Commodity Manager

Bradford White Corporation•Middleville, MI

About The Position

The Commodity Manager is accountable for the end-to-end strategic management of assigned commodities, including category strategy development, supplier portfolio optimization, cost and value creation, risk management, and supply continuity. This role owns the long-term performance of the commodity and acts as the primary commercial interface between the business and the supply market. The Commodity Manager drives enterprise value through market intelligence, should-cost modeling, negotiation leadership, cross-functional collaboration, and disciplined execution of category strategies aligned with business objectives.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, business or engineering required
8+ years of progressive experience in strategic sourcing, category management, or commodity management
Demonstrated success developing and executing category strategies with measurable financial and operational impact
Strong expertise in commercial negotiations, contracting, and supplier economics
Proven ability to drive cross-functional alignment and influence senior stakeholders
Advanced proficiency with ERP systems (Oracle preferred), procurement platforms, and analytics tools (Excel, Power BI)
Strong business acumen, leadership presence, and ownership mindset

Responsibilities

Own, develop, and continuously refine multi-year commodity strategies aligned to business goals, supply market dynamics, and product roadmaps
Lead data-driven opportunity assessments (cost, risk, service, innovation) and convert findings into executable sourcing and value-creation initiatives
Establish and maintain category playbooks, sourcing plans, and governance models
Drive total cost of ownership (TCO) optimization through should-cost models, cost breakdowns, demand aggregation, and commercial strategies
Lead strategic negotiations for complex, high-value agreements including pricing, capacity, risk sharing, and long-term partnerships
Identify and execute productivity, cost-reduction, and working-capital initiatives
Segment, select, and manage suppliers based on capability, risk, cost, performance, and strategic fit
Lead supplier relationship management (SRM), including performance reviews, corrective action plans, and continuous improvement initiatives
Partner with suppliers to drive innovation, process improvement, and long-term value
Monitor supply market trends, cost drivers, geopolitical risks, and capacity constraints affecting assigned commodities
Proactively assess supply risk and develop mitigation and contingency plans
Serve as the subject-matter expert for the commodity, advising leadership on market conditions and outlooks
Collaborate with Engineering, Operations, Quality, Finance, and Program teams to align technical, commercial, and operational requirements
Capture voice-of-customer and internal stakeholder input to inform sourcing strategies and contract structures
Influence without authority and lead decision-making across functions
Ensure disciplined execution of sourcing strategies and contracts
Own escalation and resolution of critical supply issues, leading root cause analysis and systemic fixes
Monitor KPIs and supplier performance metrics to ensure delivery against cost, quality, delivery, and risk targets