Category Buyer

Airbus Commercial Aircraft is looking for a Category Buyer to join our North American General Procurement team, based in Wichita, KS (with the possibility to be located in Mobile, AL or Herndon, VA).

Meet the team:

The Customer Support team provides aircraft operations support throughout the aircraft's operational life. The team coordinates, implements and monitors all services customized to meet the customer’s specific needs, to ensure a positive customer relationship. Our Field Service teams provide technical support so our customers can operate safely and efficiently. Being based at our customers' facilities enables us to have a strong customer relationship and understanding of the airline's technical and operational needs.

Your working environment:

Located on the Wichita State University (WSU) innovation campus is Airbus’ first dedicated engineering facility outside of Europe. Our team of 200 support staff and engineers focus on aerostructure design including analysis of aircraft primary structures, such as wings and fuselages, for all major Airbus products across the globe.

How We Care for You:

• Financial Rewards: Competitive base salary, incentive compensation which may include profit sharing schemes, retirement savings plan and the ability to participate in an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (“ESOP”)
• Work/Life Balance: Paid time off including personal time, holidays and a generous paid parental leave program.
• Health & Welfare: Comprehensive insurance coverage including medical (traditional and high-deductible health plans), prescription, dental, vision, life, disability, Employee Assistance Plan (“EAP”) and other supplemental benefit coverages.
• Individual Development: Upskilling and development opportunities through our global Leadership University, including unlimited access to 10,000 e-learning courses focusing on ways to develop your employability, certifications, career path as well as the opportunity to participate in accelerated development programmes and both national and international mobility.

Your challenges:

Procurement Strategy & Category Management: 35%

• General Procurement focal point for Management and Operations for the any internal customers within the region (i.e. Mobile Final Assembly Line, Corporate office, etc.) for assigned scope
• Support Internal Customer (IC) organizations (or teams) and General Procurement in creating and formulating the sourcing strategy by providing data about local suppliers.
• Work closely with the global General Procurement commodities and drive local multi-functional teams (MFTs) to maximize visibility on procurement planning.
• Establish and ensure regular two-way communication with key functional and local customers; manage the integration with assigned General Procurement commodities in North America and worldwide.
• "Local for Global" - Identification of key/niche areas where the company can plan offshoring and manage the complete outsourcing cycle in alignment with commodity strategy. Act as primary procurement contact for these suppliers in alignment with the assigned commodity.
• Supplier Relationship Management - Responsible for building relations with suppliers of assigned commodities, and identifying new vendors.

Drive Sourcing Projects (Call for Tenders): 35%

• Lead Commodity Multi Divisional Teams (MDT) in RFP/RFI Process for assigned commodities. Values of projects will vary, but generally around $1,000,000 per event. Some RFP/RFI values may be well over $1,000,000 in certain cases.
• Develop procurement plans and identify opportunities within assigned commodities which support savings program targets at Airbus Americas. Escalate blockages to Key Account Manager or Regional Director, as needed.
• Manage the relationship with internal business partners, across multiple Airbus divisions, to achieve target levels of customer satisfaction.
• Responsible for all Operational and Regional Sourcing activities with focus on an assigned commodity.
• Perform "Local for Local" procurement activities in alignment with the global commodities’ strategy, based on GP terms and regulations.
• Support “Global for Local” procurement activities to provide local insight and support to global and other regional buyers leading sourcing projects
• Responsible for creation, negotiation and management of contract terms and conditions and communicated with all stakeholders.

Team Leadership: 10%

• Provide leadership and coaching to less experienced team members
• Provide support & input to General Procurement Directors/Key Account Manager to set realistic and achievable goals for the team based on commodity strategy, suggested operational improvements.

Procurement & Process Tools Expert: 10%

• Drive compliance to Airbus General Procurement and related processes through robust communication with internal customers.
• Resolve general procurement process blockages and recommend solutions to operational and contractual problems.
• Monitor and, when needed, initiate actions to facilitate timely payment to the supplier minimizing disruption of Airbus processes.
• Report savings to the Shared Services organization in a timely way through the standard mechanisms.
• Expert experience in procurement tools (i.e. SAP, Ariba, Coupa, Oracle, etc) is preferred.

Additional Responsibilities: 10%

• Drive non-flying procurement contributions to projects affecting assigned teams / organizations / commodities. Ensure strong liaison with all GP in the Americas, GP in Europe and relevant business partners.

Your boarding pass:

Education:

• A Bachelors’ Degree in Business Administration or a related field or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Experience:

• A minimum of seven (7) years in Procurement or related functions. Preferred experience with an increasingly higher level of authority and accountability.

Licensure/Certifications:

• Certifications in project management & purchasing are preferred (i.e. PMP, CPP)

Knowledge, Skills, Demonstrated Capabilities:

• Knowledge of Business Case Analysis & Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Approach.
• Procurement process and advanced negotiation skill.
• Project Management – Excellent skills to motivate multi-functional teams in situations of often conflicting objectives (Internal Customer, Supplier, Budget) to perform in-country RFx and procurement projects.
• Knowledge of North American supplier base and cost structure.
• Awareness on applicable Laws (labor, IP, international trade).
• Preferable knowledge of additional functions including: finance, negotiation and communication skills.
• Proven leadership capabilities and team working skills that can be applied in a complex matrix organization
• Analytical capacities to synthesize large quantities of complex data to generate meaningful insights
• Capable of living up to the Airbus Integrity Principles, consistently demonstrating ethical leadership behaviors
• Proactive nature and strong self-initiative in an unstructured environment
• Ability to identify and solve complex problems and manage conflict

Communication Skills (Spoken, Written, Influencing, Proficiency in Other Languages):

• Fluency in written and verbal English
• Additional Languages appreciated (German, Spanish and French etc.)
• Ability to influence and support ‘positive behavior change’ within a multinational company at all levels
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills with a senior executive audience (internal and external)

Technical Systems Proficiency:

• Proficient in G Suite Tools.

Travel Required:

• 15% Domestic and International

Eligibility:

• Eligible for employment in the US

Physical Requirements:

• Onsite or remote: Onsite a minimum of 60% of the time at the Wichita Engineering office.
• Vision: able to see and read computer screens and other electronic equipment with screens, able to read documents, reports and engineering drawings; daily.
• Hearing: able to hear in order to participate in conversations in person and via teleconference or phone and to hear safety warnings or alarms; daily.
• Speaking: able to speak in conversations and meetings, deliver information and participate in communications; daily
• Equipment Operation (personal computer, telephone, copies, fax machine, and related office equipment and using electronic identification card to enter building floors and internal doors): able to operate most office and personal electronic equipment; daily.
• Carrying: able to carry documents, tools, drawings, electronic equipment up to 30lbs/14kgs; once a month.
• Lifting: able to lift documents, tools, drawings, electronic equipment up to 30lbs/14kgs; once a month.
• Pushing / Pulling: able to push and pull small office furniture and some equipment and tools; once a month.
• Sitting: able to sit for long periods of time in meetings, working on the computer; daily.
• Squatting / Kneeling: able to squat or kneel to retrieve or replace items stored on low shelving.
• Standing: able to stand for discussions in offices; daily.
• Travel: able to travel independently and at short notice; 10% of the time.
• Walking (include routine walking such as to a shared printer to retrieve documents): able to walk through office and production areas including uneven surfaces; daily.
• Personal Protective Equipment required: Required PPE includes, but is not limited to, Safety Shoes, Safety Glasses, Hearing Protection, Respirators/Masks, and/or Protective Gloves as required by site and/or customer site
• Administrative position only PPE required: Steel-toed shoes are required for all shop floor visit, appropriate hearing/eye protection may also be required when visiting the shop floor.