audit Agency reviews
• Familiarity with earned value, program schedules, material forecasts, and cost-account management
• CPSM, C.P.M., CSCP, or another relevant supply-chain certification
• Experience mentoring buyers or leading strategic sourcing initiatives
• Active or previously held U.S. security clearance