Category Buyer

What you’ll do

The Category Buyer for the Transformers category owns the end-to-end buy for everything that goes into a transformer — metal tanks, core & coil, dielectric oil, and final assembly components. You will run supplier sourcing and negotiations, place and manage purchase orders to keep production on schedule, and build the category strategy that drives cost down and delivery performance up over time. This role is central to keeping our transformer line fed with the right materials, at the right cost, on time.

Where you’ll work

We are an in-office culture — velocity matters when you're building physical infrastructure, and the best decisions happen in the room. This role is ideally based in our Houston plant location, with full-time onsite expectations outside of bi-weekly WFH Fridays.

Responsibilities

Order Execution & Delivery

• Place and manage purchase orders for metal tanks, core & coil, dielectric oil, and transformer assembly components to maintain tight delivery timelines
• Track open orders and supplier commitments; expedite as needed to prevent production line disruptions
• Own on-time delivery performance for the transformer category and drive corrective action when suppliers miss commitments

Sourcing & Negotiation

• Run the RFI/RFQ process for new and existing components — metal tanks, core & coil (electrical steel, copper/aluminum winding), oil, and assembly hardware
• Negotiate component costs, payment terms, and supplier contracts to meet category cost targets
• Identify, qualify, and onboard new suppliers to strengthen the transformer supply base, including tank fabricators and core & coil winders
• Draft and manage supplier contracts, including terms, pricing schedules, and volume commitments

Risk Management

• Manage risk on long lead-time items — core steel, copper/aluminum winding, and custom-fabricated tanks — through buffer strategies, alternate sourcing, and early-warning tracking
• Monitor supply base health and flag single-source or capacity risks before they impact production
• Partner with Quality and Engineering on supplier qualification and material substitutions when risk requires it

Commodity Strategy & Performance

• Build and maintain the commodity strategy for the transformer category — sourcing roadmap, supplier consolidation, and cost-down initiatives
• Track and report supplier performance: on-time delivery, quality, cost, and responsiveness
• Drive year-over-year cost reduction through negotiation, should-cost analysis, and supplier competition
• Stay current on steel, copper, aluminum, and transformer oil market pricing trends to inform buying and negotiation timing

Requirements

• 5+ years in procurement, sourcing, or commodity management, ideally in transformer, electrical equipment, or heavy industrial manufacturing
• Experience buying core & coil materials (electrical steel, magnet wire), metal tanks/fabrications, or dielectric fluids a strong plus
• Hands-on experience running RFI/RFQ processes, negotiating supplier contracts, and issuing/managing POs
• Track record of managing long lead-time and supply-constrained categories
• Strong negotiation skills with a track record of delivering measurable cost reduction
• Comfortable working with ERP/procurement systems for PO management and reporting
• Ability to read BOMs and component specifications to support sourcing decisions
• Strong written and verbal communication; able to work cross-functionally with Engineering, Quality, and Operations

Bonus points 

• Experience in transformer or switchboard manufacturing, familiarity with electrical infrastructure
• Experience with ERP/MRP systems (SAP, Oracle, Dynamics365, NetSuite, etc.)
• Experience with establishing a vendor network from the ground up