Company / Location Information

A.O. Smith is a global leader applying innovative technologies and energy-efficient solutions to products manufactured and marketed worldwide. The company is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of residential and commercial water heating equipment and boilers, as well as a manufacturer of water treatment products for residential and light commercial applications. A. O. Smith is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with approximately 12,000 employees at operations in the United States, Canada, China, India, Mexico, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

Primary Function

The Director of Sourcing will lead and manage the company’s sourcing and procurement strategies for the North America Water Heating business unit, ensuring the acquisition of high-quality materials, products, and services at the best possible cost. The role will focus on driving cost-effective and strategic sourcing initiatives, managing vendor relationships, mitigating supply risk, and developing long-term sourcing strategies that align with organizational goals. The Sourcing Director will collaborate with senior leadership, cross-functional teams, and external partners to streamline procurement processes, improve efficiency, and support the company’s overall business objectives.

SCOPE OF RESPONSIBILITY

$800 M in spend responsibility
$2M in budgetary oversight
Sourcing Leadership: Lead commodity managers in developing and executing sourcing strategies to ensure alignment with business unit and organizational goals.
Team Leadership: Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing sourcing team, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

Lead the development of strategies in alignment with company and business unit strategies and ensure their implementation.
Advance the maturity of the overall sourcing function through improvements in the engagement of business partners, spend management, supplier partnerships, supply risk management, and talent management and development.
Optimize supplier partnerships through appropriately segmenting suppliers, establishing supplier governance and supplier performance programs, and creating collaboration opportunities.
Provide leadership in understanding the total spend profile, the needs of internal customers, gathering market intelligence, and supplier relationship management.
Support our product innovation efforts by aligning sourcing resources to provide clear and visible contributions to all new product development and sustaining product initiatives. Work with product engineering leadership, manufacturing leadership, and other supply chain leaders to continuously improve the process.
Provide leadership and direction to all supplier development initiatives including onboarding, assessments, quality improvements, and value engineering.
Champion and sponsor risk mitigation efforts to identify and prioritize risks, plan risk responses, and monitor and report levels of risk exposure. Work closely with the supplier quality team to identify and develop standard processes and tools.
Establish strong communication and coordination across business unit leaders, commodity managers, planning teams, product engineering teams, and manufacturing leaders.
Maintain a strong working knowledge concerning global geopolitical, environmental, labor, cultural, and supply chain issues in support of global sourcing strategy development.
Drive and support the development of clear career paths for sourcing personnel. Continuously improve the management of the hiring process, assessing and reviewing talent, and managing training and development. Require the development of specific individualized career plans and objectives for each employee. Continuously upgrade the level of talent to achieve the highest possible level of overall performance.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Business, or related field.
MBA a plus.
10+ years of related work experience
Proven success as a leader in a strategic role.
Impeccable moral character and high ethical standards.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to operate effectively across a matrixed organization.
Available for global travel.
Understanding of various cultures and business practices.

We Offer

Competitive compensation package and comprehensive benefits plans which include medical and dental insurance, company-sponsored life insurance, retirement security savings plan, short- and long-term disability programs and tuition assistance.

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NAWH Sourcing Director