Senior Buyer Chassis

Category Sourcing & Strategy

Own and set the sourcing strategy for complex, high-value, or multiple commodity categories, building a resilient supply base that meets Slate's cost, quality, delivery, and Job 1 launch targets. Lead RFIs, RFQs, and commercial negotiations for production parts, service parts, tooling, and services, and independently resolve cost, quality, and delivery issues as they arise.

Lead cross-functional sourcing strategy in partnership with Engineering, Quality, Program Management, Cost Estimating, and Finance to drive supplier readiness, supply chain risk mitigation, and launch timing. Serve as a category expert and trusted advisor to the broader Purchasing team while ensuring adherence to Slate Global Terms and Conditions.

Contract & Commercial Management

• Independently negotiate complex, multi-million-dollar supply agreements, including pricing, payment terms, lead times, and quality specifications
• Negotiate and administer long-term supply agreements, blanket orders, and consignment programs aligned with demand planning
• Administer NDA processes and manage General Terms & Conditions (GTCs), Purchased Part Agreements (PPAs), and other supplier contracts throughout their lifecycle
• Oversee change management and PO updates during design phases, and manage pricing adjustments for raw materials per contract terms

Supplier Relationship Management & Development

• Develop and execute category strategies that align the supply base with Slate's cost, quality, and capacity needs
• Lead RFQ/RFP processes and competitive bid analysis, and prepare business cases to support sourcing decisions
• Own strategic supplier relationships through regular business reviews and performance scorecards (OTD, quality, pricing, service)
• Drive supplier development, qualification, and onboarding in partnership with Quality and Engineering teams
• Lead escalation resolution for supply disruptions, quality escapes, and delivery issues to protect production continuity
• Hold suppliers accountable to agreed performance, quality, and delivery commitments through corrective action plans

Commodity Strategy, Risk Management & Cost Savings

• Be accountable for enterprise-level cost reduction targets across categories, identifying and delivering measurable year-over-year savings
• Drive commodity strategy and risk mitigation, including forward contracting and index-linked pricing
• Own full supply chain risk mapping and mitigation strategy for critical categories, including sub-tier visibility
• Monitor commodity markets and price trends, and provide commodity forecasts and cost models to support annual budgeting
• Serve as liaison between Purchasing and Cost Estimating to align material pricing with project estimates and review estimated vs. actual costs
• Use spend analysis and reporting to identify savings opportunities and prepare period-end procurement reports

Leadership & Collaboration

• Operate with full autonomy while keeping Procurement leadership informed on category performance, risks, and savings
• Mentor Buyer I and Buyer II team members and informally lead category teams
• Partner with Engineering, Quality, and Program teams to ensure early procurement involvement in new program launches

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Engineering, or related field preferred
• 10+ years of combined experience in Procurement/Supply Chain Management or Engineering
• 5+ years of experience in the automotive industry, with deep specialization in one or more commodity categories
• Demonstrated ownership of complex, high-value, or multiple categories, including setting category strategy
• Experience independently negotiating complex, multi-million-dollar supply contracts
• Track record of delivering enterprise-level cost reduction targets across categories
• Experience driving commodity strategy and risk mitigation, such as forward contracting and index-linked pricing

Skills & Competencies

• Knowledge and experience with ERP/MRP systems (e.g., SAP, Plex, Oracle, NetSuite)
• Advanced skills in Microsoft Excel for data analysis, cost modeling, pivot tables, and reporting
• Intermediate+ skills in using AI tools to enhance procurement workflows and analytics
• Strong analytical, strategic-thinking, and interpersonal skills, including the ability to build and present business cases to senior leadership
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for cross-functional, executive, and supplier interaction
• Ability to mentor Buyer I and Buyer II team members and informally lead category teams
• Ability to identify process issues and drive improvements to improve operational efficiency
• High level of integrity and ability to thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced start-up environment
• CPSM, CPM, or equivalent professional certification preferred