The Senior Buyer position involves collaborating across multiple departments, planning, scheduling and monitoring the movement of materials through the production cycle to determine required materials purchases. As a Senior Buyer, you'll act as a leader in cost savings initiatives, Lean events, and MRP planning improvements and process enhancements. Scope includes obtaining materials using engineering and production schedules to maintain inventory at planned levels (“just-in-time purchases, use of economic order quantities), maintaining accurate systemic planning parameters, resolving discrepancies, ensuring material standards are met and non-conformances or variances are approved and/or minimized, gathering quotations, examining bids and making awards, evaluating Supplier reliability, developing new supply sources where competition doesn’t currently exist, and compliance to FAR/DFAR requirements. Requires an ability to build positive relationships with key Suppliers while leveraging these relationships to improve Supplier quality, costs, service, and preserve Department of Defense (DOD) certification.
This position will act as a Lead for Direct Procurement in support our Defense Systems business area located in San Diego, CA.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Determine material requirements through analytical planning and schedule the ordering thereof; source, negotiate and execute awards for direct, indirect or CAPEX material & equipment, at the best value to the organization and on a timely basis to support production schedule. Successfully learn and manage multiple commodities as assigned.
- Monitor the addition of new customer requirements and work to ensure timely release of purchase requisition to provide program support. Evaluate current programs to verify that they are being fully supported by evaluating ERP signals, EML and quality issues.
- Flag production impacts and escalate resolution through appropriate support and management personnel; communicate program impact to appropriate departments accurately and reliably using expert customer service skills.
- Create purchase requisitions and purchase orders for accuracy and conformance with established policies and procedures. Process and plan Engineering Change Orders (ECO’s) in alignment with our Planning department.
- Obtain oral and/or written quotations from Suppliers, document competitive bidding. Perform Price Analysis techniques per FAR/DFAR requirements.
- Negotiate and execute critical, complex, high-value awards; manage price increase situations and cost improvement initiatives with the team; drive all elements of the procurement process with Suppliers resulting in the best value for CAES.
- Follow up on purchase orders to ensure acknowledgement and on time delivery; document expected delivery dates and expedite as needed. Escalate issues both internally and externally in a timely manner.
- Resolve receiving discrepancies, inspection discrepancies, coordinate Return to Vendor (RTV) and reconcile invoice discrepancies.
- Interface professionally, in a team-orientated manner with internal clients including Planning, Inventory, Ops/Manufacturing, Engineering, Quality and Finance.
- Represent/support the department in daily huddles and GEMBA with material status updates.
- Search out alternate Suppliers to establish competition and to help minimize material shortages and stock outages.
- Meet with Suppliers seeking to establish relationship with the firm; as needed, review materials presented and cross-functionally align with ENG and QA on a recommendation as to whether the vendor deserves further consideration.
- Participate in supplier visits, audits, and performance management conference calls, when necessary, in collaboration with the Commodity Managers and Quality Assurance. Provide feedback to support the Supplier Score Card, to elevate or maintain corporate expectations of supplier’s excellence in delivery. Lead supplier business reviews as needed.
- Populate an up-to-date system on lead times (material master) and Suppliers (vendor master) to ensure immediate and accurate access to information in the ERP system.
- Participate in safety training and actively comply with safety policies and practices.
- Participate in Lean/Six Sigma activities in own work area as well as events for other areas to enhance cross-functional problem solving. Improve and maintain 5S in your area; make suggestions for improvements.
- Support and address KPI matrix and report outs.
- Perform other related duties as assigned.
Qualifications MUST HAVE - US Citizenship required.
- 5+ years of purchasing experience in a manufacturing environment.
- ERP system proficiency, preferably using SAP.
- Intermediate Excel proficiency, to include, exporting data to Excel, executing moderately advanced formulas, pivot tables, charts and analyzing data.
- Strong analytical, time management, and communication skills to work successfully in a matrix environment.
WE VALUE - Bachelor's degree
- CPM, CPIM, or ISM certifications.
- Cost reduction, strategic sourcing and/or total cost of ownership experience in a manufacturing environment .
- Industry related experience in Aerospace & Defense (A&D).
- FAR/DFAR related experience with compliance packages.
- Experience leading cost savings initiatives, and leading or mentoring in Lean initiatives.
SKILLS REQUIRED: - Communication Skills: Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the public.
- Strong Contract writing skill set. Ability to develop various types of contracts that support a specific commodity group is strongly preferred.
- Math Skills: Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, commissions, proportions, percentages, area, circumference, and volume. Ability to read part prints and work with engineering on design optimization opportunities.
- Analytical Skills: Able to synthesize complex or diverse information; Collects and researches data Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.
- Computer Skills: Strong computing skills in the areas of Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, and ability to learn new corporate systems. Ability to use Enterprise-wide (ERP) Previous SAP or Oracle experiences a plus.
- Time Management and Organizational skills: flexibility and adaptability to changing priorities and assignments; ability to maintain confidentiality.
- Excellence Behaviors: remain engaged, proactive and positive even in tough circumstances; own
ABOUT HONEYWELL
Honeywell International Inc. (Nasdaq: HON) invents and commercializes technologies that address some of the world's most critical challenges around energy, safety, security, air travel, productivity, and global urbanization. We are a leading software-industrial company committed to introducing state of the art technology solutions to improve efficiency, productivity, sustainability, and safety in high growth businesses in broad-based, attractive industrial end markets. Our products and solutions enable a safer, more comfortable, and more productive world, enhancing the quality of life of people around the globe. Learn more about Honeywell: click here (https://www.honeywell.com/us/en)
THE BUSINESS UNIT
Honeywell Aerospace Technologies (AT) products and services are found on virtually every commercial, defense, and space aircraft in the world. We build aircraft engines, cockpit and cabin electronics, wireless connectivity systems, mechanical components and more, and connect many of them via our high-speed Wi-Fi offerings. Our solutions create healthier air travel, more fuel-efficient and better-maintained aircraft, more direct and on-time flight arrivals, safer skies and airports, and more comfortable flights, along with several innovations and services that reflect exciting and emerging new transportation methods such as autonomous and supersonic flight. Revenues in 2023 for Honeywell Aerospace Technology were $14B and there are approximately 21,000 employees globally. To learn more, please visit click here (https://aerospace.honeywell.com/)
Honeywell is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to age, race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, marital status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, nationality, sex, religion, or veteran status. Learn more about inclusion and diversity : click here (https://www.honeywell.com/us/en/company/inclusion-and-diversity)
Honeywell is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to age, race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, marital status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, nationality, sex, religion, or veteran status. Learn more about inclusion and diversity
The application period for the job is estimated to be 40 days from the job posting date; however, this may be shortened or extended depending on business needs and the availability of qualified candidates. Posting Date: April 21,2026 The annual base salary range for this position is . Please note that this salary information serves as a general guideline. Honeywell considers various factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate's work experience, education and training, key skills, as well as market and business considerations.