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Commodity Buyer I - Advanced Purchasing
Sumitomo Electric Wiring Systems, Inc.Farmington Hills, United Statesfull_timeVerifiedPosted 21 May 2026
About the role
SEWS — Farmington Hills, Michigan Office. Although located at SEWS – Farmington Hills Office, this is a Hybrid position, which combines both in office and off-site work. Associates are required to work at least four days in the office each week, but also have the flexibility to work off-site.
Job Title: Commodity Buyer I
BASIC PURPOSE:
The Buyer is part of the Advanced Purchasing and Strategic Sourcing Department responsible for the procurement of components for SEWS pre-production products. This position supports both North American Business Unit and Japanese OEM pre-production new business. The buyer researches and locates all necessary components, requests quotes, and procures each part that SEWS shall use to produce pre-production products or support any requests from the customer. The buyer will communicate with engineering to determine requirements and assure that such requirements are understood and met. This position shall oversee all distribution of procured inventories and follow through on invoices to ensure timely payment to suppliers.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Issue Request for Quote (RFQ) to supplier or manufacturer and support the collection of information that is required for SEWS to be able to distribute for use in program activities.
- Ensure all purchase orders are closed and supplier invoices paid on time with support from accounting and receiving warehouse.
- Prepare approval for distribution of internal inventories and issue purchase orders to approved suppliers for needed parts according to program demand.
- Track all issued POs and delivery status to ensure on time delivery. Report problem parts to each department in a timely manner.
- Maintain detailed records of requisitions and purchase orders issued. These records should contain supplier information, parts purchased, quantity purchased, piece price paid, requested delivery, delivered quantity and date received, general ledger code used to make purchase, project and event requiring such inventories. This log shall also contain tracking information with notes about status of any PO from creation to completion.
- Work with Engineering to align on technical requirements, address open issues, and ensure accurate communication across cross‑functional teams, as well as be aware of and proactively report on program status, risks, and deliverables.
- Support Business Unit pricing requests for new program or provide pricing for new OEM customer quotes.
- Support MPP (Master Project Plan) tasks and maintain strong process awareness to ensure accurate planning, alignment, and execution across program and procurement activities.
- Actively pursue cost reduction and cost avoidance throughout the product development process.
- Be able to support budget inquiries and monthly reviews.
QUALIFICATIONS/REQUIREMENTS:
- Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent work experience.
- 1 - 3 years of Purchasing and or Planning background.
- Skilled in computers. Proficient in Microsoft Office applications, especially Excel, Outlook, and Power Point.
- Possess good communication and be able to travel.
- Working knowledge or experience with automotive product development processes (IATF or equivalent).
- Conversational Japanese or Spanish preferred but not required.
About Sumitomo Electric Wiring Systems, Inc.
Sumitomo Electric Wiring Systems, Inc. (SEWS) is part of the Sumitomo family of companies, a 400 year old brand with a reputation for quality and reliability. With the support of facilities throughout North America, SEWS has been delivering innovative solutions to automakers for over 30 years, and is a leading supplier of electrical distribution systems, components and electronics. SEWS is committed to technical development worldwide and with a global network of resources, is able to deliver a truly competitive advantage to each of
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