What are the responsibilities and job description for the Strategic Buyer position at White?
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Job Description
The Strategic Buyer is responsible for the operational procurement activities. This position will work closely with Supply Chain, other departments, and the vendors to ensure vendor performance meets or exceeds delivery and quality needs. You will be responsible for managing vendor relationships, negotiating pricing, and identifying cost-saving opportunities. This position requires using excellent analytical and communication skills to be able to find compromises between multiple and sometimes conflicting interests. The Strategic Buyer needs to be dedicated, goal-oriented individual who works with an intense sense of urgency.
Job Duties & Responsibilities
- First escalation point for Supply and/or quality issues including documentation of vendor performance.
- Drive capacity management towards vendors.
- Support and monitor forecast vs vendor capacities working with Category Managers in case of misalignment.
- Owner of Vendor on-time delivery KPI; create action plans to address gap.
- Coordinate ramp up and ramp down of new projects including PPAPs (Production Parts Approval Process) for changes and new projects.
- Own and maintain Procurement Master Data in SAP (price changes, surcharges, lead times and contact information). Including vendor onboarding.
- Monitor, tracks and approves (or send for approval) all price increases and decreases for parts including MOQ price breaks.
- Creates and maintains Service Level Agreements (SLA). (Approval of SLA through upper management.)
- Facilitate Procurement Change Management process through PLM with risk assessment.
- Drive Cost Savings projects.
- Supplier relationship management.
- Effective, initiative-taking liaison with other relevant functions – departments to forecast and supply to business.
Required Skill Sets
- Bachelor's degree in business administration, Logistics, Supply Chain preferred. Other Relative fields – Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Technology, etc.
- 3 to 5 years of experience in implementation of sourcing strategies for different spend categories and supplier management.
- Excellent analytical abilities and critical thinking skills
- Strong negotiations skills
- Proficiency in SAP and Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint)
- Ability to multitask and thrive in a demanding environment.
- Effective communication and interpersonal skills
- Strategic thinking and decision-making abilities
Desired Skill Sets
- Experience in procurement within manufacturing and/or automotive environment
- Experience in one or more spend categories as sourcing specialist (turned parts, castings, coils, rubber, fasteners) is an advantage.
- Familiarity with international procurement regulations and practices
