Senior Buyer

Further your career at Ball, a world leader in manufacturing sustainable aluminium packaging. Achieve extraordinary things when you join our team, and make a difference in your professional development, the community, and around the globe!

Ball is thrilled to receive Newsweek's 2023 Top 100 Global Most Loved Workplace award! As a sustainable product leader, we have over 16,000 global team members. From endlessly recyclable aluminum cans, and cups, to aerosol bottles, our goal is to contribute to a better community, society, and world.

Position Overview:

We are seeking an experienced Senior Buyer to lead procurement activities for critical global categories including Freight, Packaging, MRO, Facility management, and Indirect materials (e.g., temporary labor, IT, professional services). This role will oversee spend across multiple regions, including Europe, North and Central America (NCA), and South America (SA), and will collaborate closely with global category managers and plant stakeholders to drive best-in-class sourcing strategies.
The Senior Buyer will manage the end-to-end procurement lifecycle, lead supplier performance initiatives, and identify and execute sourcing opportunities that deliver cost savings, service improvements, and innovation. This is a role with direct impact on plant operations and strategic sourcing efforts globally.

Key Responsibilities include:

•    Develop and implement category strategies aligned with business objectives and global category management, leveraging negotiation planning and creative commercial tactics to drive optimal outcomes.
•    Manage purchase order lifecycle activities, including PO creation, troubleshooting, reporting, administration, and close-out.
•    Serve as a subject matter expert for procurement policies, tools, and processes across regional plants.
•    Identify, present, and implement process improvement opportunities to enhance procurement efficiency and value delivery.
•    Support global category managers in strategic initiatives, supplier negotiations, and business reviews.
•    Partner with stakeholders to gather requirements, analyze spend data, and identify opportunities for improvement and consolidation.
•    Monitor supplier performance and resolve issues related to cost, quality, or delivery.
•    Ensure consistent and timely procurement to support operational continuity at all plant locations.
•    Lead supplier relationship management, including contract management, performance evaluation, and risk mitigation.
•    Participate in the onboarding and support of new suppliers and in ensuring supply readiness for new plant startups when applicable.
•    Develop a view of the balance between supply and demand and actively monitor market conditions to support informed sourcing decisions.
•    Proactively report progress on sourcing targets and support global procurement KPIs.

What are we looking for?

•    Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, Engineering, or related field; advanced certifications (e.g., MBA, CPSM, PMP) preferred.
•    Minimum of 4 years of relevant experience in strategic procurement, sourcing, or supply chain.
•    Demonstrated expertise in managing complex categories such as Freight, Packaging, MRO, and indirect materials.
•    Advanced proficiency in written and spoken English is a must
•    Strong knowledge of ERP systems and procurement tools (e.g., SAP, Ariba, Coupa) and Proficiency in Microsoft Office (especially Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint).
•    Excellent analytical, negotiation, and supplier management skills.
•    Experience in working across regions (Europe, NCA, SA) and navigating cultural and regulatory differences in procurement practices.
•    Experience with e-auctions is considered an advantage.

Ball Corporation is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We actively encourage applications from everybody, regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, faith, ability, or orientation.

When you join Ball you belong to a team of over 16,000 members worldwide. Our products range from infinitely recyclable aluminium cans, cups to aerosol bottles solutions that enable our customers to contribute to a better world.
Each of us has a deep commitment to diversity and inclusion which is the foundation of our culture of belonging. Everyone at Ball is making a difference by doing what we love. Because what we create may change, but what we will always make is a difference.

Please note the advertised job title might vary from the job title on the contract due to local job title structure and global HR systems.
 

No agencies please.