Strategic Buyer

Job Summary

Lead Strategic Buyer is responsible for implementing action plans for the Purchasing Department to reach strategic goals and objectives as established by the Supply Chain Manager. The Lead Strategic Buyer is also responsible for the management of the assigned commodities and the suppliers within those commodities while acting as a key member of the Supply Chain team. As a commodity leader in purchasing, act as the project manager leading cross-functional resources in strategic sourcing and operation excellence initiative.

Main Responsibilities

• Develop and manage commodity strategies and objectives along with optimizing total material cost
• Responsible for sourcing, negotiating, and qualifying new suppliers to achieve best value, aiming to achieve annual cost reduction goals while continually assessing the quality and performance of the supply chain
• Provide direction and oversight in the execution of strategies; resolve quality, inventory, and invoicing issues; and develop robust processes.
• Collaborate with buyers to select suppliers, negotiate pricing & contracts based on competitiveness & overall performance
• Support the Supply Chain Manager by executing action plans to develop commodity strategies which support business objectives
• Coordinate with cross-functional teams to find solutions for challenging issues, gather ideas from suppliers, and drive engineering design improvements
• Performs other related duties as assigned.   

Competency

1. Business Acumen.  The ability to understand and apply information with which to contribute to the department. 
2. Problem Solving & Analysis.  Affinity for problem solving.  Ability to apply knowledge to solve problems; understanding complex information, making connections, and drawing conclusions.
3. Planning & organizing.  Able to establish priorities to help people understand which initiatives are most important; drive the efficient use of resources throughout the organization
4. Teamwork. Ability to collaborate with others.  Ability to have open communication with others.   

Experience & Education

• Bachelor’s degree (BA/BS) from four-year accredited college.
• A minimum of three (3) years of relevant experience.
• Project management leadership experience.
• 3+ years of demonstrated experience leading commodity management or strategic sourcing initiatives
• Knowledge of raw materials, engineering specifications, sourcing technical products, and manufacturing processes.
• Knowledgeable of contracts, logistics, administrative processes, industry best practices, standards, and performance metrics.
• Strong analytical skills and computer skills (Microsoft Office Suite); strong understanding of ERP (Oracle, SAP) and business systems preferred.
• Advanced MS Office computer skills – specifically Excel and PowerPoint
• Strong organizational, verbal communication, writing and negotiation skills
• Problem-solving and analytics skills, strong work ethic