Senior Buyer
Rocket Lab
Salary undisclosed
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Description
ABOUT ROCKET LAB
Rocket Lab is the end-to-end space company building rockets, spacecraft, and critical subsystems that keep the world connected, protected, expand humanity’s reach to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. We move fast, build real hardware for meaningful missions, and make the impossible routine. Come shape the future with us.
SUPPLY CHAIN
Rocket Lab’s Supply Chain team is responsible for the flow of all materials, products, and components through the business. With many of our own products functioning as critical components to our own and our customers’ missions, the Supply Chain team has a direct impact on the success of our rocket and satellite programs. They set up the assembly kits that enables our technicians to put together our Electron rockets, manage inventory, look after shipping and receiving, manage direct and indirect procurement, and inspect and ensure that all of our materials and products are compliant and up to standard. They are the chain that links our teams together, and are critical to our success.
SENIOR BUYER
Based onsite at Rocket Lab's Auckland NZ facility, Buyer's are responsible for placing all purchase orders for Rocket Lab. They support engineering R&D through production ramp, securing supply of the thousands of part we use to build launch vehicles, satellite systems, and their components. Buyers make daily decisions that are responsible for ensuring we meet our cost, quality, and delivery goals.
WHAT YOU'LL GET TO DO:
- Accountable for sourcing materials after appropriately evaluating vendor capability, price, delivery needs, and vendor performance
- Accountable for the on-time-delivery of material to Rocket Lab
- Responsible for owning the business relationship with assigned suppliers
- Responsible for managing the RFQ process to secure competitive bids and ensure we are achieving best price for goods and services
- Tightly integrate with Engineering teams to meet their procurement requirements and act as primary point of contact for R&D order status
- Provide status to material planners on purchase orders and expected delivery dates
- Accountable for negotiating terms with suppliers to meet quality, cost and delivery requirements
- Accountable for maintaining purchase order data within our ERP system
YOU'LL BRING THESE QUALIFICATIONS:
- 8+ years of experience and a bachelor’s degree or equivalent years of work experience (12+ years total experience).
- Proven ability to source, onboard, and negotiate pricing with suppliers
- Proven knowledge of purchasing processes.
- Ability to travel domestically and internationally up to 10% of time
THESE QUALIFICATIONS WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE:
- Proficient in MRP systems
- Prior experience in aerospace, automotive, or other disruptive manufacturing industries
- Prior experience in rapid growth environment
- Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings
- Experience with AS9100, US export controls
- Strong organizational and problem-solving skills, with the ability to prioritize effectively and efficiently
- Excellent verbal and written communication abilities
- Team oriented, strong ability to multi-task and work in a fast-paced environment and to multiple deadlines
This position may require prolonged periods of sitting, standing, walking, computer work, and occasional exposure to moderate levels of noise, dust, and fumes in production areas.
WHAT TO EXPECT
We’re on a mission to unlock the potential of space to improve life on Earth, but that’s not an easy task. It takes hard work, determination, relentless innovation, teamwork, grit, and an unwavering commitment to achieving what others often deem impossible. Our people out-think, out-work, and out-pace. We pride ourselves on having each other’s backs, checking our egos at the door, and rolling up our sleeves on all tasks big and small. We thrive under pressure, work to tight deadlines, and our focus is always on how we can deliver, rather than dwelling on the challenges that stand in the way.
Important information:
FOR CANDIDATES SEEKING TO WORK IN US OFFICES ONLY:
To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Rocket Lab Employees must be a U.S. citizen, lawful U.S. permanent resident (i.e., current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State and/or the U.S. Department of Commerce, as applicable. Learn more about ITAR here.
Rocket Lab provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment at Rocket Lab, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.
Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for the application/interview process for a job in the United States should contact Giulia Johnson at g.biow@rocketlabusa.com.This dedicated resource is intended solely to assist job seekers with disabilities whose disability prevents them from being able to apply/interview. Only messages left for this purpose will be considered. A response to your request may take up to two business days.
FOR CANDIDATES SEEKING TO WORK IN NEW ZEALAND OFFICES ONLY:
For security reasons, background checks will be undertaken prior to any employment offers being made to an applicant. These checks will include nationality checks as it is a requirement of this position that you be eligible to access equipment and data regulated by the United States' International Traffic in Arms Regulations.
Under these Regulations, you may be ineligible for this role if you do not hold citizenship of Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, the European Union, or a country that is part of NATO, or if you hold ineligible dual citizenship or nationality. For more information on these Regulations, click here ITAR Regulations.
About this role
Rocket Lab's Supply Chain team moves materials, components, and finished hardware through a business building rockets and satellites for critical global missions. As Senior Buyer based in Auckland, you'll own the procurement decisions that directly affect whether the company meets its cost, quality, and delivery targets. This means sourcing thousands of parts for launch vehicles and satellite systems, evaluating vendors on capability and performance, negotiating supplier terms, managing the RFQ process, and maintaining the data backbone in the ERP system. You'll be the primary contact between engineering teams and suppliers, translating R&D requirements into purchase orders and tracking delivery status in a fast-moving environment where delays have real consequences.
The role demands eight or more years of procurement experience plus a track record of successfully sourcing, onboarding, and negotiating with suppliers. You'll need solid knowledge of purchasing processes and the ability to travel up to ten percent of the time. Experience in aerospace, automotive, or other advanced manufacturing sectors is valued, as is familiarity with MRP systems, engineering drawings, and export control frameworks like AS9100. The work is hands-on and deadline-driven—you'll prioritize competing demands, solve problems quickly, and coordinate across teams in a high-pressure setting where the company's mission depends on supply chain execution.
How this employer is doing
average
- Financial News
Typical pay for this role
$80,000
Typical range: $60,000 to $120,000
In the news
Buy Rocket Lab Stock. It Has Something SpaceX Doesn’t., Barron's
This role's local market on JobMinglr
Pay for this role
The employer didn't post a pay range for this role. That usually means pay is set in negotiation, which favors whoever arrives with numbers. Check ranges on comparable Senior Buyer postings in Auckland, and analyze any offer before you accept it.
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