Sourcing Manager

Louis Allis•Warrior, AL

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Sourcing Manager leads strategic and day-to-day sourcing activities for materials, components, equipment, and services needed to support manufacturing operations and customer commitments. This position develops reliable supplier relationships, negotiates favorable commercial terms, improves cost and lead-time performance, reduces supply risk, and ensures purchases meet quality, technical, delivery, and inventory requirements. The Sourcing Manager works closely with Operations, Engineering, Quality, Project Management, Finance, Shipping/Receiving, and other plant departments to keep work moving efficiently and support customer satisfaction.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent required; bachelor's degree in supply chain management, business, operations, engineering, or a related field preferred.
At least five years of industrial purchasing, sourcing, procurement, or closely related experience; manufacturing experience strongly preferred.
Prior experience leading sourcing projects, negotiations, supplier performance, or purchasing personnel preferred.
Demonstrated experience reading purchase requirements, specifications, quotations, and commercial terms and translating them into accurate purchasing decisions.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office and purchasing, inventory, MRP, or ERP systems; ability to analyze spend and supplier data using spreadsheets and reports.
Equivalent combinations of education, training, and relevant experience may be considered.
Strong negotiation, cost analysis, supplier evaluation, and problem-solving skills.
Ability to manage multiple priorities, urgent material needs, and changing production requirements without losing accuracy or follow-through.
Clear written and verbal communication, sound judgment, and a professional, businesslike manner with suppliers and internal stakeholders.
Ability to build effective employee, supervisor, and supplier relationships and promote a team-minded work environment.
Strong organization, attention to detail, data accuracy, and commitment to documented processes.
Ability to work independently, exercise appropriate discretion, escalate risk promptly, and make decisions within assigned authority.
Working knowledge of supplier quality, inventory management, lead-time management, and basic contract and commercial concepts.

Nice To Haves

bachelor's degree in supply chain management, business, operations, engineering, or a related field preferred.
manufacturing experience strongly preferred.
Prior experience leading sourcing projects, negotiations, supplier performance, or purchasing personnel preferred.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute sourcing strategies for assigned materials, components, outside services, capital equipment, and indirect purchases based on business priorities, demand, supplier capability, and market conditions.
Analyze company spending, purchase history, forecasts, lead times, and market trends to identify opportunities for cost reduction, supplier consolidation, standardization, and improved purchasing leverage.
Obtain competitive quotations - normally at least three when practical and consistent with company requirements - and evaluate suppliers using total cost, quality, delivery, service, technical capability, and risk rather than unit price alone.
Negotiate pricing, payment terms, freight, lead times, warranties, service levels, stocking arrangements, and other commercial terms; document savings, cost avoidance, and negotiated value.
Negotiate, implement, and maintain supplier agreements, blanket orders, and quantity-purchase arrangements within assigned authority and in coordination with management, Finance, and legal resources when appropriate.
Support annual budgets, cost estimates, quoting activities, and margin improvement by providing current material costs, supplier options, and sourcing recommendations.
Identify, qualify, and develop suppliers capable of meeting company requirements for quality, delivery, capacity, technical performance, price, and service.
Build professional, ethical, and productive supplier relationships while representing the company effectively during telephone, electronic, and in-person communications.
Maintain supplier performance records and scorecards using appropriate measures such as on-time delivery, quality, responsiveness, pricing, and corrective-action performance.
Lead or support supplier reviews, audits, performance-improvement plans, and corrective actions; escalate recurring issues and recommend changes in source when warranted.
Monitor supplier capacity, financial or operational concerns, long lead-time items, single-source dependencies, and other supply-chain risks; develop alternate-source and contingency plans where practical.
Partner with Quality and Engineering to confirm supplier qualifications, specifications, certifications, inspection requirements, and approval of substitutions or process changes.
Review requisitions and order parts, materials, equipment, and services promptly based on authorized requests from plant departments and approved purchasing procedures.
Create and maintain accurate purchase orders, pricing, promised dates, specifications, terms, and supporting documentation in the applicable purchasing or ERP system.
Follow up on open orders, expedite critical items, verify shipment status against quoted lead times, and communicate potential delays and recovery plans to affected departments.
Coordinate with Shipping/Receiving, Quality, Accounts Payable, and suppliers to resolve pricing, quantity, delivery, invoice, damage, nonconformance, and other order discrepancies.
Support appropriate storeroom and inventory levels by reviewing usage, demand, lead time, minimum/maximum levels, excess stock, and obsolete material while balancing availability and working capital.
Maintain complete and organized sourcing, quotation, purchase-order, contract, supplier, and cost-saving records in accordance with company retention requirements.
Confer with shop supervisors, Project Management, Engineering, Quality, and other stakeholders to understand job requirements, priorities, specifications, and customer delivery needs.
Participate in production, project, inventory, and planning meetings as needed; provide clear updates on material status, shortages, supplier risks, and sourcing actions.
Establish and monitor purchasing and sourcing performance indicators, including savings, purchase-price variance, supplier on-time delivery, supplier quality, lead-time performance, and open-order status.
Develop and improve sourcing procedures, approval workflows, supplier lists, templates, reports, and purchasing-system practices that strengthen control, visibility, and efficiency.
Lead, coach, and develop assigned purchasing personnel, when applicable, and promote accountability, collaboration, ethical conduct, and responsive internal customer service.
Perform other duties and special projects as assigned.
Follow company purchasing policies, delegated approval authority, ethical sourcing expectations, confidentiality requirements, and conflict-of-interest standards.
Support applicable quality-system, customer, contractual, safety, recordkeeping, and regulatory requirements, including supplier documentation and traceability when required.
Protect confidential pricing, drawings, specifications, customer information, and supplier data; share controlled information only with authorized parties.
Observe all safety procedures and use required personal protective equipment, especially eye and hearing protection, when entering designated plant areas.
Maintain a neat, organized, and professional work area and work product.