Strategic Sourcing Manager

About Optimas  

Optimas Solutions is a global distributor of integrated supply chain solutions, and engineering support focused on delivering fasteners, components, industrial and safety supplies to our diverse customers around the world. Our local, on-the-ground teams understand the nuances of every community we serve. This allows us to adapt with our customers and partners as needs evolve, leveraging our footprint to remain at your side while providing a highly personalized level of service and support no matter where you find yourself around the globe.   

Our Values are the THREAD that connects us as one team to ensure that we are accountable for our contributions to the success of our company and customers:  

•                    Teamwork  
•                    Honesty  
•                    Respect  
•                    Excellence  

•                    Accountability  
•                    Drive  

To learn more, please visit our website http://www.optimas.com   

Position Overview

We’re seeking a driven, self-starter Strategic Sourcing Manager to join our dynamic team in Wood Dale, Illinois.

The Strategic Sourcing Manager has strong procurement and analytical experience combined with the vision to create short-, mid-, and long-term sourcing solutions. In this role, you will be responsible for the development of sourcing and supplier strategies, as well as the identification and execution of cost savings programs. This individual must be a strong leader who can focus on the vision and strategies.

A candidate for this position must be a creative problem-solver who thrives in a dynamic environment; an analytical thinker who is able to make competent decisions and solve problems based on relevant knowledge and experience.

If you are looking for a fast-paced environment with lots of opportunity for personal and career growth, then this is the ideal place for you!

Main Responsibilities

• Strategy Development – Develop sourcing strategies based on rigorous analysis of spend data, supply market dynamics, category intelligence, and business requires to ensure supply base optimization and improvement to cost, quality and service.
• Communication Skills – Exceptionally strong written and oral communication skills are a must. Ability to present to senior management, build relationships and become an influencer in major strategic decisions are critical to this position.
• Negotiations – Strong negotiations skills are essential in this role. Ability to negotiate complex contracts is a must for this role.
• Information Resource – Must provide stakeholders with relevant and timely market trends and analyses such as commodity and currency trends.
• Technical Skills – A thorough understanding of manufacturing practices and the ability to understand product specifications and features are essential to success in this position.
• Analytical Skills – Enjoy gathering and digging deeply into data to identify issues and creative, effective solution.
• Create and implement major material price movement strategy methodology including hedging, forward buying, and cost protection.
• Create and establish external benchmark analysis including gap analysis and required actions to achieve functional competitive advantage.
• Design and implement strategies to rationalize the supplier base and maximize the value of spend.
• Partner with Quality to drive continuous improvement.
• Implement programs to drive total cost of acquisition improvement activities to enhance margin and improve service levels.
• Foreign Travel will be required.

Key Competencies

The ideal candidate should have the following competencies:

• Strategic Vision.
• Building organizational capacity.
• Results driven.
• Embrace change.
• Collaboration and Influence.
• Entrepreneurial spirit.
• Customer value and Market focus.

Skills and Qualifications

• Demonstrated project management experience.
• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university.
• Minimum of 3-5 years’ experience in a strategic sourcing role within a related industry.
• Experience leading cross-functional or geographically dispersed teams preferred.
• Sense of urgency and comfort working in a fast-paced environment with a variety of simultaneous projects.
• Solid analytical skills to understand market dynamics and business requirements.
• Strong communication skills, both verbal and written, to convey ideas and processes.
• Drive, determination, and a self-disciplined approach to achieving results.
• Ability to complete work assignments accurately and quickly; ability to manage more than one initiative at once.
• Ability to perform analysis and interpret data into actionable steps.
• Ability to build strong relationships, both internally and externally.
• Focused on results – willingness to do what it takes to get the job done right.
• Strong work ethic – self-starter able to demonstrate strong proactive approach and self- initiative; persistent and tenacious; excessive level of commitment and dedication to meet aggressive deadlines with high-quality results.
• Demonstrated flexibility and open-mindedness around change; positive, can-do attitude

• Strong business acumen – strong financial, strategic, operational and leadership skills. Ability to understand business models and key drivers quickly.
• Ability to see the “big picture” and use quantitative and qualitative data to create strategies that move Optimas forward.
• Multilingual skills would be advantageous.
• Must be proficient in Microsoft Excel and prior experience utilizing Business Intelligence tools is a plus.

Compensation 

The salary is commensurate with experience. We offer a market competitive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, and life insurance, 401(k) match.

Optimas OE Solutions provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Optimas OE Solutions complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.