.Senior Buyer/PlannerPrimary Responsibility: Responsible for obtaining materials, components and equipment. Gathers quotations, examines bids, and makes awards. Determines material requirements from engineering and production schedules, and maintains inventory at planned levels. Plans, schedules and monitors for the movement of materials through the production cycle. Evaluates vendor reliability, develops new supply sources where vendors and suppliers are inadequate. Monitors cost, schedule and scope of assigned subcontracts to assure best quality at best value. Develops specifications for new contract orders.Career Level (3): Knowledge: Uses skills as a seasoned, experienced professional with a full understanding of industry practices and company policies and procedures; resolves a wide range of issues in imaginative as well as practical ways. This job is the fully qualified, career-oriented, journey-level position. Job Complexity: Works on problems of diverse scope where analysis of data requires evaluation of identifiable factors. Demonstrates good judgment in selecting methods and techniques for obtaining solutions. Interacts with senior internal and external personnel.Supervision: Normally receives little instruction on day-to-day work, general instructions on new assignments.Experience & Education: Requires a Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience and good writing and oral communication skills. CPSM and/or APICS certification required. Minimum 5 years of related experience.Globally, our policy is to recruit individuals from wide and diverse backgrounds. However, certain positions require access to controlled goods and technologies subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) or Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Applicants for these positions may need to be "U.S. persons." "U.S. persons" are generally defined as U.S. citizens, noncitizen nationals, lawful permanent residents (or, green card holders), individuals granted asylum, and individuals admitted as refugees.MKS Instruments, Inc. and its affiliates and subsidiaries ("MKS") is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer: diverse candidates are encouraged to apply. We win as a team and are committed to recruiting and hiring qualified applicants regardless of race, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions), religion, age, ancestry, physical or mental disability or handicap, marital status, membership in the uniformed services, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, or any other category protected by applicable law. Hiring decisions are based on merit, qualifications and business needs. We conduct background checks and drug screens, in accordance with applicable law and company policies. MKS is generally only hiring candidates who reside in states where we are registered to do business