Category Buyer

Caterpillar Inc.•Lafayette, IN

About The Position

Your Work Shapes the World at Caterpillar Inc. When you join Caterpillar, you're joining a global team who cares not just about the work we do – but also about each other. We are the makers, problem solvers, and future world builders who are creating stronger, more sustainable communities. We don't just talk about progress and innovation here – we make it happen, with our customers, where we work and live. Together, we are building a better world, so we can all enjoy living in it. About Power & Energy Procurement Caterpillar’s Power & Energy Procurement organization plays a critical role in supporting all divisions within Power & Energy. Our work is geared towards our pistons of Predictable Supply Excellence, Optimized Total Cost of Ownership, Supplier Relationship Management and Lifecycle Sourcing Strategy. We continue to develop suppliers who competitively deliver operational excellence, enabling our customers to build a better world. With a strong focus on data-driven decision-making and operational efficiency, E&T Procurement leverages advanced tools and processes to connect the physical and digital supply chain, enabling business units to deliver high-performance solutions that meet evolving customers and business needs Job Summary We are seeking a Category Buyer. This role will be responsible for the critical fasteners within Power & Energy Procurement. The role demands ownership, analytical thinking, and a proactive mindset to navigate a complex product portfolio and build key supplier relationships.

Requirements

Effective Communications: Understanding of effective communication concepts, tools and techniques; ability to effectively transmit, receive, and accurately interpret ideas, information, and needs through the application of appropriate communication behaviors. Reviews others' writing or presentations and provides feedback and coaching. Adapts documents and presentations for the intended audience. Demonstrates both empathy and assertiveness when communicating a need or defending a position. Communicates well downward, upward, and outward. Employs appropriate methods of persuasion when soliciting agreement. Maintains focus on the topic at hand.
Negotiating: Knowledge of successful negotiation concepts and techniques; ability to negotiate successfully across the organization and with external vendors and clients in a constructive and collaborative manner. Ensures negotiators have awareness of complementary yet diverse interests. Successfully completes significant negotiations, both internal and external. Details the risks of negotiation breakdown from each party's perspective. Protects own position, while demonstrating willingness to achieve win-win. Identifies similarities and differences in position and assesses impact on discussions. Detects and addresses lack of progress or a stalemate.
Contracts Management and Administration: Knowledge of policies, standards and processes of how to manage and administer contracts; ability to use proper processes and practices for managing and administering a variety of contractual agreements. Administers locally relevant contracts for the department. Implements organizational protocols and procedures for contracts management. Explains the types of information required before a contract is signed. Reviews contracts to ensure compliance with contract specifications and regulations. Assists in creating files of relevant information for specific vendors, customers, or contracts.
Supplier Relationship Management: Knowledge of supplier relationship management concept and strategies; ability to address critical issues to meet supplier needs and maintain engaged, partnering relationship with suppliers. Advises others on the organization's supplier relationship management practices. Builds consensus, resolves conflicts, and applies techniques to achieve influence and impact results with different suppliers in the organization's supplier network. Coaches juniors on selecting, evaluating, and managing suppliers. Conducts periodic reviews of work effort, progress, issues, and successes in supplier relationship establishment and management. Evaluates the impact of SRM on the organization's different financials. Refines organizational processes for establishing and maintaining supplier partnerships.
Strategic Sourcing: Knowledge of strategic sourcing methods, technologies and processes; ability to analyze, improve and re-evaluate organizational procurement process continuously. Works with various basic components of strategic sourcing, such as data analysis, market research and purchasing budgets examination. Participates in enhancing institutional sourcing process continuously including identifying improvement opportunities. Conducts strategic sourcing activities in a limited environment. Follows relevant standards, policies and practices regarding strategic sourcing. Assists senior sourcing professionals with strategic sourcing in multiple environments.

Responsibilities

Developing, managing and executing the category strategy managing policies, agreements, source catalogs, and special procurement programs.
Recognizing the potential for cost decreases, inventory reductions and quality improvement, as well as responsibility for soundness of business proposals and risk assessment.
Acting as the liaison between the organization and the supplier to communicate information explicitly, while considering production demands and suppliers' conditions.
Documenting the suppliers' performance on time sensitiveness and production; maintains a strong relationship with suppliers.