Senior Manager, Specialty Chemicals Procurement, North America

Senior Manager, Specialty Chemicals Procurement, North America – Remote, Anywhere

Chicago, IL

Direct Hire

Salary Range : $0

Senior Manager, Specialty Chemicals Procurement, North America

Job Type : Full-time; Remote

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a sourcing strategy for Specialty Chemicals in partnership with our global team, to achieve cost savings and drive operational efficiencies.
• Build and maintain strong supplier relationships to ensure consistent and reliable supply of high-quality products and services.
• Identify new supplier opportunities and negotiate favorable terms and conditions to drive cost savings.
• Establish and manage supplier performance metrics and KPIs to drive continuous improvement, and ensure supplier compliance with ethical, legal, and environmental standards.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including R&D, engineering, manufacturing, quality, and supply chain to ensure alignment and achievement of sourcing goals.
• Manage a team of Category Managers , providing leadership, coaching, and development opportunities to drive high performance.
• Stay current with industry trends and developments and proactively identify opportunities to enhance the organization’s sourcing capabilities.
• Identify procurement processes and policies for alignment at the country, region, and global levels.
• Ensure sourcing strategies support working capital goals of the business.
• Build partnerships with Engineering and Project teams to support new product development and introductions. Where appropriate, develop the procurement strategy for each project.
• Collaboratively perform make/buy analysis to help guide sound insourcing/outsourcing outcomes.
• Expand RFQ process to ensure relevant stakeholder, technical, and end-user reviews are incorporated, and recorded in the review and decision-making process.
• Evaluate and monitor contract performance following placement to ensure compliance with contractual obligations and to determine need for changes.
• Develop and implement risk mitigation strategies to minimize supply chain disruptions and ensure business continuity.
• Conduct market analysis and leverage industry intels to identify potential opportunities and risks in the global sourcing landscape.
• Collaborate with legal and compliance teams to ensure sourcing activities comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and ethical standards.
• Manage vendor selection and qualification processes to ensure that all suppliers meet the company’s quality standards, pricing expectations, and delivery requirements.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement by encouraging and implementing best practices across the sourcing function.
• Work closely with the finance team to develop and manage budgets and forecasts for sourcing activities.

Experience

• Bachelors Degree in Supply Chain, Engineering, Technical or Business related field. MBA preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in Supply Chain Management, Sourcing/Procurement, and leading projects/teams.
• 5+ years of relevant experience within a manufacturing environment.
• Experience creating category strategies/SWOT analysis type assessments of supply base.
• Prior experience performing make/buy decisions that shaped supply chain strategy and produced demonstrated customer service improvements.
• Strong negotiation skills and the ability to develop and maintain strong supplier relationships.
• Demonstrated success in driving cost savings and improving operational efficiencies.
• Ability to analyze complex data, identify trends, and develop strategies based on data-driven insights.
• Strong understanding of ethical, legal, and environmental standards related to sourcing and supply chain management.
• Experience in: project purchasing, contract negotiation and execution, and risk management.
• Knowledge of Lean manufacturing principles and tools (5S, VSM, Kaizen, KPI’s).
• SAP experience preferred.
• Must be able learn quickly and work in a challenging environment. The ability to multi-task with proven follow-through and adherence to changing priorities and deadlines is required.
• Strong written and oral communication skills, problem solving and influencing.
• Strong interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work cross functionally with teams to balance solutions in accordance with budget, schedule and tools.
• Professional and effective facilitation skills – should be able to facilitate group discussions.
• Attention to detail – should be able to complete accurate data entry and develop accurate written materials.
• Action orientated – should be able to follow up on feedback to ensure positive outcomes.
• Collaborative team player – should be able to establish solid working relationships with stakeholders.
• Professional communication skills – should be able to communicate with peers, customers and vendors both via verbal and written communication.
• Technical communication skills – ability to effectively communicate technical concepts, findings & recommendations to all stakeholders.
• Ability to influence others to adopt new ways of thinking, change habits, increase engagement, and improve processes.

Compensation Details : This position offers a competitive base salary plus bonus.