| Location | Auburn Hills, Michigan |
| Salary | $95,000–$110,000 |
Teijin Automotive Technologies is an innovative and full-service Tier One supplier with a global presence and emphasis in development for lightweight technologies. Teijin Automotive offers employees the opportunity to join a leading edge company within the composite material industry and enjoy the benefits offered by a growing company in North America and internationally.
Direct Material Buyer / Senior Buyer
Corporate Office - Auburn Hills, Michigan
Position Summary:
Responsible for the strategic sourcing, purchasing, and negotiation of direct production materials (e.g., resins, metals, chemicals, or other raw/component inputs) in support of CSP's automotive manufacturing operations. This role requires strong technical commodity knowledge - understanding of material specifications, market drivers, supply base capabilities, and cost structures - combined with analytical rigor to evaluate supplier quotes, model total cost of ownership, and identify risk across the supply base. The ideal candidate blends purchasing experience with data-driven decision-making to determine the most desirable suppliers and drive measurable cost and supply chain performance improvements. Reports to Director of Purchasing.
Essential Job Functions:
Sourcing & Supplier Management
Evaluate and select sources for production components/materials based on technical fit, capacity, quality, and total cost
Develop and maintain deep knowledge of assigned commodity markets (e.g., resin/SMC, metals, chemicals) including pricing drivers, index tracking (e.g., PPI, resin indices), and supply/demand trends
Develop Long Term Agreements (LTAs) with suppliers as appropriate
Manage pricing at a corporate level across CSP plants, including inflation/deflation tracking and index-based pricing mechanisms
Support CSP facilities in resolution of supplier issues; lead negotiations as necessary
Build and maintain strong working relationships with suppliers supporting CSP plants
May participate in Supplier Quality audits and financial health assessments of critical suppliers
Analytical & Cost Management
Identify and execute cost savings opportunities using data analysis (e.g., spend analytics, should-cost modeling, PPV and BIP tracking)
Analyze supplier quotes and proposals using structured cost breakdowns to determine most competitive and lowest-risk suppliers
Build and maintain reporting/dashboards (e.g., Power BI, Excel) to track commodity pricing trends, savings pipelines, and supplier performance
Monitor and forecast commodity price exposure; support rolling forecast reconciliation (e.g., 6+6, 3+9) across programs
Program & Systems Execution
Place purchase orders (via QAD EE) with suppliers
Work closely with Engineering to understand program requirements and coordinate Engineering Changes
Participate in program kickoff meetings; work with Sales, Engineering, CSP plant personnel, and suppliers to ensure duties and timelines are met; expedite as necessary
Participate in development of new or enhanced Purchasing policies and procedures
Ensure customer requirements are met throughout the sourcing and program lifecycle
Perform a variety of complex tasks with a wide degree of independence and decision-making latitude
Adhere to all CSP company policies, guidelines, and procedures
Qualifications:
Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience)
5+ years of direct material purchasing experience in an automotive or manufacturing environment
Working knowledge of assigned commodity category(ies) - material properties, cost drivers, and supplier la