Purchasing Director- North America

Magna International•Troy, MI

About The Position

The Purchasing Director- North America will lead strategic sourcing and competitive bidding, ensuring full compliance with procurement policies and procedures. This role is responsible for developing and executing end-to-end commodity and supply chain strategies across all commodities and services to maximize value, leverage, standardization, and position Purchasing as a key profit contributor.

Requirements

Graduate degree in Business Administration, Economics, Industrial or Mechanical Engineering with a focus on Purchasing, or equivalent qualification.
Several years of experience in Purchasing and Strategic Sourcing within a manufacturing environment, preferably automotive (e.g. welding plants, body‑in‑white lines, presses, molding and thermoforming tools).
Established professional network within the automotive industry, including OEMs and Tier suppliers, considered an asset.
Solid project management experience.
Business‑fluent in English; additional languages are an advantage.
Strong financial acumen with advanced data analytics capabilities.
High proficiency with standard IT systems, including MS Office, SAP or comparable ERP systems.
Demonstrated ability to perform effectively under pressure with high stress resilience and frustration tolerance.
Strong self‑motivation with a hands‑on, proactive approach and the ability to work independently.
Highly developed communication, negotiation, and influencing skills.
Proven capability to coordinate and foster effective interdisciplinary collaboration.
Methodical, structured, and analytical working style with strong problem‑solving capabilities.
Sound judgment with well‑developed decision‑making skills.
Strategic, conceptual, innovative, and commercially driven mindset.
Confident and effective presentation skills at all organizational levels.
Profound expertise in cost analysis and cost‑effectiveness assessments (e.g. cost accounting, cost breakdowns).
In‑depth knowledge of international contract law.
Strong leadership skills in training, coaching, motivating, and building high‑performing teams.

Nice To Haves

Established professional network within the automotive industry, including OEMs and Tier suppliers, considered an asset.
additional languages are an advantage.

Responsibilities

Define and lead strategic sourcing objectives aligned with leadership, corporate policy, and business priorities.
Direct and coordinate Purchasing Managers to develop and execute sourcing strategies and deliver functional targets.
Establish and manage procurement performance frameworks covering supplier performance, quality, cost, service, and material availability.
Own annual procurement budgeting, cost planning, variance analysis, and corrective actions in close collaboration with Finance.
Provide deep market and commodity intelligence, including trends, cost drivers, pricing, lead times, and supplier capabilities.
Lead category strategies for product development to improve supply chain efficiency and reduce total cost.
Drive sustainable cost reductions through negotiation, leverage, supplier rationalization, and process optimization.
Build and manage a competitive, globally leveraged supplier base and maintain strong relationships with strategic partners.
Lead and develop a high‑performance purchasing organization, fostering cross‑functional collaboration, best‑practice sharing, and internal customer excellence.
Act as a change ambassador, transforming the organization toward higher efficiency, stronger cost discipline, and positioning Procurement as a key business partner.
In addition to the tasks listed here, the job holder is required to carry out individual assignments as directed by their supervisor, which are inherent to their role or arise from operational necessities.
The job holder must be familiar with and adhere to the processes, regulations, and procedures practiced within the company. This includes, among others, the company's mission statement, organizational structure, quality management manual, procedural instructions, work instructions, operating regulations, environmental protection and occupational safety guidelines, Code of Conduct and Ethics, and guidelines of the MAGNA Employee Charter.