How to hire a senior buyer

How to hire a senior buyer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step senior buyer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a senior buyer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new senior buyer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a senior buyer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the senior buyer you need to hire. Certain senior buyer roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect senior buyer also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list shows salaries for various types of senior buyers.

   Type of Senior Buyer	Description	Hourly rate
   Senior Buyer	Buyers and purchasing agents buy products and services for organizations to use or resell. They evaluate suppliers, negotiate contracts, and review the quality of products.	$26-53
   Materials Planner	Usually working in a manufacturing setting, a materials planner's role is to manage the supply flow and inventory of materials. Their responsibilities revolve around liaising with vendors and other external agencies, processing purchase orders, monitoring the quality of supplies to ensure it is according to the standards, and coordinating with various teams to learn their needs... Show more	$21-35
   Purchasing Agent	A purchasing agent's general task is keeping purchase records and making sure that there won't be any discrepancies with the handling of orders. The purchasing agent should be responsible for the order processing and payment collection... Show more	$17-34

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Supply Chain
   • Purchase Orders
   • MRP
   • Supplier Performance
   • Commodities
   • Continuous Improvement
   • Customer Service
   • Logistics
   • ERP
   • Cost Reduction
   • Product Development
   • Project Management
   • Vendor Relationships
   • On-Time Delivery

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage assigned commodities by communicating MRP changes and forecasts to minimize excess inventory to achieve optimum inventory levels.
   • Manage and analyze supplier OTD and keep in constant communication with suppliers to help improve delivery.
   • Manage ECO process with overseas manufacturing partner.
   • Lead Made2Manage ERP system development and implementation to improve effectiveness and efficiency of inventory.
   • Manage invoice reconciliations, RFQ management, system database review and regular inventory reporting.
   • Manage commodities at establish re-order point levels meeting forecast for production scale-up and revenue goals.

   More senior buyer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your senior buyer job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A senior buyer salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a senior buyer in Colorado may be lower than in New York, and an entry-level senior buyer usually earns less than a senior-level senior buyer. Additionally, a senior buyer with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average senior buyer salary

   $79,848yearly

   $38.39 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level senior buyer salary

   $56,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average senior buyer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$97,781	$47
   2	New Jersey	$96,656	$46
   3	Maryland	$88,950	$43
   4	South Carolina	$88,193	$42
   5	Massachusetts	$85,935	$41
   6	Pennsylvania	$85,392	$41
   7	California	$84,647	$41
   8	Delaware	$83,643	$40
   9	North Carolina	$82,988	$40
   10	Michigan	$81,608	$39
   11	Virginia	$79,565	$38
   12	Indiana	$75,564	$36
   13	Alabama	$73,471	$35
   14	Nevada	$72,939	$35
   15	Georgia	$72,146	$35
   16	Illinois	$71,594	$34
   17	Washington	$69,125	$33
   18	Texas	$69,121	$33
   19	Maine	$68,916	$33
   20	Arizona	$67,891	$33

   Average senior buyer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Capgemini	$134,236	$64.54	3
   2	Microsoft	$117,800	$56.63	31
   3	Varian Medical Systems	$114,191	$54.90
   4	SMTC	$113,315	$54.48
   5	FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies	$112,512	$54.09	2
   6	Darden Restaurants	$111,010	$53.37
   7	Micron Technology	$107,669	$51.76
   8	JCPenney	$106,786	$51.34	6
   9	Lam Research	$106,760	$51.33	3
   10	Palo Alto Networks	$106,309	$51.11
   11	Zebra Technologies	$105,779	$50.86	5
   12	Skyworks Solutions	$105,016	$50.49	1
   13	New Jersey Resources	$104,395	$50.19	1
   14	Denbury Resources	$104,010	$50.00
   15	Coherent	$101,855	$48.97	4
   16	Fashion Nova	$101,525	$48.81	12
   17	Whirlpool	$100,315	$48.23	5
   18	Yoh	$100,044	$48.10
   19	General Motors	$100,013	$48.08	7
   20	PepsiCo	$99,983	$48.07	6

4. Writing a senior buyer job description

   A senior buyer job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a senior buyer job description:

   Senior buyer job description example

   Your career begins at Cone Drive Operations, a Timken company! Cone Drive is located in beautiful Traverse City, Michigan and boasts nearly 100 years of success in the gearing industry. If you're ready for a challenging career that provides you with the ability to advance personally and professionally, look to Cone Drive. Our associates make the world more productive by improving the efficiency and reliability of the machinery that keeps industry in motion.The Buyer / Sr. Buyer's primary role will be managing designated commodities and Suppliers while supporting our Supply Chain KPI's (on time delivery, quality, and cost management). A successful candidate will take ownership of their Suppliers while proactively managing their responsibilities. This includes cost analysis, supplier selection, delivery performance, quality assessments, etc. The success of this position is heavily reliant on proper communication with Suppliers and internal Customers. Title, responsibilities, and compensation will be dependent on applicants Supply Chain experience. Responsibilities:
   
   Proactively manages assigned Suppliers and Commodities; identifying risks and ensuring supplier execution of our KPI's (On-time delivery, cost, and quality)
   
   Conducts supplier visits to develop new suppliers and/or existing suppliers to address quality or delivery issues with existing suppliers
   
   Implements methods to ensure materials are delivered to meet planned dates in two production facilities
   
   Uses analytical skills to provide strategic analysis of assigned commodities and vendors while looking for opportunities for continuous improvements to lead times, supplier stocking programs, pricing, etc
   
   Utilizes sourcing and negotiation skills to implement long term agreements and integration of key suppliers, performance monitoring, and supplier contract management
   
   Owns quoting activity for new projects as well as bench marking existing business to identify the best total cost
   Tracks commodity pricing Issues purchase orders and expedites components as needed while communication effectively with Manufacturing Manages and optimizes inventory levels via Kanban and safety stock initiatives with suppliers Requirements: Bachelors Degree in Supply Chain Management or related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience 5 years related experience Positive attitude and team player. Desire to work well with others and support each other's goals Strong interpersonal skills, attention to detail, and overall organizational skills Negotiation skills and a desire to create win/win solutions for Cone Drive and our Suppliers Understanding of purchase order software platforms (INFOR / XA a plus) Inventory management experience Able to read, analyze and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures or government regulations. Ability to read and interpret prints and a PPAP requirements All qualified applicants shall be treated equally according to their individual qualifications, abilities, experiences and other employment standards. There will be no discrimination due to gender or gender identity, race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, sexual orientation, veteran/military status or any other basis protected by applicable law.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right senior buyer for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with senior buyers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit senior buyers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your senior buyer job on Zippia to find and recruit senior buyer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit senior buyers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new senior buyer

   Once you've decided on a perfect senior buyer candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new senior buyer. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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