Forterra, Inc.
Senior Buyer
Forterra, Inc., Clarksburg, MD, United States
About Forterra
Forterra is a leading provider of autonomous systems for ground-based movement in the working world. Amongst some of the earliest innovators in the field of driverless technology, Forterra is focused on building systems that protect front-line soldiers and enable civilian workers in our industrial base. Forterra is the go-to provider of ground autonomy solutions for the U.S. Department of Defense, which harnesses the technology for asymmetric warfare in critical conditions.
About the role
The Supply Chain team owns Forterra's indirect and direct sourcing and procurement strategies from Research and Development through production and sustainment. We coordinate with the engineers to determine the technical requirements of purchased items and work with our Growth team to decide how much inventory we should maintain to provide autonomy as a service to our customers.
Senior Buyers are responsible for procuring goods and services necessary for the company's operations. This role involves Evaluating new suppliers, managing supplier relationships, negotiating contracts, and ensuring the timely delivery of quality products to support the production of autonomy kits and early-stage product development. Senior Buyers work closely with the supply chain manager to analyze the demand and develop supply chain plans that best support business and product development objectives. As a Senior Buyer, you will be responsible for executing and enhancing the strategies we use to source inventory that enable our AutoDrive system. You will wear many hats as Senior Buyer and data analyst.
Successful candidates will be creative, process-oriented individuals who have a consistent track record of delivering results. You excel at working in a fluid environment with cross-functional teams to solve complex problems and dive deep into issues to conduct data-driven problem solving. You are an outstanding communicator who helps drive cross-functional decision-making and can influence stakeholders across teams, functions and levels.
What you'll do
$80,000 - $90,000
Location
On-Site in Clarksburg, MD // Hybrid
The salary range for this role is an estimate and is based on a wide variety of compensation factors. The salary offered to candidates will vary based on a variety of factors including (but not limited to) relevant work experience, education, specialized training, critical expertise, training, and more. Equity in Forterra is included in most of our full-time, high-demand roles and is therefore considered part of Forterra's overall compensation package. In addition to base salary and equity, Forterra offers competitive benefits for full-time employees including:
Your recruiter will be able to share more information about our salary and benefits offering during the hiring process.
Forterra is an equal-opportunity employer, providing and promoting equal employment opportunity in accordance with local, state, and federal laws. Forterrans are unique, talented individuals who are united through a shared passion to deliver autonomous systems that enable national resilience and a robust supply chain. All qualified applications will receive equal consideration for employment.
Forterra is a leading provider of autonomous systems for ground-based movement in the working world. Amongst some of the earliest innovators in the field of driverless technology, Forterra is focused on building systems that protect front-line soldiers and enable civilian workers in our industrial base. Forterra is the go-to provider of ground autonomy solutions for the U.S. Department of Defense, which harnesses the technology for asymmetric warfare in critical conditions.
About the role
The Supply Chain team owns Forterra's indirect and direct sourcing and procurement strategies from Research and Development through production and sustainment. We coordinate with the engineers to determine the technical requirements of purchased items and work with our Growth team to decide how much inventory we should maintain to provide autonomy as a service to our customers.
Senior Buyers are responsible for procuring goods and services necessary for the company's operations. This role involves Evaluating new suppliers, managing supplier relationships, negotiating contracts, and ensuring the timely delivery of quality products to support the production of autonomy kits and early-stage product development. Senior Buyers work closely with the supply chain manager to analyze the demand and develop supply chain plans that best support business and product development objectives. As a Senior Buyer, you will be responsible for executing and enhancing the strategies we use to source inventory that enable our AutoDrive system. You will wear many hats as Senior Buyer and data analyst.
Successful candidates will be creative, process-oriented individuals who have a consistent track record of delivering results. You excel at working in a fluid environment with cross-functional teams to solve complex problems and dive deep into issues to conduct data-driven problem solving. You are an outstanding communicator who helps drive cross-functional decision-making and can influence stakeholders across teams, functions and levels.
What you'll do
- Prepare and issue purchase orders based on requisitions, and inventory needs and ensure timely and accurate delivery of purchased materials, products, and services.
- Identify and evaluate potential suppliers, negotiate contracts, conduct supplier performance evaluations to develop and implement sourcing strategies ensuring a stable supply chain.
- Maintain relationships with existing vendors and serve as the conduit between Forterra and the vendors to negotiate prices, terms, and delivery schedules, and resolve issues.
- Manage the end-to-end procurement process, including requisitions, purchase orders, and invoice approvals. Ensure compliance with company policies, procedures, and government procurement regulations.
- Analyze price proposals, financial reports, and other data to determine reasonable prices and achieve cost savings and value improvements.
- Collaborate with the warehouse and production planning teams, monitor inventory levels and forecasted demand to prevent stock outs or excess inventory.
- Ensure purchased products meet quality standards and specifications and address any quality issues 1 with suppliers and implement corrective actions while maintaining accurate procurement records and documentation.
- Present metrics that communicate vendor and purchasing process performance, facilitate root-cause analysis, and drive broad stakeholder awareness.
- Collaborate closely with cross-functional Engineering, Quality, and Production teams to identify supply risks and cost cutting opportunities.
- Strong negotiation and communication skills.
- Proficiency in procurement software and ERP systems.
- Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities.
- Knowledge of procurement processes and best practices.
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
- Attention to detail and accuracy.
- Strong organizational and time management skills.
- Ability to multitask and prioritize tasks effectively.
- Strong ethical standards and integrity.
- Experience using NetSuite ERP System.
- Experience using Arena PLM a plus.
- Understanding of the FAR regulations.
- Experience in early product development lifecycle companies.
- Experience in purchasing custom fabricated parts to include metals, cabling, and plastics.
- Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, or a related field
- 7-10 years of experience in procurement or a related field. Experience procuring made-to-spec hardware across the product life-cycle spectrum.
$80,000 - $90,000
Location
On-Site in Clarksburg, MD // Hybrid
The salary range for this role is an estimate and is based on a wide variety of compensation factors. The salary offered to candidates will vary based on a variety of factors including (but not limited to) relevant work experience, education, specialized training, critical expertise, training, and more. Equity in Forterra is included in most of our full-time, high-demand roles and is therefore considered part of Forterra's overall compensation package. In addition to base salary and equity, Forterra offers competitive benefits for full-time employees including:
- Premium Healthcare Benefits: Three plan options, including an HSA-eligible plan, with Forterra covering 80% of the plan premium for you and your dependents.
- Basic Life/AD&D, short and long-term disability insurance, Legal & ID protection plans 100% covered by Forterra, plus the option to purchase additional life insurance for you and your dependents.
- Extremely generous company holiday calendar including a winter break in December.
- Competitive paid time off (PTO) offering 20 days accrued per year.
- A minimum of 7 weeks fully paid parental leave for birth/adoption.
- A $9k annual tuition reimbursement or professional development stipend.
- Fully stocked beverage refrigerators with all the Celsius your little heart desires.
- 401(k) retirement savings plan, including traditional, Roth 401(k), and after-tax deferral with company match up to 4%.
Your recruiter will be able to share more information about our salary and benefits offering during the hiring process.
Forterra is an equal-opportunity employer, providing and promoting equal employment opportunity in accordance with local, state, and federal laws. Forterrans are unique, talented individuals who are united through a shared passion to deliver autonomous systems that enable national resilience and a robust supply chain. All qualified applications will receive equal consideration for employment.