Category Lead, MRO

International Paper•Loveland, OH

9d•$118,000 - $134,000•Remote

About The Position

This position is responsible for the procurement of MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Operations) materials required to support our mill and converting facilities. The Buyer will effectively utilize the SVC2 process in either a lead or support role to increase value to IP. Scope includes procurement strategy development, negotiations, advanced analytical tools, contract administration, warranty enforcement and ongoing supplier management across IP’s North American box plant system. Targeted OEM part replacement at converting facilities and mills is a strategic priority for this role. The position will engage plants through storeroom bin crawls and use internal systems and enablement team resources to identify parts that can be purchased from Class 1 suppliers at significant savings compared with OEM sources. Travel may be approximately 40-50%, focused on facility and supplier visits. IP spends more than $1 billion annually on MRO materials, and this role will be responsible for approximately $200 million in annual expenditure and contracts across multiple categories.

Requirements

A bachelor’s degree is recommended.
Candidates should have at least three years of work experience, preferably in a facility or industry setting.
Prior experience in maintenance, manufacturing, purchasing, or capital projects is preferred.
Successful candidates will demonstrate leadership, technical aptitude, strong communication and analytical skills, a basic understanding of finance, the ability to work independently, and a collaborative approach, with the confidence to take a firm position when needed.
Strong PC skills are required to access financial data, analyze alternatives, and prepare presentations.
Proficiency with SAP, Sievo, SharePoint, Excel, and PowerPoint is required.

Nice To Haves

Negotiating
Action Oriented
Drive for Results
Priority Setting
Timely Decision Making
Decision Quality
Conflict Management
Dealing with Ambiguity
Business Acumen
Problem Solving

Responsibilities

Lead converting team in identifying OEM parts that can be sourced through existing distribution channels.
Achieve targeted cost reduction goals in the purchase of MRO categories by lowering purchase price, streamlining processes, and negotiating better terms.
Act as Lead/Assist Buyer for the execution of sourcing event (wave) activities for MRO Categories. Utilize the SVC2 process to create effective strategies that deliver maximum cost reduction and value creation. Effective engagement and facilitation of a diverse team including plant stakeholders, other buyers, financial analysts, execution/enablement teams and other subject matter experts is essential to success.
Must be able to formulate and apply mathematical modeling and other optimizing methods to develop and interpret information that assists with decision making, policy formulation, or other purchasing functions.
Lead or support supplier management activities with strategic suppliers.
Act as the change management champion for contract categories they manage, with responsibility for implementation of new agreements and contract compliance across the category
Lead and participate in activities with an 80/20 mindset to continuously improve processes and eliminate nonvalue added waste in the sourcing process.