Lead Buyer

About Veeco
You probably don’t realize it, but what we do at Veeco touches the lives of every person, every day. It’s a bold statement, but it’s true. From the smartphones in our pockets that access the world’s collective knowledge, to the cloud-based services where all that information lives, to high-speed wireless communication and computing power needed to drive artificial intelligence, augmented and virtual reality, gaming and so much more, our technology is all around us. 

We design, develop, manufacture, and service highly complex, cutting-edge machines used by our customers to create the essential devices that drive the digital age, connect the world, and improve the human experience. Along with the world’s leading technology companies, many of which are household names, we help solve their most difficult material science challenges, enabling technologies for a more connected, sustainable, and convenient world.

We’re looking for material difference-makers to join our growing team. Interested? Learn more at www.veeco.com/careers.

Overview

The Lead Buyer position is high level to strategic ownership and team enablement; responsible for procuring complex sub systems, higher-level and tool-level assembly systems and services consistent with specified levels of quality, delivery, price and total cost; ensuring that all purchase orders are managed, documented and administered in compliance with the company procedures and policies. This individual can work on problems of diverse scope where analysis of situations or data requires evaluation of related factors and exercises judgment within “best of” supply chain practices and defined company practices and policies; selecting methods and techniques for obtaining optimal solutions and meeting team and company objectives. The Lead Buyer works globally as a team member of an international procurement office and lead Tier 1 contract manufacturer and sub-tier suppliers to execute a high-mix/low-volume production, and stringent “Copy-Exactly” quality standards and meet cost target of a complex Bills of Materials (BoMs).  

Responsibilities

• Places direct and indirect purchase orders for Tier 1/critical suppliers (e.g., complex vacuum chambers, Advanced mechatronics systems, Higher-level and Tool-level assembly systems; utilizing MRP or other planning strategies and performing all steps in the procurement process with extreme accuracy and care to avoid economic loss and customer dissatisfaction.
• Negotiate best of price, lead-time and delivery for assigned material, assuring best of total cost. Capable of negotiating and writing contracts as needed to purchase goods and services. Exercises judgment and knowledge of assigned commodities / material categories, suppliers and supply chain to make purchases consistent with specified levels of quality, delivery and price.
• Strong verbal and written communication; effectively and consistently communicating expectations, requirements, and issues with suppliers and stakeholders across departments and business units. Capable of communicating with both middle and upper management with clarity.
• Independently capable of anticipating, recognizing, analyzing and resolving complex supply chain bottlenecks; communicating and involving management and stakeholders only after exhausting all means within the limits of delegated authority to solve such problems. 
• Capable of making recommendations for policies, procedures, and improvements which will improve effectiveness and efficiency, in the quality, cycle time and cost of and, where asked, to lead such change.
• Regularly create and publish Purchasing Metrics and Reports
• Maintain schedules and the life of the purchase order from receipt of requisition, placement of order, management of expedites / reschedules / cancelations / past due orders, to acceptance of the assigned material into stock and the resolve of invoice discrepancies
• Process rejected materials and returns per (MRB) guidelines; assuring cause and corrective action follow up as necessary
• Coordinate the execution of Engineering Change Requests (ECR’s) and Engineering Change Orders (ECO’s)
• Request quotations with vendors for best total cost (price, lead-time, delivery, service). 
• Support and capable, where asked, to lead global sourcing strategies and continuous improvement initiatives.  Capable of understanding, introducing and leading new thought / “best of” supply chain practices into the group.  Capable of facilitating small to medium size group effectively; designing and managing working sessions; involving and communicating with middle and upper management as necessary.
• Manage supplier relationships and performance to meet company expectations and objectives.  Capable of managing the most complicated and difficult supplier relationships and performance issues. 
• Maintain and help define the data that enables the effectiveness of company systems and processes

Qualifications

BS degree in Business, Logistics or Supply Chain and a minimum of 12 years of purchasing experience. Candidates with APICS certification and/or CSCMP membership a plus.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Demonstrated experience utilizing MRP systems (preferably SAP).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Requires an excellent working knowledge of ERP systems and MRP procurement processes.
• Strong knowledge of MS Office/ proficient in Excel and comprehensive computer skills required.
• Strong Negotiation skills
• Must be highly detailed and able to work multiple tasks independently with little direct supervision in a fast-paced environment.
• Understanding of Purchasing Law as it applies to the purchasing function
• Influence without Authority: Exceptional ability to drive alignment across functional departments (Engineering, Quality, Planning, and Manufacturing) to achieve build plans and shipments to internal/external customer
• Resilience & Agility: Comfortable navigating the rapid ramps and sudden corrections characteristic of the semiconductor market

Veeco is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, genetic information, and other legally protected characteristics. Veeco is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities.

Notice to Applicants:
All communication about open positions and hiring will come from someone with a @veeco.com email address. You will always have multiple interviews and meet several team members (in-person or virtually) before we present an offer. We may also check references or conduct a background investigation as part of the offer process. We will never ask you for money for any reason, especially to send equipment or for pre-employment training. If you have any questions or concerns, or if someone has reached out to you and you think it might be a scam, please get in touch with us at recruiting@veeco.com.