Senior Buyer

LiquidStack, a global leader in advanced liquid cooling for data centers, AI infrastructure, and high-performance computing, is seeking a Buyer to support our rapidly scaling global supply chain. Reporting to the Sr. Supply Chain Manager, this role is responsible for executing purchasing activities to ensure materials, components, and services are available to meet production and operational demands. The Buyer will manage purchase orders from requisition through delivery, coordinate with domestic and international suppliers, and monitor supply risks to protect production schedules. This role partners cross-functionally to optimize cost, inventory, quality, and delivery performance in a fast-paced, high-growth manufacturing environment.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Purchasing Execution & Supplier Management
• Execute purchase orders for raw materials, components, and services in support of production, inventory replenishment, and business operations.
• Manage purchase orders through the full lifecycle — requisition, approval, supplier acknowledgment, shipment, receipt, and closure.
• Maintain active communication with suppliers regarding pricing, lead times, shortages, schedule changes, and order status.
• Monitor supplier performance across quality, cost, and delivery; escalate performance concerns and support corrective actions.
• Support sourcing initiatives by gathering quotations, negotiating pricing, and evaluating supplier capabilities.

Global Supply Chain & International Purchasing
• Manage purchasing activities across domestic and international suppliers to support global production requirements.
• Coordinate international material flow from supplier shipment through final receipt at company facilities or designated logistics locations.
• Track international shipments, including supplier completion dates, freight bookings, transit timelines, customs clearance, and final delivery.
• Partner with freight forwarders, customs brokers, carriers, and suppliers to resolve delays, shipping discrepancies, and documentation issues.
• Review and validate shipping documentation including commercial invoices, packing lists, bills of lading, certificates of origin, and customs documents.
• Support compliance with import/export regulations, Incoterms, duties, tariffs, and company trade compliance policies.
• Evaluate total landed cost when making purchasing decisions, including freight, duties, tariffs, transit risk, and inventory carrying cost.
• Monitor global supply chain risks such as geopolitical disruptions, port congestion, supplier capacity constraints, and long-lead material exposure.
• Escalate supply risks early and recommend mitigation strategies including alternate freight methods, split shipments, safety stock, or alternate sourcing.

Production Support & Material Availability
• Partner with Production Planning and Manufacturing to ensure materials are available to support build schedules and prevent line stoppages.
• Track open purchase orders and proactively expedite critical shortages.
• Coordinate with Warehouse and Receiving to resolve receiving discrepancies, damaged materials, and supplier shortages.
• Support Engineering Change Orders (ECOs) by managing part transitions, obsolete inventory, and revised supplier requirements.
• Maintain alignment between purchasing activity and production demand to balance inventory levels with supply continuity.

ERP Systems, Data Integrity & Inventory Support
• Maintain accurate purchasing data in ERP/MRP systems (Odoo preferred), including pricing, lead times, supplier terms, and order status.
• Ensure real-time, disciplined transaction accuracy to support planning, inventory, and financial reporting.
• Update supplier lead times, transit assumptions, Incoterms, and freight requirements in the ERP system.
• Support inventory accuracy by coordinating with warehouse teams on PO receipts, shortages, and supplier discrepancies.
• Generate purchasing reports and KPI metrics to support operational visibility and decision-making.

Continuous Improvement & Cost Optimization
• Identify opportunities to improve purchasing workflows, supplier performance, and material availability.
• Support cost-reduction initiatives through strategic sourcing, freight optimization, supplier consolidation, and lead-time improvement.
• Participate in process improvement initiatives across purchasing, planning, and supply chain execution.
• Help establish scalable purchasing processes and SOPs in a high-growth environment.

SPECIFIC KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Education
• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Operations, Logistics, or related field preferred.
• APICS/CPIM, CPSM, or other supply chain certifications are a plus.

Experience
• 3–5+ years of purchasing, procurement, or supply chain experience in a manufacturing environment required.
• Experience supporting international purchasing, import logistics, freight forwarding, or global supplier management strongly preferred.
• Experience purchasing electromechanical assemblies, HVAC systems, industrial equipment, or technology hardware is highly desirable.
• Proven experience managing supplier relationships, expediting shortages, and supporting production-critical material flow.
• Experience in high-growth, fast-scaling manufacturing environments preferred.

Technical Skills
• Strong ERP/MRP experience required; Odoo experience is highly preferred.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel for purchasing analysis, order tracking, and supplier reporting.
• Working knowledge of Incoterms, international shipping documentation, import duties, tariffs, customs clearance, and total landed-cost concepts.
• Familiarity with freight coordination, supplier portals, and inventory management systems.
• Strong understanding of BOM structures, material planning, and supply-demand alignment.

Soft Skills
• Strong sense of urgency, ownership, and accountability in fast-moving supply environments.
• Excellent communication skills with suppliers and cross-functional teams across multiple time zones and cultures.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities with an emphasis on root-cause resolution.
• Ability to prioritize competing demands while maintaining attention to detail and data accuracy.
• Highly collaborative, agile, and adaptable in a scaling organization.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
• Purchase order on-time delivery
• Supplier acknowledgment and lead-time accuracy
• Material shortage reduction
• Inventory turns and excess inventory control
• International shipment on-time delivery
• International PO and shipping-document accuracy
• Customs clearance issue reduction
• Total landed-cost improvement
• Freight expedite reduction
• Supplier OTD (On-Time Delivery)
• Supplier quality performance
• Reduction in supply disruptions impacting production