Director of Strategic Sourcing

Qualitech - Chaska, MN

Full-time - Senior

Chaska, MN

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

About the position

The Director of Strategic Sourcing at QualiTech is responsible for overseeing the demand planning and procurement systems across all divisions of the company. This role involves supplier negotiations, analysis of purchasing functions, and the development of strategic sourcing initiatives to optimize costs and maintain high-quality supplier relationships. The position requires a strong understanding of market conditions affecting raw material costs and collaboration with internal departments to achieve cost reductions and ensure supplier quality.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the demand planning and procurement systems for all QualiTech divisions.
• Manage supplier negotiations and analysis of the company's purchasing function.
• Transition the procurement function to a Strategic Sourcing team including Supplier Relation Management (SRM).
• Analyze market and delivery conditions to determine present and future material availability.
• Develop strong market analytics and provide materials forecasting to business divisions.
• Recruit and maintain suppliers that provide high-quality products and services at competitive prices.
• Manage all third-party manufacturing partnerships (co-manufacturers).
• Compare supplier prices and recommend new supplier solutions and sources of supply.
• Manage supply and pricing risk on key supply cost centers.
• Evaluate vendor quotations using appropriate negotiations and purchasing techniques.
• Plan and execute commodity contracts.
• Establish a system to monitor supplier performance.
• Design, implement, manage, and monitor inventory and purchasing reporting systems.
• Optimize total acquisition cost of raw materials and supplies purchases.
• Partner with Product Development, Sales, and Plant Managers on new product development and implementation.
• Lead or participate in the New Product Request (NPR) process, documenting requirements and obtaining quotes.
• Fully own and control the demand planning process for the Agronomy Division.
• Demonstrate sound business decision-making aligned with company values and ethics.
• Manage purchasing department staff.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree in a related field such as MBA or Supply Chain Management is a plus.
• 10 years of progressively responsible experience in demand planning, purchasing, production planning, contract management, mathematics, and/or statistical forecast modeling.
• 5+ years of experience in a leadership position within a manufacturing setting.