Fundamental Mission:

Category Buyer is responsible for supporting the North Region Mass Production facilities at the Star locations for strategically sourcing critical services (including offsite repairs, spare parts on drawings, and cutting tools/saw blades) to meet immediate needs as well as longer-term requirements. Responsibilities include fulfilling the Company’s needs regarding optimal strategic positions regarding quantity, quality, and time needed at the most favorable economical conditions for the Company, in accordance with established Company and Corporate Purchasing policies and procedures.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following: 

• Apply best-practice processes, tools, and techniques to:
• Supports internal customers, interfaces with them to ensure best overall value is being taken into consideration on all product/commodity acquisitions
• Consolidate the needs on a N.A. basis in order to achieve competitive advantage and cost savings.
• Perform analysis on cost data including make or buy analysis and provide recommendations for cost svgs. and additional value add items to Internal Stakeholders
• Create and develop Purchasing Strategies for the commodities in line with facilities’ strategic targets and Vallourec Group Purchasing Strategies and Policies.
• Prepares invitations to quote (RFQs), effectively sources and obtains proposals on assigned requirements
• Analyze commercial offers and proceed to their comparison and recommendations for equalization.
• Elaborate negotiation strategies, taking into consideration the targets of the acquisition process. Lead the negotiations with the selected suppliers, according to the defined strategy,
• Optimize the supplier base through evaluation of information and benchmarking of suppliers.
• Continuously evaluate the supplier market and market trends.
• Identify and implement purchasing levers to reduce the total cost of ownership by submitting recommendations for savings or process improvement initiatives.
• Manage all aspects of the purchasing contracts and agreements for the commodity, including contract review, negotiation, writing and approval, release, compliance to terms and conditions and contract compliance throughout the term of the agreement.
• Manage relationships between Vallourec companies and the suppliers on his/her scope, including assisting with the qualification and evaluation of these.
• Manage and optimize supplier performance, including continuous improvement, and innovations.
• Find, assist and counsel prospective suppliers to enhance their abilities to compete.
• Interface with local buyers to develop, implement and maintain commodity strategy.
• Accomplish all details of Job Function listed above.
• Lead collaborative, cross-functional teams to obtain competitive advantage for the local business units.
• Support supplier management activity as outlined in the Sourcing Policy.
• Represent Sourcing on special teams and committees involving the organization or related areas.
• Complete various tasks as assigned by company and functional management.
• Comply with all EHS rules required for the work environment.

Education & Experience:

• This position requires, at minimum, a Bachelor’s degree; concentration in supplier negotiation or a related field of study is a plus. In lieu of a degree, 10 or more years of relevant experience is acceptable.
• a minimum of 3 to 5 years of experience in a commercial, manufacturing and/or industrial environment.

Skills & Knowledge:

• Strong oral and written communication skills, excellent developed interpersonal skills, effective negotiation skills, good understanding of cost-price analysis techniques, and a basic understanding of contract law.
• Ability to read, analyze, and understand technical subjects, such as technical specifications, procedures, process descriptions.
• Ability to write reports and business correspondences, effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public.
• Ability to calculate figures and work formulas to achieve amounts such as discounts, interest, commissions, proportions, percentages, area, circumference, and volume; ability to apply basic algebra and geometry concepts.
• Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions, interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in diagram form, and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.
• Must be knowledgeable of ERP systems and proficient in Microsoft Office environments (Excel, Word, Power Point…)

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• This position has no supervisory responsibilities