Technical Buyer - Castings, Forgings and Fabrications

Unique Personnel

  • East Rand, Gauteng
  • Permanent
  • Full-time
  • 5 days ago
Purpose and Responsibilities To manage and optimise the procurement of castings, forgings, and fabricated components with a strong technical focus on pattern management and patternless casting strategies. The role bridges technical expertise and commercial accountability, ensuring cost-effective, high-quality, and timely supply of critical components. This role is essential to maintaining technical oversight of foundry processes and patterns while driving innovation through the adoption of patternless technologies to reduce lead times and improve procurement value Main tasks and responsibilities Procurement Castings, Forgings & Fabrications Source, negotiate, and procure castings, forgings, and fabricated items in alignment with production and engineering requirements. Evaluate and manage supplier performance with regard to cost, quality, delivery, technical compliance, and responsiveness. Analyse market trends and cost drivers in the casting and fabrication space to identify cost-saving opportunities. Maintain a reliable supplier base for critical components, including risk mitigation strategies to reduce single-source dependency. Execute purchase orders and contracts in accordance with company policy and engineering specifications. Foundry & Pattern Technical Oversight Oversee and manage the companys pattern inventory and associated documentation, including pattern ownership registers and condition reports. Review and approve technical drawings and specifications in collaboration with engineering and quality teams. Audit foundries for technical capability, pattern storage conditions, and compliance with company casting requirements. Support root cause investigations into casting-related quality issues and assist in implementing corrective actions with foundries. Act as the central liaison between engineering, operations, and foundries on all pattern and tooling matters. Patternless Casting Strategy Development Identify cast components suitable for patternless casting methods based on cost, lead time, and technical feasibility. Work with existing and new suppliers to pilot patternless casting projects, including additive manufacturing or CNC-machined mold strategies. 1Track and report on the % of casting spend converted to patternless manufacturing, with target progression toward 1015% over 24 months. Develop technical and commercial benchmarks for evaluating patternlesscasting performance and ROI. Create and maintain a roadmap for patternless strategy adoption across product lines and supplier capabilities. Cross functional Collaboration Collaborate closely with Engineering, Quality, and Planning departments to align casting procurement with product development and production schedules. Participate in design for manufacturability (DFM) reviews with engineering to influence casting-friendly designs early in the process. Prepare monthly reports on casting procurement KPIs, including cost savings, supplier performance, and patternless adoption metrics. Lead supplier technical workshops to communicate product changes, tolerance expectations, and future technology roadmaps. Support CAPEX or R&D initiatives related to casting improvements or new patternless production technologies.
Qualifications/Experience and Knowledge Required Technical or commercial qualification Significant experience of working in an international matrix organization Significant experience in the procurement of engineered equipment, castings and forgings. Proven track record in supply chain environments Strong negotiation skills Analytical skills and structured work Good MS Office skills and knowledge of relevant IT solutions, in particular SAP Competencies and behaviour required Technical aptitude with a strong ability to interpret technical drawings, tolerances and casting methods Negotiation & Commercial acumen Analytical Thinking to analyse cost structures, lead time trends and supplier performance data. Problem Solving Cross-functional collaboration Communication Supplier Relationship Management Adaptability Time Management Decision accountability Supplier selection and sourcing strategy Technical Specification and Pattern Oversight Patternless Casting conversion Commercial negotiation and Cost management Issue resolution and escalation Financial Delegation of authority

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