Principal Buyer - Nuclear Product Lines

A Day in Your Life at MKS:
As a Principal Buyer at MKS Inc, you will lead direct-material procurement activities supporting nuclear and highly regulated product lines. You will partner with Engineering, Operations, Quality, Program Management, and suppliers to ensure supply continuity, regulatory compliance, quality, delivery, and cost competitiveness.
This is a hands-on, strategic role for an experienced procurement professional who understands the demands of nuclear-related supply chains and can balance day-to-day buying responsibilities with long-term supplier development. You will take ownership of direct procurement, develop new supplier relationships, identify gaps in existing processes, and help establish the sourcing capabilities needed to support a growing business.
This role offers the opportunity to shape supplier strategies and build procurement processes in an evolving environment. As business needs and the team grow, there may be opportunities to take on additional leadership responsibilities.
You Will Make an Impact By:
• Leading procurement activities for complex, highly engineered components, assemblies, and services supporting MKS products and customer programs.
• Developing and executing sourcing strategies that optimize cost, quality, delivery, regulatory compliance, and long-term supply continuity.
• Managing strategic supplier relationships, contract negotiations, business reviews, and supplier performance improvement initiatives.
• Identifying and mitigating supply chain risks through capacity assessments, continuity planning, dual sourcing strategies, and supplier recovery plans.
• Partnering with Engineering, Quality, and Program Management teams to support supplier qualification, new product introductions, and alternate source approvals.
• Driving resolution of material shortages, supplier quality escapes, lead-time constraints, and delivery challenges impacting customer commitments.
• Maintaining compliance with applicable customer, regulatory, quality, and traceability requirements while ensuring supplier documentation and certifications remain current.
• Supporting procurement transformation initiatives, cost reduction programs, supplier development activities, and continuous improvement projects.
• Travel Requirements: Up to 20% travel is required.
Skills You Bring:
• Bachelor's degree in supply chain, Business, Engineering, Operations, or equivalent experience.
• 8+ years of procurement, strategic sourcing, supplier management, or supply chain experience.
• Strong experience managing direct material procurement within highly regulated manufacturing environments.
• Demonstrated success negotiating commercial agreements, long-term contracts, pricing, and supplier performance commitments.
• Experience with supplier qualification, supplier audits, corrective actions, and risk management processes.
• Knowledge of ERP systems such as SAP, Oracle, or equivalent enterprise planning platforms.
• Strong analytical capabilities with proficiency in Excel, spend analysis, supplier KPI management, and cost modeling.
• Experience supporting products requiring engineering documentation, material traceability, controlled processes, and quality compliance.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence stakeholders across global cross-functional teams.
Preferred Skills:
• Experience supporting Nuclear, Aerospace, Defense, Semiconductor, Medical Device, or other highly regulated industries.
• Knowledge of NQA-1, ASME, ISO 9001, ISO 19443, AS9100, ITAR, or similar regulatory frameworks.
• Experience managing precision machined components, custom assemblies, electronics, fabricated metals, and specialty materials.
• MBA, CPM, CPSM, CSCP, or equivalent professional certification.
• Experience supporting New Product Introduction (NPI) and supplier industrialization activities.
• Knowledge of supplier risk management tools, market intelligence, and continuity planning methodologies.
Physical Demands and Working Conditions:
• Physical Demand 1: Ability to sit, stand, and work at a computer workstation for extended periods.
• Physical Demand 2: Ability to communicate effectively through verbal presentations, virtual meetings, and written correspondence.
• Working Condition 1: Professional office, manufacturing, laboratory, and supplier facility environments.
• Working Condition 2: Domestic and international travel to supplier locations, manufacturing sites, and customer locations as business needs require.
We are interested in a qualified candidate who is eligible to work in the United States. However, we will not be sponsoring work visas for this position, at this time.
Compensation and Benefits:
Salary Pay Range: $130,000 to $180,000 per year. This range is a good faith estimate of the expected salary range for this position, based on a wide range of factors including qualifications, experience and training, operational and business needs and other considerations permitted by law. At MKS, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for the role.
Bonus: This position is eligible for a discretionary annual bonus, in an amount to be determined by MKS.
Benefits: MKS offers a comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance coverage (medical, dental and vision), 401(k) with company match, life and disability insurance, 12 paid holidays, sick time, 15 paid vacation days, [6 weeks fully paid] parental leave, adoption assistance and tuition reimbursement [and for participation in any stock programs, signing bonus, etc.].
MKS is an equal opportunity employer, including disability, veteran status and all categories protected by law. Please review our EOE statements for additional details.
MKS will consider qualified applicants with a criminal history pursuant to the California Fair Chance Act and the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers.
#LI-EK
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 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.
MKS is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or interview process due to a disability, please contact us at: accommodationsatMKS@mksinst.com .
If applying for a specific job, please include the requisition number (ex: RXXXX), the title and location of the role