Our client is a leader in hydronic systems for residential and commercial building applications. The company is a privately held, proud third generation American manufacturer of high quality, high-efficiency heating, cooling, plumbing, and irrigation products.  The Strategic Sourcing Specialist’s responsibilities include sourcing products and services at competitive prices and making decisions on which suppliers to work with on any given project. They will have responsibility for driving competitive category strategies, supply base strategy and risk mitigation. This will also include managing supplier performance and relationships to support the overall business requirements.

Measures of success

• Total cost of ownership reduction as a percent of total cost
• Improvement in supplier quality metrics utilizing the scorecard
• Reduction in lead-time against overall standard lead-time
• Reduction in inventory dollars to support the business revenue

Responsibilities

• Lead supplier selection, negotiation, contracting and supplier performance processes.
• Conduct comprehensive supplier analysis to formulate a strategic sourcing plan that ensures continuity of supply.
• Ensure health of supply base by evaluating and selecting suppliers based on capability, quality, reliability, and price competitiveness.
• Develop new suppliers and monitor existing relationships over multiple categories including but not limited castings, machined parts and metal stampings.
• Obtain quotes from different suppliers and evaluate quotes for competitive pricing opportunities.
• Negotiate supplier agreements within the approved contract structure, to include delivery, pricing, payment terms, quality, tooling requirements, etc.
• Understand the shipping processes required to deliver product on time and know how to calculate the anticipated freight costs as part of the quoting process.
• Conduct on-site audits and visits of prospective suppliers and / or existing suppliers located globally to ensure technical capability, equipment, capacity and overall quality.
• Collect market intelligence and stay apprised of political, economic, social, labor, and environmental issues that could impede the flow of delivery or impact cost structure.
• Acts as the point person for escalation if supplier performance is not in accordance with scorecard requirements.
• Prepare management presentations for supplier management activities including supplier strategy and negotiation.
• Develop strong relationships with internal stakeholders, understanding their needs and consulting with them to build quality procurement strategies aligned to business requirements.
• Lead monthly, quarterly, or yearly supplier performance reviews.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business or Supply Chain Management
• 5+ years of strategic sourcing experience in a manufacturing/production environment
• 3+ years of negotiation experience with suppliers
• Experience and understanding of metal formed products, such as castings or equivalent materials used in producing products
• Experience leading projects and teams
• Familiarity with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Material Resource Planning (MRP) systems
• Knowledge of sourcing and procurement processes.
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office including Excel, PowerPoint, and Word
• Travel: Approximately 30% of time both domestically and internationally to visit suppliers and/or attend trade shows

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain or relevant field
• Professional certifications in supply chain, procurement, contract management
• Green Belt or higher Six Sigma certification

Work Environment

• This position works primarily in an office environment using computers and technology. Verbal and auditory capability are required. Occasional exposure in production plants where large equipment and noise are prevalent.  Safety gear is required in these areas.
• This position may work from home up to 2X/week if performance is in good standing.
• This position has no direct reports.