Buyer II

Vast is looking for a Buyer II, reporting to the Senior Manager, Procurement, to support the development of the systems that will be required for the design and build of human-rated space stations.

This will be a full-time, exempt position located in our Long Beach location.

Responsibilities:

• Manage the full procurement lifecycle for assigned commodities/categories, from demand identification through fulfillment.
• Manage supply base against business KPI’s and drive supplier improvement activities
• Act as a voice for Supply Chain to inform and influence partner organizations to drive both strategic and tactical initiatives
• Proactively align source selection, negotiation, and contracting strategies with program, customer, and product strategies
• Review and leverage contracts and Terms & Conditions, lead negotiations, and build defensible should-cost models
• Coordinate and collaborate with key stakeholders such as Legal, Contracts, Finance, Planning, Operations, Program Management, Engineering, and Quality to effectively manage supplier performance in the best interests of Vast
• Communicate proactively and align messaging to business priorities. Flag risks to schedule, cost, and delivery. Share commodity strategies to influence business decisions
• The selected candidate should thrive in a fast-paced work environment with high expectations, significantly diverse assignments, and collaborative team settings across all levels

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent practical experience)
• 2–4+ years of experience in sourcing/procurement, supply chain, or manufacturing operations
• Experience supporting supplier selection and RFQ/RFP cycles, negotiations, and PO placement
• Exposure to manufacturing and/or aerospace supply chains strongly preferred

Preferred Skills & Experience:

• Bachelors of science degree in Engineering, Supply Chain Management, Business, or related field
• Experience in a purchasing or sourcing role supporting aerospace, spaceflight, or other highly regulated manufacturing environments and complex systems
• Ability to work effectively in a team environment
• Ability to make independent judgments with limited information
• Communication skills for relaying data (verbally and in-writing) between other employees, vendors, and customers
• Comfortable working in a high-stress environment balancing several projects at any given time, and the flexibility to adjust for abrupt changes in strategic direction
• Ability to balance multiple priorities with ambiguous instructions

Additional Requirements:

• Willingness to travel up to 20% of the time to support supplier visits
• Work evenings and/or weekends to support critical mission milestones