First Solar · 2 months ago
Purchasing Supervisor
Gaffney, SC
Full-time
Hybrid
Mid, Senior Level
$92K/yr - $131K/yr
5+ years expFirst Solar is a leading company in the solar energy sector, and they are seeking a Purchasing Supervisor to oversee the purchasing activities for their Module Manufacturing organization. The role involves supervising a team of buyers, ensuring timely procurement of materials, and optimizing inventory management to support production requirements.
Clean EnergyManufacturingSolar
Responsibilities
Supervise team of buyers for all purchasing activities supporting the First Solar Module Manufacturing organization (North America)
Responsible for assuring Purchase Orders are placed and deliveries are scheduled & maintained to meet production requirements for the Module Manufacturing organization
Provides support with alignment, coaching, and talent development for all subordinates
Implements and enforces global purchasing processes and procedures
Supports efforts to optimize inventory turns, minimize stock outs, and prevent production disruptions
Contributes to the development of Global Purchasing processes and procedures
Measures supplier performance metrics
Responsible for obtaining bids, negotiating price reductions and placing orders for supplies, materials, services, and equipment
Supports the qualification of new suppliers
Responsible for Supervising assigned Buyers; providing daily direction, as needed, to ensure alignment
Responsible for training Assigned Buyers, as well as providing coaching and guidance for talent development
Responsible for processing purchase orders according to established guidelines and in a cost-efficient manner
Utilizing MRP and other inputs, as well as independent analysis, to determine what items need to be ordered and in what quantity, and place Purchase Orders with approved suppliers to meet manufacturing requirements
Identifies potential stock-outs; takes proactive steps to minimize their impact and effectively communicate and informs necessary organizations
Expedite or de-expedite deliveries, as required, by changing scheduled quantities to meet changes in production or requirements, including working with Logistics to schedule and arrange timely and cost-effective deliveries
Responsible for successful implementation and sustainment of global purchasing processes and procedures
Responsible for the development, management, and tracking of key purchasing metrics
Responsible for negotiating pricing for assigned materials and/or services to improve product cost
Responsible for resolving payment issues with suppliers to ensure on time payment processing and mitigation of potential credit hold situations
Responsible for managing the commercial relationship between First Solar and its key local suppliers
Perform on-site audits/visits to potential or current suppliers as necessary
May negotiate contractual agreements with defined pricing and terms and conditions for non-strategic materials, goods and services and/or capital equipment
Independently investigates new suppliers for improved price, delivery and quality
Participates in, and may lead, supplier selection, qualification, evaluation, and re-evaluations for new and current suppliers
May work with engineering to modify or finalize specifications
Maintains effective communications levels and fosters team building
Adheres to all First Solar internal processes and procedures, including safety, SOA, ISO9000, SIO14000, and housekeeping standards
Adheres to all safety procedures and good housekeeping standards
Ensure no downtime of the manufacturing process at First Solar due to purchasing execution
Supplier relationships are maintained and improved with excellent communication
Product cost and cash flow are positively impacted
Cross functional support with other First Solar Module Manufacturing sites
Other duties as assigned
Qualification
Required
8 years purchasing experience with an Associate's Degree or 5 years purchasing experience with Bachelor's Degree
Has thorough knowledge of commonly-used concepts, practices, and procedures within the Purchasing field
Knowledge of engineering databases and managing specification changes with suppliers
In depth knowledge of MRP concepts leveraging one or more ERP systems
Demonstrated ability to manage suppliers and supplier relationships
Broad knowledge of techniques used in negotiating cost reductions along with terms and conditions with suppliers
Ability to provide direction to sub-ordinates to ensure actions are aligned with corporate goals
Ability to train, coach and provide guidance to Associates to enable talent development
An understanding of internal controls, and audit practices and procedures
Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills
Proficient use of all Microsoft Office suite programs
Preferred
Experience in a manufacturing environment
Supervisory experience
APICS experience
Benefits
Relocation assistance may be provided where applicable.
Company
First Solar
First Solar manufactures thin film photovoltaic modules and provides PV power plants and supporting services.
5001-10000 employees
H1B Sponsorship
First Solar has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (57)
2024 (34)
2023 (19)
2022 (15)
2021 (7)
2020 (16)
Funding
Current Stage
Public CompanyTotal Funding
$2.17BKey Investors
U.S. International Development Finance CorpMizuho Corporate Bank
2023-07-06Post Ipo Debt· $1B
2021-12-07Post Ipo Debt· $500M
2021-04-01Undisclosed
Leadership Team
Mark Widmar
CEO
Angela Younes
Office Manager/Assistant to the CTO
Recent News
2026-01-07
2026-01-07
Company data provided by crunchbase