Senior Direct Materials Buyer

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 landscape 

• Strong analytical skills, including proficiency in Excel (pivot tables, modeling) and familiarity with BI tools (Power BI preferred) 

• Experience with ERP/procurement systems (QAD, Coupa, or similar) 

• Strong negotiation, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills 

Travel: Up to 15% domestic and 5% international