Senior Manager of Purchasing & Aircraft On Ground

Senior Manager of Purchasing & Aircraft On GroundThe Senior Manager of Purchasing & Aircraft On Ground provides strategic leadership for all technical procurement activities that support aircraft maintenance operations. This role is accountable for developing long range purchasing strategies, optimizing supplier performance, and ensuring rapid, cost effective response to AOG events.As the senior leader of the Purchasing and AOG teams, this position directs the work of Buyers and AOG Coordinators, establishes departmental priorities, and drives continuous improvement across critical parts sourcing, inventory replenishment, and tooling acquisition. The Senior Manager provides recommendations on high value purchases, builds strong supplier relationships and escalates operational challenges to ensure reliability, financial stewardship, and operational readiness across the fleet.Essential Roles and Responsibilities include:Drive the optimization and standardization of end to end order management processes to improve efficiency and enhance overall procurement performance.Provide high level leadership, guidance, and operational support to ensure a fully effective 24 hour AOG (Aircraft on Ground) parts procurement operation, enabling rapid decision making, minimized aircraft downtime, and uninterrupted maintenance readiness.Lead the sourcing, negotiation, and procurement of products and services, driving supplier performance, cost efficiency, and long term organizational value.Manage the tracking of materials for AOG, MEL, NEF, and MTI requirements, ensuring full visibility of part status and movement. Partner closely with Planning and Maintenance to coordinate part arrivals and expedite defect resolution, minimizing aircraft downtime and maintaining operational readiness.Oversee the generation and monitoring of open order reports to ensure vendor performance aligns with required delivery timelines and supports uninterrupted maintenance operations.Analyze reorder requisitions and inventory levels, factoring in vendor lead times and product demands to provide recommendations for most effective reorder levels. Ensure product availability and minimize inventory and transportation costs.Monitor loan and exchange activity to ensure all loan and exchange cores are processed and returned expeditiously, reducing financial exposure.Monitor supplier performance, maintain regular communication, and build relationships to ensure they meet Sun Country Airlines' requirements.Evaluate quotes, track supplier reliability and lead times, and assess services to determine preferred suppliers.Manage the full lifecycle of warranty claims for all component purchases and exchanges, negotiating and expediting favorable settlements. Coordinate closely with Accounting to ensure all credits are accurately issued and properly applied.Monitor hold cage activity for rejected or mis ordered parts, securing RMAs, corrected shipments, and ensuring credits are properly applied.Develop, Monitor and Enforce department SOP procedures to ensure adherence to all Sun Country Airlines' material guidelines and practices.Conduct all tasks in a safe and efficient manner complying with all local, state, Federal safety and health regulatory requirements, programmatic standards, and with any internal policies and procedures identified by Sun Country Airlines.Adhere to Sun Country Airlines' purchase policies and procedures.Exercise authority as delegated by the Sr. Director Logistics & Supply Chain.Perform other functions as assigned by the Sr. Director Logistics & Supply Chain.Required Qualifications include:Minimum of 5 years in sourcing, contract management, project management or relevant field.3 years of leadership experience, directly leading people.A Bachelor of Science degree in Business, Aviation, or Supply Chain Management, or two additional years of relevant training/experience in lieu of this degree.Demonstrated use of a strategic sourcing process to including request for proposal writing.Experience negotiating high-value contracts.Proficient in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook).Excellent leadership, organizational, communication, and relationship building skills.Able to perform independently and achieve results aligned with corporate metrics and initiatives.Must be able to obtain SIDA clearance.Preferred Qualifications include:Experience with aircraft or aerospace materials sourcing programs.Knowledge of TRAX operating systems is strongly preferred.Working knowledge of FAA certification criteria to purchase/contract airline specific equipment such as cabin interior furnishing and spare parts.Working knowledge of Illustrated Parts Catalog (IPC).Familiarity with international shipping regulations (U.S. Customs).Strong analytical, research, and data processing skills.Capable of multi-tasking several projects and tasks.Compensation: $100,000.00-120,000.00. This is the base compensation hiring range for this role.Classification: Full-time, ExemptWorking Location: This position is open onsite in Minneapolis, MN.Supervisory Responsibility: Purchasers/Buyers, AOG CoordinatorsWork Environment: This job primarily operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets. On occasion, this position will be required to operate in the Maintenance Hangar.Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand; walk; use hands or finger, handle or feel; and reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to sit; climb or balance, and stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.Other Duties: Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.AAP/EEO Statement: It is the policy of Sun Country Airlines to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.