Buyer III

Buyer III

Overview

We are seeking an experienced Buyer III to join a dynamic procurement team supporting multiple aerospace and defense programs. In this role, you will manage high-volume purchasing activities for critical hardware commodities, ensuring timely procurement, supplier performance, regulatory compliance, and operational excellence.

This position is ideal for procurement professionals who thrive in a fast-paced, metrics-driven environment and have experience working with ERP systems, supplier management, and government-regulated procurement processes.

Key Responsibilities

• Review purchase requisitions (PRs) for accuracy, completeness, and compliance with procurement policies and procedures.
• Convert purchase requisitions into purchase orders (POs), with a focus on efficient, high-volume transaction processing.
• Manage micro-purchases and other procurement transactions while ensuring cycle-time and quality objectives are met.
• Collaborate with suppliers to confirm pricing, lead times, order status, and delivery schedules.
• Monitor supplier performance and proactively resolve delivery delays, shortages, or order discrepancies.
• Maintain accurate procurement records and supporting documentation in accordance with company and regulatory requirements.
• Ensure compliance with FAR, DFARS, and other applicable government procurement regulations.
• Partner with program teams, internal stakeholders, and procurement leadership to support business objectives and program schedules.
• Conduct basic cost and price analysis and support supplier negotiation activities when needed.
• Utilize SAP and other ERP systems to manage purchasing activities and maintain data integrity.
• Support procurement of hardware commodities including:
  • Nuts, bolts, screws, and fasteners
  • Gaskets and mechanical components
  • Cables and connectors
  • Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) parts
  • High-volume manufacturing materials
• Contribute to process improvement initiatives and procurement best practices.

Required Qualifications

• 3+ years of purchasing, procurement, supply chain, or buyer experience.
• Experience managing the full procurement lifecycle, including:
  • Requisition review
  • Purchase order creation
  • Supplier communication
  • Cost validation
  • Documentation management
  • Compliance oversight
• Experience using SAP or a comparable ERP system.
• Knowledge of FAR, DFARS, and government procurement requirements.
• Experience purchasing hardware, manufacturing, or industrial commodities.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a high-volume environment.
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Proven ability to work effectively with suppliers and cross-functional teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Operations, or a related field.
• Aerospace, defense, or government contracting experience.
• Manufacturing industry experience.
• Experience with SAP, Ariba, or similar procurement platforms.
• Background in supplier negotiations, commodity management, and cost analysis.
• Ability to drive continuous improvement initiatives and support process standardization.

What We're Looking For

The ideal candidate is a detail-oriented procurement professional who enjoys working in a structured, process-driven environment while managing a high volume of purchasing activity. Success in this role requires strong problem-solving skills, supplier management experience, and the ability to balance speed, accuracy, and compliance in support of critical manufacturing and defense programs.

If you're looking to grow your procurement career while supporting innovative aerospace and defense initiatives, we'd love to hear from you.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract position based out of San Diego, CA.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $38.00 - $58.00/hr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job
classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be
subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits
available for this temporary role may include the following:

• Medical, dental & vision
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
• 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Short and long-term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in San Diego,CA.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Sep 16, 2026.

About Aston Carter

Aston Carter provides world-class corporate talent solutions to thousands of clients across the globe. Specialized in accounting, finance, human resources, talent acquisition, procurement, supply chain and select administrative professions, we extend the capabilities of industry-leading companies. We draw on our deep recruiting expertise and expansive network to meet the evolving needs of our clients and talent community with agility and excellence. With offices across the U.S., Canada, Asia Pacific and Europe, Aston Carter serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® Platinum Award winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email [email protected] for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.