Senior Director - Purchasing U.S.

GEA Group•Romeoville, IL

4d•$130,000 - $160,000

About The Position

GEA Group is seeking a Senior Director of Purchasing to lead procurement activities for its local FT organization in the Americas and the GEA U.S. and LAM market, including strategic procurement support for the LAM Hygiene site. The position is responsible for direct and indirect procurement and will support approximately $125 million in annual purchases across the U.S. and LAM markets. The role develops the purchasing organization and teams to operate both day to day and strategically. The Senior Director will oversee supplier relationships, contracting, sourcing, cost-reduction initiatives, procurement performance, and continuous improvement. The position also supports global supply chain strategic projects as they relate to local operations, ensures compliance with QHSE regulations, and works with production to balance delivery performance, working capital, and spending.

Requirements

Master's or bachelor's degree in business administration, engineering, or equivalent educational level.
At least 5 years of multinational supply chain experience in procurement, planning, warehousing, or logistics.
Experience leading and implementing corporate supply chain networks.
Profound knowledge of supply and demand planning, warehousing, and logistics.
Work experience in both complex matrix and centralized organizations.
Deep understanding of business.
Experience in change management.
Profound knowledge of contract management.
Profound project management skills.
Negotiation experience across global supplier markets.
Experience in supplier management.
Proficient English; a local language is preferably fluent.
Broad international business understanding and focus on customer needs and fulfillment of customer expectations.
Open-minded, solution-oriented, and strong problem-solving skills.
Team player with networking and negotiation skills.
Very good communication skills.
Strong customer orientation.
Leadership skills and entrepreneurial competencies.

Nice To Haves

Fluency in a local language.

Responsibilities

Work on strategic vision and initiatives for FT U.S. and LAM.
Develop and drive procurement activities for the local FT organization in the Americas.
Develop and drive procurement activities for the GEA U.S. and LAM market and support the LAM Hygiene site for strategic procurement needs.
Manage direct and indirect procurement.
Negotiate and participate in long-term vendor contracts.
Secure the availability of resources and materials and achieve performance targets for cost and delivery time.
Synchronize local production requirements with supplier material flows to balance delivery performance, working capital, and spending.
Continuously improve procurement processes and structure, including strategy, methods, tools, and personnel development.
Ensure compliance with QHSE regulations.
Support execution of global supply chain strategic projects relating to local operations.
Manage and coordinate key suppliers, assess supplier quality, and secure supplier priorities and product and material availability.
Define supplier pricing and contractual conditions, negotiate discounts, and establish payment terms.
Set and control category savings targets, track cost-reduction project implementation, and ensure standard spending and savings reporting.
Develop the procurement team through specialized training in negotiation and e-Auction tools.
Develop and implement performance measurement systems for savings, on-time delivery, and supplier quality.
Understand customer needs and specific requirements for the Farm Business.
Read and understand engineering drawings and material requirements.
Lead Make-or-Buy projects and drive decisions and implementation.
Identify and assess key strategic suppliers.
Perform other tasks as required.