Technical Buyer - Electric Motors
Fluid Equipment Development CompanyTechnical Buyer - Electric Motors Department: Purchasing Location: FEDCO Headquarters, Monroe, Michigan Employment Status: Full-Time, Exempt Reports To: Supply Chain Manager Position Summary The Technical Buyer - Electric Motors sources and manages electric motors, variable frequency drives (VFDs), and related components for FEDCO products and customer projects. This purchasing role requires the technical knowledge to evaluate requirements, compare proposals, identify specification gaps, and coordinate questions with Engineering, Sales, Quality, and suppliers. The position owns quotations, purchase orders, pricing, delivery performance, negotiations, and supplier relationships while balancing cost, quality, lead time, compliance, and customer requirements. Essential Responsibilities Purchasing and Order Execution Request, evaluate, and compare supplier quotations for motors, VFDs, accessories, and related components. Create and manage purchase orders; verify pricing, quantities, specifications, documentation, and delivery dates. Resolve supplier acknowledgement discrepancies involving configuration, price, lead time, freight, warranty, or terms. Monitor open orders and delivery commitments; escalate risks and drive recovery actions. Maintain accurate ERP data and coordinate expedites, changes, cancellations, returns, warranty claims, and corrective actions. Technical Motor Purchasing Review motor data sheets, drawings, customer specifications, and application requirements to confirm the required configuration. Compare ratings, voltage, frequency, speed, frame, enclosure, efficiency, mounting, duty, hazardous-area requirements, and accessories. Identify exceptions or missing information and coordinate approvals with Engineering, Sales, Quality, customers, and suppliers. Confirm NEMA or IEC construction, regional electrical requirements, and certifications; support motor and VFD sourcing without assuming final design authority. Supplier Sourcing and Commercial Management Develop and maintain qualified domestic and global sources for standard and engineered motor requirements. Negotiate pricing, lead times, payment terms, freight, warranties, minimum quantities, stocking arrangements, and supply agreements. Evaluate total landed cost, including freight, tariffs, duties, quality risk, lead time, and inventory impact. Support supplier qualification and performance reviews; track quality, delivery, responsiveness, cost, technical support, market conditions, and supply risks. Cross-Functional Support and Improvement Partner with Planning and Operations on forecasts, inventory, shortages, and project priorities. Support product development, engineering changes, value analysis, standardization, and cost reduction. Provide motor pricing, lead-time, sourcing, and technical information for quotations and customer orders. Maintain supplier records and reports, comply with purchasing, quality, and trade requirements, and perform other duties as assigned. Performance Expectations Success in this role may be evaluated through: Supplier quality, delivery, responsiveness, cost control, and technical support. Accuracy of sourcing decisions, purchase orders, documentation, and supplier commitments. Cost savings, risk avoidance, timely support, clear communication, organized records, and follow-through. Required Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Engineering, Business, or a related field preferred; equivalent technical training and relevant experience may be considered. Five or more years of purchasing, sourcing, or supplier-management experience involving electric motors, drives, rotating equipment, or industrial electrical components. Experience buying three-phase induction motors, working with manufacturers or distributors, developing requests for quotation, comparing proposals, negotiating terms, and managing orders through delivery. International sourcing, landed-cost analysis, and engineered-to-order manufacturing e…