Direct Category Buyer

Job Type: Location Type: On-site

 

Position Summary:

The Direct Category Buyer with Astemo will be a crucial member of our Procurement team. They will administer key supplier relationships and maintain deep product knowledge within their assigned commodities. This person will leverage deep product knowledge to identify and develop high-performing suppliers that align with our company goals for quality, cost, and delivery, while driving continuous value and innovation.

Position Duties and Responsibilities:

• Collect regional, category, supplier specific information.
• Propose strategic path to Global Category Manager based on the information gathered.
• Propose ideas for cost reduction/avoidance, Continuous Improvement.
• Participate actively in annual budget preparation.
• Negotiate annually or on spot with suppliers (prices, payment terms, tooling, commercial clauses, capacity issues, EOL…)
• Negotiate and formalize contracts.
• Lead the sourcing decisions in her/his area of responsibility based on the category strategy and Business Units expectations / timing.
• Prepare cost estimation (for BU during acquisition phase), including request of “should cost” to Cost Engineering team.
• Ensure category strategy implementation.
• Support BU for VEC initiatives and corresponding negotiations with suppliers.
• Report KPI by part number and supplier
• Develop regional supply base and manage relationship with local suppliers.
• Track local supplier performance and compliance.
• Update negotiation strategy based on the situation.
• Support BU and Regions in case of supplier issues / escalation

Minimum Requirements (Education, Experience, and Skills):

• Bachelor or Masters degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering or equivalent.
• Minimum of 3 years’ experience in purchasing or related field.
• The candidate will need to travel to suppliers and/or Hitachi locations as required. Some international travel may also be required.

Preferred Qualifications (Education, Experience, and Skills):

• Automotive Procurement experience strongly preferred.
• Strong background/experience in Casting and Rubber parts procurement and strategy development.
• Fluent in English/Japanese helpful.

Skills and Abilities:

• Possess the ability to work independently with minimal direction is required as are strong/effective verbal and written communication skills.
• Proven negotiations skills.
• Results orientation with proven implementation skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills including the ability to influence and persuade.
• Demonstrated collaboration, teamwork, relationship building and networking skills.
• Proficient in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel.
• Ability to work independently with minimal direction.

Safety and Environmental Management:

• Adhere to all safety protocols and environmental regulation
• Ensuring compliance with ISO 14001 environmental management standards.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Will not supervise associates.

Essential to Job Functions – Physical and/or Mental Restrictions:

• Ability to work for long periods of time while sitting.
• Visual Ability to work accurately with detailed information and a computer screen.

Work Environment – Travel, Noise, Smells, Quiet, Indoors or Outdoors, etc.

• Factory Setting with Noise.
• Travel to suppliers and/or Astemo locations both regional and international as necessary.

Equipment Used

• Personal Computer