Purchasing Director

Champion GSE Company, a subsidiary of the DEDIENNE Group, is a growing manufacturer of transport containers and industrial ground support equipment serving aerospace and industrial markets.

To support continued expansion in the United States, we are seeking a Purchasing Director with strong people‑leadership and hands‑on operational expertise to lead our purchasing organization at our Ohio manufacturing site.

The Purchasing Leader is responsible for leading the team and driving sourcing, logistics, planning, negotiations, and procurement to support company operations. This role ensures optimal quality, cost, delivery, and supplier performance while managing procurement strategies and vendor relationships.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Lead all day‑to‑day purchasing activities supporting manufacturing and on‑time delivery
• Develop and execute strategic sourcing plans aligned with site requirements and USA purchasing objectives
• Lead supplier negotiations for recurring production and new programs.
• Drive cost reduction, productivity, and value‑engineering initiatives.
• Monitor supplier KPIs (cost, quality, delivery, responsiveness, capacity).
• Work closely with Manufacturing, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Planning, and Finance at the site level.
• Partner with the USA Purchasing Director to deploy purchasing policies, tools, and best practices.

KEY COMPETENCIES

• Strong people manager with experience in hiring, performance management, and succession planning.
• Hands‑on, operational leadership style with strong plant presence.
• Excellent negotiation, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Solid understanding of metal‑mechanical manufacturing processes.
• Data‑driven, structured, and results‑oriented.
• Comfortable operating in a matrix organization.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Supply Chain Management, Business, or a related field.
• 10 years of experience in purchasing / procurement within a manufacturing or industrial environment.
• 5 years of proven experience managing and developing purchasing teams.
• Strong experience with direct materials, metals procurement, and industrial subcontracting.

COMPENSATION

• Competitive base salary based on experience
• Performance‑based bonus
• Comprehensive benefits package

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Fluent in English.
• Ability to travel occasionally within the US.
• Eligible to work for any employer within the US
• Employment is contingent upon the satisfactory outcome of pre-employment screening activities, including a background check.

Champion GSE provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, age, disability, gender identity, results of genetic testing, or service in the military. Equal employment opportunity applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leave of absence, compensation, and training. DFWP

Champion GSE expressly prohibits any form of unlawful employee harassment or discrimination based on any of the characteristics mentioned above. Improper interference with the ability of other employees to perform their expected job duties is not tolerated.

Job Type: Full-time

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Application Question(s):

• How many years of managing purchasing team do you have?

Education:

• Bachelor's (Required)

Experience:

• Purchasing: 10 years (Required)

Work Location: In person

Salary : $35,000 - $40,000