JOB DESCRIPTION

Position Title: Buyer – Indirect Procurement & Capital
Department: Finance
Reports To: Plant Controller
FLSA Status: Exempt
Employment Status: Full-Time, Salaried
Work Arrangement: On-Site

POSITION SUMMARY

LM Manufacturing, LLC is a Tier 1 automotive supplier responsible for manufacturing complete seat systems for the Ford Bronco and Ford Ranger.

The Buyer – Indirect Procurement & Capital is responsible for leading the competitive sourcing, procurement, contract management, and financial analysis of the Company's indirect expenditures. The position has primary responsibility for approximately $5–7 million in annual variable overhead (VOH) and indirect spend, in addition to significant capital expenditures associated with new product launches, plant improvements, and ongoing operations.

Reporting to the Plant Controller, the Buyer serves as the primary commercial purchasing resource for indirect goods and services across the facility. This position partners closely with department managers to understand operational and technical requirements while independently managing the commercial sourcing process, including supplier identification, competitive bidding, negotiations, financial analysis, and sourcing recommendations.

The Buyer is expected to challenge historical purchasing practices, increase competition within the supplier base, identify measurable cost-reduction opportunities, strengthen purchasing controls and separation of duties, and provide senior leadership with clear, data-driven sourcing recommendations.

Production raw materials are not within the scope of this position, as production material sourcing is directed by LM Manufacturing's customer.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Sourcing and Procurement

• Lead      competitive sourcing activities for indirect goods and services, including      capital equipment, MRO materials and equipment, tooling and fixtures, IT      hardware and software, facility maintenance and construction, temporary      labor, professional services, safety and PPE, office supplies, freight and      logistics, utilities, janitorial services, security, landscaping, and      other plant expenditures.
• Develop      and issue RFQs and RFPs, establish bid requirements, solicit competitive      quotations, and manage supplier bidding processes.
• Identify,      evaluate, and develop new suppliers while maintaining effective commercial      relationships with existing vendors.
• Negotiate      supplier pricing, payment terms, commercial terms, service levels, and      other conditions to achieve the best overall value for LM Manufacturing.
• Challenge      historical purchasing practices and existing supplier relationships when      competitive alternatives may provide improved cost, service, quality, or      commercial terms.
• Develop      detailed bid analyses and sourcing recommendation packages for      presentation to senior leadership for final sourcing decisions.
• Create,      release, and maintain purchase orders within SAP in accordance with      established authorization and procurement requirements.
• Respond      to plant purchasing needs with appropriate urgency while maintaining      competitive sourcing standards and internal controls.

Capital Procurement

• Lead      the commercial sourcing process for capital equipment and projects from      initial RFQ through negotiation and sourcing recommendation.
• Partner      with Engineering, Maintenance, Operations, and other stakeholders to      ensure technical requirements and specifications are clearly defined prior      to supplier solicitation.
• Develop      comprehensive commercial comparisons of competing capital proposals,      considering purchase price, installation costs, operating costs, payment      terms, timing, and other relevant total-cost factors.
• Support      ROI, payback, and other financial analyses associated with proposed      capital investments.
• Negotiate      commercial terms and coordinate contracts and purchase orders following      final sourcing approval.
• Support      capital sourcing associated with new product launches, plant improvements,      and other major projects.

Contract and Supplier Management

• Maintain      a centralized repository and tracking system for vendor contracts and      commercial agreements.
• Proactively      monitor contract expiration dates, renewals, pricing changes, insurance      certificates, commercial obligations, and other contractual requirements.
• Lead      vendor contract renewals and renegotiations to maintain competitive      pricing and appropriate commercial terms.
• Negotiate      vendor contracts, terms and conditions, service agreements, and other      commercial documents in coordination with appropriate internal      stakeholders.
• Ensure      appropriate supplier documentation is maintained, including contracts,      insurance requirements, NDAs, terms and conditions, and related records.
• Monitor      supplier performance and work with internal stakeholders and vendors to      address cost, delivery, service, quality, or contractual concerns.

Financial Analysis and Cost Reduction

• Develop      and execute annual cost-reduction initiatives across indirect and variable      overhead expenditures.
• Analyze      spending by supplier, category, department, and commodity to identify      cost-reduction and sourcing opportunities.
• Prepare      detailed supplier bid comparisons, financial analyses, and total-cost      evaluations to support sourcing decisions.
• Track      and report realized cost savings and cost avoidance generated through      sourcing and negotiation activities.
• Perform      budget-versus-actual analysis and identify significant spending trends and      variances.
• Support      ROI and payback analysis for capital investments.
• Partner      with the Plant Controller in annual budgeting, forecasting, capital      planning, and analysis of variable overhead expenditures.
• Develop      and maintain procurement KPIs and regular reporting covering savings      initiatives, spending trends, sourcing activity, and contract status.
• Work      toward established annual cost-reduction objectives, with an initial focus      on identifying opportunities to reduce addressable variable overhead      expenditures by approximately 15–20%.

Cross-Functional Support and Internal Controls

• Serve      as the primary commercial purchasing resource for indirect goods and      services across the facility.
• Partner      with Maintenance, Engineering, Operations, IT, Finance, HR, Quality, EHS,      and other departments to understand purchasing requirements and      operational priorities.
• Establish      consistent competitive bidding and sourcing practices across plant      departments.
• Maintain      appropriate separation of duties between requesting departments,      purchasing activities, supplier selection, and financial approval.
• Ensure      purchasing and sourcing activities comply with LM Manufacturing policies,      authorization requirements, and internal controls.
• Promote      cost consciousness, competitive sourcing, accountability, and continuous      improvement throughout the organization.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's      degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Finance, Accounting, or a      related field.
• Minimum      of 3–5 years of purchasing, procurement, strategic sourcing, or related      professional experience.
• Strong      financial and analytical skills, including the ability to evaluate      supplier proposals, spending data, budgets, and investment alternatives.
• Demonstrated      experience negotiating supplier pricing and commercial terms.
• Strong      Microsoft Excel skills and ability to analyze and organize financial and      purchasing data.
• Excellent      attention to detail, organization, and follow-through.
• Strong      written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability      to manage multiple sourcing activities, contracts, and projects      simultaneously.
• Ability      to work independently, exercise sound business judgment, and      constructively challenge existing purchasing practices.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Purchasing      or procurement experience within a manufacturing environment.
• Automotive      manufacturing or Tier 1 supplier experience.
• Experience      with SAP or a comparable ERP/purchasing system.
• Experience      sourcing capital equipment, MRO, facility services, and other indirect      spend categories.
• Experience      with supplier contract management and commercial negotiations.
• Professional      purchasing or supply chain certification, such as CPSM, CPM, or APICS      certification.

CORE COMPETENCIES

• Financial      and analytical capability
• Negotiation      and commercial acumen
• Attention      to detail
• Cost-reduction      mindset
• Strategic      sourcing
• Supplier      relationship management
• Contract      management
• Sound      judgment and integrity
• Initiative      and accountability
• Constructive      willingness to challenge the status quo
• Cross-functional      collaboration
• Clear      communication with senior leadership
• Ability      to balance cost, quality, service, timing, and operational requirements
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Equal Employment Opportunity

LM Manufacturing is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Work Authorization / Visa Sponsorship

At this time, LM Manufacturing does not provide employment visa sponsorship for this position. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without current or future sponsorship from LM Manufacturing.

Unsolicited Recruiter and Agency Submissions

LM Manufacturing does not accept unsolicited resumes or candidate submissions from third-party recruiters, staffing agencies, or other vendors unless a written agreement has been approved in advance by an authorized member of the LM Manufacturing Human Resources team.

Any unsolicited resume or candidate information submitted without an approved agreement will be considered the property of LM Manufacturing, and no placement fee or other compensation will be owed.

Only authorized members of the LM Manufacturing Human Resources team may engage or approve third-party recruiting or staffing services.

Recruitment Fraud and Career Scam Notice

LM Manufacturing encourages applicants to be cautious of fraudulent job postings, recruiting communications, and employment offers claiming to represent the company.

LM Manufacturing will not request payment from applicants as part of the recruiting or hiring process. Applicants should use caution before providing sensitive personal or financial information, including Social Security numbers, banking information, credit card information, or other confidential information, in response to unsolicited communications.

Candidates who have questions regarding the legitimacy of an LM Manufacturing employment opportunity are encouraged to verify the position directly with LM Manufacturing or through the company's official recruiting channels.