Buyer - Supply Chain

Position Summary The Buyer is responsible for sourcing, purchasing, and coordinating the timely delivery of materials, components, parts, supplies, and services required to support the manufacturing and assembly of electric transit buses. This position works closely with Engineering, Production, Warehouse, Quality, Finance, and Supply Chain to ensure materials meet technical specifications, quality standards, cost targets, and production schedules.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Prepare and issue purchase orders for production materials, electrical components, mechanical parts, raw materials, tooling, equipment, maintenance supplies, and indirect materials.
• Review purchase requisitions, material requirements, inventory levels, and production schedules to determine purchasing needs.
• Ensure materials are ordered in the correct quantities and delivered according to required dates.
• Monitor open purchase orders and proactively communicate potential delays or shortages.
• Maintain accurate purchasing records, pricing information, supplier confirmations, and delivery commitments.
• Follow established purchasing approval limits and company procurement procedures.
• Identify, evaluate, and develop relationships with suppliers, manufacturers, and distributors.
• Request and evaluate supplier quotations based on price, quality, delivery, lead time, and service.
• Negotiate pricing, payment terms, delivery schedules, and other commercial terms within assigned authority.
• Support supplier qualification and onboarding in coordination with Quality, Engineering, and Finance.
• Monitor supplier performance and assist with corrective actions when delivery or quality issues occur.
• Develop alternative sourcing options for critical components and materials to reduce supply-chain risk.
• Purchase materials used in electric bus manufacturing and assembly, including electrical components, wiring, connectors, harnesses, structural components, fasteners, mechanical assemblies, and other production parts.
• Coordinate with Engineering to verify part numbers, drawings, revisions, specifications, and approved substitutions before placing orders.
• Support prototype builds, engineering changes, pilot production, and new product introductions.
• Work with Production and Warehouse teams to resolve shortages, expedite critical parts, and minimize production interruptions.

Buyer – Everline Transit Company | Job Description

• Monitor long-lead-time components and communicate supply risks that could affect manufacturing schedules.
• Coordinate purchasing of replacement parts and materials needed to support rework and quality corrections.
• Coordinate purchasing activities with inventory requirements, bills of materials (BOMs), material requirements planning (MRP), and production schedules.
• Monitor inventory availability and assist with maintaining appropriate stock levels.
• Help prevent excess inventory, obsolete materials, duplicate orders, and unnecessary purchasing costs.
• Support cycle counts, inventory reconciliation, and investigations into purchasing or receiving discrepancies.
• Coordinate with Warehouse personnel regarding expected deliveries, receiving issues, and material availability.
• Compare supplier quotations and identify opportunities for cost savings and process improvements.
• Track purchase price variances and communicate significant cost changes.
• Support budgeting, spending reporting, and purchasing analysis.
• Work with Accounts Payable to resolve invoice discrepancies, pricing differences, missing receipts, and purchase order issues.
• Ensure purchasing documentation supports accurate invoice matching and timely payment.
• Maintain purchasing records that support internal reviews and financial controls. Education and Experience
• Associate degree or bachelor's degree in supply chain management, Business, Operations, or a related field preferred; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.
• Two or more years of experience in purchasing, procurement, materials management, or supply chain operations preferred.
• Manufacturing, automotive, heavy equipment, transportation, or electrical-component purchasing experience preferred.
• Experience working in a startup or rapidly growing manufacturing environment is a plus.
• Experience with ERP/MRP systems and purchase order management preferred.
• Knowledge of purchasing practices, supplier negotiations, inventory control, and material planning.
• Ability to interpret purchase requisitions, bills of materials, part numbers, and basic engineering documentation.
• Strong organizational, analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and other standard business applications.
• Ability to prioritize multiple orders, deadlines, and competing production requirements.
• Attention to detail in pricing, quantities, specifications, delivery dates, and purchasing documentation.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.
• Commitment to ethical purchasing practices, confidentiality, safety, quality, and continuous improvement.