Senior Buyer

Role overview

The Senior Buyer role focuses on driving the end-to-end ordering and delivery cycle for materials and equipment. The position requires adherence to approved specifications, cost targets, quality standards, and quantity requirements while sourcing, negotiating with, and managing vendors in alignment with the Money, Materials & Compliance framework and wider organizational objectives.

Role details

Job role variant: Senior Buyer

Value stream: Money, Materials & Compliance

Job family: Procurement & Contracts

Sub-job family: Procurement & Contracts

Geographic scope: Domestic (India)

Core responsibilities

The position covers procurement planning, requisition review, cost estimation, vendor coordination, purchase order processing, and audit support. It also involves tracking vendor performance, supporting contract compliance, and helping identify cost-saving opportunities through negotiation and procurement best practices.

Policies, processes, and procedures

• Carry out routine procurement work in line with all applicable policies, SOPs, process standards, and work instructions so activities remain controlled and consistent.
• Stay updated on market developments, supplier trends, and best practices, and contribute ideas for improving procurement systems and workflows.

Procurement operations

• Work with internal stakeholders on monthly, quarterly, and annual procurement plans.
• Examine purchase requisitions to understand technical needs, delivery expectations, budget limits, and qualitative as well as quantitative requirements.
• Develop internal cost estimates according to approved guidelines and procedures.
• Assess quotations on techno-commercial terms and identify opportunities to reduce costs where feasible within policy.
• Negotiate with vendors for the assigned category and share inputs with the Buying Manager for final deal closure within agreed cost, quality, and delivery parameters.
• Draft the term sheet or approval note with a recommendation for issuing purchase orders.
• Place finalized orders and update the SAP system following established instructions.
• Respond to and close internal and external audit observations related to procurement, escalating matters to the Buying Manager when needed.

Vendor management

• Source potential vendors, assess their capabilities and risks, and qualify them against established standards and business objectives.
• Issue enquiries for assigned items based on user requirements, specifications, budget, and quality expectations.
• Cross-check user requirements against vendor submissions for accuracy and escalate gaps to the Buying Manager as required.
• Track deliveries to ensure materials and equipment arrive on schedule and meet organizational needs.
• Review vendor performance against standards and contract terms, and help ensure timely vendor payments.
• Support Buyers in selecting, negotiating with, and managing vendors in accordance with company policies and procedures.
• Coordinate with category teams and ARC teams on negotiation plans and vendor development initiatives to unlock savings through procurement best practices.

Career movement

Employees in this role may move in from a Buyer position and can progress to a Buying Manager role.

Additional information

Direct reportees: Not specified

Indirect reportees: Not specified

Financial metrics: Not specified

Success metrics: Not applicable

Internal interfaces: Procurement & Contracts, Money, Materials & Compliance, asset operations, engineering, and related teams.

External interfaces: Vendors and other external partners.

Experience

The role calls for 3 to 7 years of category-based purchasing experience.

Education

A Bachelor of Engineering or Bachelor of Technology degree is required, preferably in Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical, Civil, Instrumentation, or Electronics engineering.

Location

Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.