Buyer

Who We Are

Applied Materials is the global leader in materials science and engineering solutions that are at the foundation of virtually every new semiconductor chip and advanced display in the world. The equipment that we create and service is essential to advancing AI and accelerating the commercialization of next-generation semiconductor chips. Join us and push the boundaries of materials science and engineering in a company at the foundation of the electronics industry. The work we do together advances the world’s technology. 

What We Offer

Salary:

$64,000.00 - $88,000.00

Location:

Austin,TX, Santa Clara,CA

You’ll benefit from a supportive work culture that encourages you to learn, develop, and grow your career as you take on challenges and drive innovative solutions for our customers. We empower our team to push the boundaries of what is possible—while learning every day in a supportive leading global company. Visit our Careers website to learn more. 

At Applied Materials, we care about the health and wellbeing of our employees. We’re committed to providing programs and support that encourage personal and professional growth and care for you at work, at home, or wherever you may go. Learn more about our benefits. 

As a Buyer, you’ll be responsible for purchasing the materials, supplies, machinery, and services that equip our state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities. You’ll collaborate across teams and showcase your organization and strategic planning skills to monitor inventory, manage delivery scheduling, negotiate with suppliers, and procure essential items that transform possibilities into realities for our customers and teams.

NOTE: Internals Must Apply To Each Individual Requistion Via Internal Job Site. Internal Applicants To This Req Will be Dispositioned.

Applied Materials is seeking highly motivated procurement professionals to support both production purchasing and New Product Introduction (NPI) initiatives. These roles are responsible for managing supplier relationships, sourcing materials, driving procurement execution, and ensuring uninterrupted supply to support manufacturing and product development activities.

The Buyer owns an assigned Purchasing Group (P-Group) and manages a high volume of parts and suppliers, while the NPI Buyer II & III focuses on full lifecycle management of complex custom components supporting new product development programs.

Successful candidates will be highly organized, analytical, proactive problem-solvers who thrive in fast-paced environments and are eager to continuously grow their expertise in supply chain, manufacturing, and product development.

Buyer - Core Function

• Manages a large volume of parts and suppliers.
• Owns and manages an assigned Purchasing Group (P-Group).
• Ensures material availability to support production requirements.
• Serves as the primary procurement contact for assigned commodities and suppliers.

Day-to-Day Responsibilities

• Receive demand requirements from assigned P-Group.
• Issue Requests for Quotations (RFQs) and bids to suppliers.
• Evaluate supplier quotations based on price, lead time, availability, quality, and overall value.
• Select suppliers and negotiate pricing and delivery requirements when appropriate.
• Create, release, and manage purchase orders.
• Monitor open orders and supplier commitments.
• Coordinate with planning, manufacturing, engineering, and operations teams regarding supply requirements.
• Ensure timely delivery of materials to support business needs.
• Maintain accurate purchasing records within ERP systems.

Supplier Management & Issue Resolution

• Develop and maintain strong supplier relationships.
• Monitor supplier performance including quality, cost, delivery, and responsiveness.
• Track and drive resolution of Supplier Problem Sheets (SPS).
• Ensure supplier-related issues continue progressing toward closure.
• Escalate critical issues when necessary to minimize operational impact.
• Support supplier development and performance improvement initiatives.

Continuous Improvement

• Identify opportunities for procurement process improvements.
• Support cost reduction initiatives and sourcing strategies.
• Participate in supplier business reviews.
• Analyze procurement metrics and supplier performance data.
• Support inventory optimization and supply continuity efforts.

NPI Buyer II & III

Position Overview

The NPI Buyer II & III is responsible for sourcing, purchasing, and managing materials required for New Product Introduction (NPI) programs. This role focuses on highly engineered and technically complex components, requiring full lifecycle ownership from initial release through production readiness.

The ideal candidate thrives on challenges, takes ownership of critical projects, and is committed to continuous growth and development. This position serves as a key interface between engineering, manufacturing, sourcing, suppliers, program management, and leadership teams.

Candidates must be hungry for growth, eager to take on challenges, and capable of managing the complete lifecycle of highly complex parts and supplier relationships.

Key Responsibilities -New Product Introduction

• Responsible for sourcing, purchasing, and managing materials required for new product development and introduction.
• Lead supply chain management activities involving identification, development, qualification, and management of existing and new suppliers.
• Partner with Manufacturing and Engineering to maintain inventory at planned levels and support production readiness.
• Lead resolution of material-related design, accounting, supplier, and receiving issues.

Procurement & Supply Chain Leadership

• Develop and implement business process simplification initiatives within procurement.
• Participate in the creation and maintenance of ISO documentation related to purchasing processes.
• Drive supplier accountability regarding delivery, quality, responsiveness, and program commitments.

Parts Lifecycle Management

• Manage 200-250 custom NPI parts simultaneously.
• Own full lifecycle management from engineering release through production readiness.
• Coordinate daily and weekly parts reviews with suppliers, engineers, managers, directors, and program teams.
• Track component readiness and drive issue resolution to support program milestones.
• Manage long lead-time and highly complex custom components.
• Identify supply chain risks and develop mitigation strategies.
• Act as the primary point of contact between engineering, sourcing, suppliers, manufacturing, and leadership teams.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Direct end-to-end parts management activities including:
  • Supplier communication
  • Scheduling
  • Escalations
  • Risk management
  • Issue resolution
  • Delivery tracking
  • Program execution
• Work with technically complex components requiring proactive planning and detailed coordination rather than simple transactional purchasing.
• Maintain alignment across all stakeholders throughout the product development process.
• Continuously expand knowledge of supply chain, manufacturing, engineering, and product development operations.

Functional Knowledge

• Demonstrates conceptual and practical expertise in procurement and supply chain management.
• Possesses knowledge of engineering, manufacturing, planning, operations, and quality disciplines.
• Applies strong analytical skills, business acumen, process understanding, and problem-solving capabilities to complex procurement challenges.

Business Expertise

• Understands procurement and supply chain best practices.
• Recognizes how purchasing integrates with engineering, manufacturing, sourcing, quality, and program management.
• Maintains awareness of industry trends, supplier capabilities, and competitive market factors.

Leadership

• Acts as a resource and mentor for less experienced team members.
• May lead small to medium-sized projects with manageable risks and resource requirements.
• Influences cross-functional teams to achieve organizational objectives.
• Demonstrates leadership through ownership, accountability, and execution.

Problem Solving

• Solves complex supply chain and procurement challenges.
• Develops innovative solutions to overcome obstacles and reduce risk.
• Exercises sound judgment based on multiple data sources and stakeholder inputs.
• Identifies risks proactively and implements mitigation plans before issues impact program execution.

Impact

• Directly impacts product launch schedules, customer commitments, manufacturing readiness, and operational performance.
• Influences project execution across supply chain, engineering, manufacturing, and sourcing organizations.
• Works independently within broad guidelines and company policies.

Interpersonal Skills

• Effectively communicates difficult or sensitive information.
• Builds consensus among diverse stakeholder groups.
• Demonstrates strong communication skills in dynamic and fast-paced environments.
• Establishes productive relationships with suppliers, engineering teams, manufacturing teams, management, and executive leadership.
• Enhances collaboration, productivity, and project success through effective cross-functional engagement.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Operations Management, Engineering, or a related field.
• Experience using ERP systems such as SAP, Oracle, or similar platforms.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel proficiency.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

Preferred Qualifications

Buyer II

• Minimum 2+ years of purchasing, procurement, sourcing, or supply chain experience.

Buyer III

• Minimum 4+ years of purchasing, procurement, sourcing, or supply chain experience.

Industry Experience

• Semiconductor industry experience strongly preferred.
• Experience in electronics, capital equipment, advanced manufacturing, or high-tech industries.

NPI & Technical Sourcing Experience

Experience sourcing and managing one or more of the following:

• Raw materials
• Mechanical subassemblies
• Electronic assemblies
• Enclosures and casings
• Plastics
• Grinding operations
• Stamping operations
• CNC machining
• Mills and lathes
• Precision-engineered custom components

Additional Desired Experience

• New Product Introduction (NPI) sourcing and procurement.
• Cost modeling and cost analysis.
• Cost reduction initiatives.
• Supplier negotiations.
• Strategic sourcing.
• Supply chain risk management.
• Inventory planning and management.
• Program management involving complex projects, schedules, suppliers, and cross-functional resources.

Key Competencies

• Procurement & Purchasing
• Supplier Relationship Management
• RFQ & Bid Analysis
• Purchase Order Management
• Strategic Sourcing
• New Product Introduction (NPI)
• Cost Management & Negotiation
• Supply Chain Risk Management
• Inventory Management
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Program Management
• Data Analysis & Reporting
• Problem Resolution & Escalation Management
• Continuous Improvement

Success Measures

• On-time supplier delivery performance.
• Material availability supporting production and NPI schedules.
• Successful execution of new product launch milestones.
• SPS closure rates and issue resolution effectiveness.
• Supplier performance improvements.
• Cost savings and procurement efficiencies.
• Inventory optimization.
• Supply continuity and risk mitigation.
• Stakeholder satisfaction and program execution success.

Buyer I Pay Range:

Pay Range - Minimum (Bay Area) $61,500        

Pay Range - Maximum (Bay Area) $84,500       

Pay Range - Minimum (Non - Bay Area) $60,000

Pay Range - Maximum (Non - Bay Area) $73,500

Buyer II Pay Range:

Pay Range - Minimum (Bay Area) $73,500

Pay Range - Maximum (Bay Area) $101,000     

Pay Range - Minimum (Non - Bay Area)  $64,000.00

Pay Range - Maximum (Non - Bay Area) $88,000.00

Buyer III Pay Range:

Pay Range - Minimum (Bay Area) $89,500

Pay Range - Maximum (Bay Area) $123,000     

Pay Range - Minimum (Non – Bay Area) $78,000        

Pay Range - Maximum (Non - Bay Area) $107,500

Additional Information

Time Type:

Full time

Employee Type:

Assignee / Regular

Travel:

Relocation Eligible:

No

The salary offered to a selected candidate will be based on multiple factors including location, hire grade, job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and with consideration of internal equity of our current team members. In addition to a comprehensive benefits package, candidates may be eligible for other forms of compensation such as participation in a bonus and a stock award program, as applicable.

For all sales roles, the posted salary range is the Target Total Cash (TTC) range for the role, which is the sum of base salary and target bonus amount at 100% goal achievement.

Applied Materials is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, citizenship, ancestry, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law.

In addition, Applied endeavors to make our careers site accessible to all users. If you would like to contact us regarding accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process, please contact us via e-mail at [email protected], or by calling our HR Direct Help Line at 877-612-7547, option 1, and following the prompts to speak to an HR Advisor. This contact is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.