Direct Materials Strategic Sourcing Manager (Automotive)

Job Description

Job Description

Picture your day beginning with a scan of commodity indices and supplier capacity updates, then jumping into an engineering huddle about a new launch, followed by a round of request-for-quotation reviews and tough-but-fair commercial negotiations. By mid‑day, you’re partnering with Operations and Quality to resolve a delivery risk, and by afternoon you’re coaching buyers across the Americas, shaping a purchasing strategy that protects cost, quality, and continuity of supply. This is the rhythm of our Direct Materials Strategic Sourcing Manager—decisive, cross‑functional, and anything but transactional.

What you’ll experience

You’ll own sourcing strategies for direct material commodities in a growing automotive manufacturing environment. You will guide supplier selection, steer quote analysis, and set the pace for negotiations—always with the broader business impact in mind. When issues escalate, you’ll be the calm center, resolving disruptions proactively and ensuring our customers feel supported.

Your impact

• Design and execute sourcing strategies for direct material commodities across the Americas
• Lead RFQs, supplier down‑selects, quote analysis, and commercial negotiations
• Build and sustain supplier relationships around quality, delivery, cost, and continuity
• Champion cost reduction, value engineering, and continuous improvement initiatives
• Track commodity pricing, market trends, and supply chain risks to inform decisions
• Support new product introductions and program purchasing activities
• Conduct supplier performance reviews and manage escalations to resolution
• Act swiftly to prevent and resolve supply disruptions
• Collaborate closely with Engineering, Operations, Quality, Program Management, and customers
• Keep purchasing data accurate and current within SAP/ERP
• Develop, mentor, and support buyers and purchasing team members across the region
• Validate purchasing priorities, strategies, and supplier decisions with sound judgment

What you bring

• 10+ years of progressive purchasing/sourcing/procurement experience (preferred)
• Automotive Tier 1/Tier 2 or closely related manufacturing background (strongly preferred)
• Proven direct material and commodity purchasing expertise
• Prior leadership experience as a purchasing lead, supervisor, or manager
• Expert negotiation and contract skills with suppliers
• SAP experience (strongly preferred), with fluency in ERP fundamentals
• Exceptional customer-facing and escalation-management abilities
• High urgency, strong attention to detail, and a bias for action
• Capacity to balance multiple priorities in a fast-moving manufacturing setting

If you’re ready to lead strategic sourcing, steady the supply base, and elevate a high-performing team, we’d like to meet you.