Supply Chain Director

Powerwell is a leading recruitment firm helping our clients discover top talent. We are recruiting for a Supply Chain Director. Candidates must be a United States Citizen or Green Card Holder. Candidates must be able to work fully onsite in Kentwood, MI. Candidates with only automotive supply chain experience will not be considered. Some remote workdays may be an option in the future after proven work performance. Quarterly travel will also be required on a needed basis. Our client will cover all travel expenditures.

Personal Attributes:

• The ideal candidate needs to be a leader who can both identify and solve problems. Problem solving includes creating solutions to current and future problems.
• Experience with inventory management, working with suppliers, and working with resources.
• Experience with Material Requirements Planning (MRP) processes and conversions.
• Ability to lead a team of buyers.
• Must be a proven leader while being proactive and positive.
• Need to be able to suggest and implement solutions.
• Manage multiple opportunities and negotiations with buyers as well as future buyers.
• Ability to understand priorities and have future foresight.
• Experience working in a large organization and the ability to enter a smaller organization and help it run with a large organization mindset.
• Foresight to bring ideas to life and manage a small team.
• Must know and have the ability to manage MRP/ERP transitions.
• Must have thorough and dynamic negotiating skills.

Essential Job Functions:

• Develop and execute strategic commodity plans and negotiate strategic purchasing agreements.
• Purchases materials, supplies, and services by developing, soliciting, and analyzing supplier quotations. Coordinates activities with other departments to delivery, quality and cost objectives are met.
• Identifies and develops new suppliers on a global basis. Locates and establishes new suppliers and coordinates order maintenance with existing suppliers. Select and/or recommend suppliers with whom orders will be placed. Develop and maintain relationships with suppliers.
• Resolves conflicts that arise with supplier delivery schedules, raw materials, inventory, pricing. Works with other areas to resolve escalated conflicts. Assumes ultimate responsibility to ensure that suppliers deliver quality products, on time, at the negotiated price.
• Develops enterprise-wide strategies and solutions to continuously improve cost, delivery, and quality.
• Supervises, coordinates, provides general directions of staff.
• Participates in continuous improvement activities including developing programs to improve supplier performance. Tracks supplier performance and works with suppliers to continuously improve quality, delivery, cost, productivity, and support.
• Champions Value Analysis/Value Engineering (VA/VE) activities for effective cost reductions in material and services. Develops methods to track material, labor, and overhead costs of purchased products and services.
• Analyzes market trends and technology development. Recommend material and process changes to improve cost and efficiency.

Candidate Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in business or related field.
• Expertise in purchasing concepts, practices, and procedures, along with demonstrated ability to purchase materials/equipment/services in a high-volume environment.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and develop teams.
• Global sourcing experience.
• Excellent problem-solving and negotiations. Must be able to work independently and make decisions aligned with company goals and objectives.
• Demonstrated ability to develop suppliers to meet the organization’s goals for cost, delivery, and quality.
• Excellent organizational skills to establish priorities, establish goals, meet deadlines.
• Demonstrated strong written and verbal communication skills to effectively interface internal and external contacts at all levels.
• Minimum of ten years of purchasing experience, including at least five years leading a team.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint) and ERP systems.