Ford Racing - Contract Buyer

Ford Motor • Dearborn, MI

3d • $84,480 - $162,120 • Hybrid

About The Position

We are the movers of the world and the makers of the future. We get up every day, roll up our sleeves and build a better world -- together. At Ford, we’re all a part of something bigger than ourselves. Are you ready to change the way the world moves? The Ford Purchasing team adds critical value to the entire organization. You’ll help us source the highest quality parts and services from around the globe while ensuring optimal cost and on-time delivery. You’ll also contribute to establishing a robust supply chain so that we can continually produce the vehicles our customers want In this position... Ford Racing is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of automotive engineering and innovation. As a Contracts Buyer, you will play a crucial role in supporting the contract lifecycle activities for Ford Racing initiatives. Your responsibilities will include assisting with strategic on-time sourcing, conducting contract analysis, supporting supplier relationship management, and contributing to process optimization. You will work closely with managers and cross-functional teams across engineering, legal, finance, and business operations, gaining invaluable experience in a fast-paced, high-stakes environment. This position is vital in helping to drive efficiency, mitigate risks, and support the competitive advantage of our groundbreaking projects.

Requirements

• Minimum Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Engineering, Finance, or a related field.
• 3-5 years of experience in procurement, supply chain, contract administration, or a related analytical role.
• Experience supporting sourcing processes, including RFx documentation and supplier assessments.
• Familiarity with contract review and administration, including understanding of key terms and conditions.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with excellent attention to detail.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Word) and experience with procurement systems and tools (e.g., Ariba) is a plus.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively with diverse teams.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and tasks in a demanding, fast-paced environment.

Nice To Haves

• A passion for racing!
• Experience within the automotive or a related project/contract-heavy industry.
• Understanding of contract law principles or experience working closely with legal teams on commercial agreements.

Responsibilities

• Program Support & Analysis: Assist in the research, analysis, and documentation of strategic and tactical procurement plans for Ford Racing, ensuring alignment with overall program objectives.
• Sourcing Process Assistance: Support the end-to-end sourcing process for goods and services required for these programs. This includes conducting research for RFx (RFI, RFP, RFQ) development, gathering data for market tests, assisting with supplier assessment documentation, and supporting proposal evaluations.
• Contract Lifecycle Support: Assist in the review, drafting, execution, and management of commercial contracts. Help ensure contracts are detailed with clear deliverables, terms & conditions, payment terms, and pricing models. Verify contracts comply with company policies and legal requirements, and support contract renewal or termination processes. Collaborate with Ford Racing Business Owners and Legal teams to identify and mitigate risks.
• Commodity Strategy Contribution: Conduct research and analysis to support the development and evolution of Procurement Commodity Strategies specifically tailored to Ford Racing. Help identify data for supplier and commodity-focused sourcing plans designed to achieve savings targets and support technical requirements.
• Supplier Performance Monitoring: Assist in monitoring supplier performance against contractual obligations and KPIs. Support data collection and preparation for regular business reviews and contribute to continuous improvement initiatives within the supply chain.
• Cost Management Support: Research and analyze opportunities for cost reduction and value improvement. Assist in tracking, reporting, and forecasting savings achieved through strategic sourcing and negotiation efforts within this domain.
• Market Data & Benchmarking: Conduct comprehensive market data analyses and perform benchmarking activities (e.g., through market tests, third-party studies) to establish insights within specialized categories relevant to Ford Racing programs.
• Process & Systems Support: Ensure adherence to company procurement policies, procedures, and ethical standards. Identify opportunities to streamline procurement processes and improve efficiency using procurement systems and tools. Assist with the accurate creation and issuance of purchase orders (e.g., in Ariba) based on requisitions.
• Risk Identification & Analysis: Assist in identifying and analyzing potential risks within the supply chain, including financial, operational, compliance, and supply continuity risks unique to supporting high-performance programs.
• Stakeholder Collaboration: Partner effectively with Business, Engineering, Legal, Finance, and other relevant internal departments to understand their requirements and ensure timely and effective delivery of goods and services essential for their success.
• Reporting & Analytics Contribution: Prepare and contribute to reports on spend analysis, savings performance, supplier performance, market trends, and project-specific procurement status relevant to Ford Racing initiatives.

Benefits

• Immediate medical, dental, vision and prescription drug coverage
• Flexible family care days, paid parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, subsidized back-up child care and more
• Family building benefits including adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, fertility treatments, and more
• Vehicle discount program for employees and family members and management leases
• Tuition assistance
• Established and active employee resource groups
• Paid time off for individual and team community service
• A generous schedule of paid holidays, including the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day
• Paid time off and the option to purchase additional vacation time.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees