What are the responsibilities and job description for the Commodity Manager position at Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation?
Job Description:
Innovate without boundaries!
At Milwaukee Tool we firmly believe that our People and our Culture are the secrets to our success — so we give you unlimited access to everything you need to provide support to your business unit. Behind our doors, you’ll be empowered every day to own it, drive it, and do what it takes to support the biggest breakthroughs in the industry. Meanwhile, you’ll have the support and resources of the fastest-growing brand in the construction industry to make it happen.
Your Role on Our Team
The Commodity Manager, Insourced PPE (MKO), will own strategy and execution for our global hard hat and helmet portfolio — a category experiencing 10–15% year-over-year growth. This role provides leadership across both the domestic and international supply base, ensuring cost competitiveness, innovation, resiliency, and compliance in one of the most critical categories for employee safety. To be successful, the Commodity Manager must be highly motivated, analytical, and a collaborative self-starter who thrives in a fast-paced, responsive, team-oriented environment. The role requires strong communication skills and the ability to influence across engineering, operations, finance, and supplier partners to drive growth, mitigate risks, and deliver results.
You’ll be DISRUPTIVE through these duties and responsibilities:
Category & Sourcing Leadership
- Own end-to-end management of the insourced PPE portfolio (hard hats and helmets).
- Develop and execute global sourcing strategies, including tariff mitigation, dual sourcing, and capacity expansion to keep pace with double-digit growth.
- Partner with MKO site leadership (Engineering, Plant Management, Materials) to align sourcing with operational needs.
Supplier & Vendor Management
- Oversee relationships across both domestic and global supply bases, driving accountability for quality, delivery, and innovation.
- Manage supplier scorecards, KPIs, and continuous improvement initiatives to ensure consistent performance.
- Lead RFPs & RFQs, contract negotiations (MSA), and execution to secure optimal terms while maintaining compliance and risk management.
Innovation & New Product Development
- Lead new product development in the PPE space from a procurement perspective
- Partner with engineering and product management to ensure suppliers meet technical, safety, and regulatory requirements.
Financial & Operational Ownership
- Own financial reporting and analysis for the insourced PPE category, including VFS, PPV, ideation savings, and cash flow.
- Identify cost savings opportunities through process improvements, supplier negotiations, and design-to-value efforts.
- Serve as owner of Operations Reviews, ensuring transparency, accountability, and cross-functional alignment.
The TOOLS you’ll bring with you:
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, or related field; advanced degree preferred.
- 5 years of experience in strategic sourcing, commodity management, or supply chain leadership.
- Demonstrated experience managing global supply bases and high-growth product categories.
- Knowledge of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) markets, safety standards, and manufacturing processes strongly preferred.
- Strong negotiation and analytical skills, with proven track record of delivering savings and mitigating risk.
- Ability to develop strong cross-functional partnerships and influence stakeholders across multiple functions.
- Results-driven, deadline-oriented, and comfortable managing multiple projects simultaneously.
We provide these great perks and benefits:
- Robust health, dental and vision insurance plans
- Generous 401(k) savings plan
- Education assistance
- On-site wellness, fitness center, food, and coffee service
- And many more — check out our benefits site HERE.
Milwaukee Tool is an equal opportunity employer.
