Manufacturing Plant Procurement Manager

Head Of Procurement - Direct Materials Americas

Hitachi Rail is looking for an enthusiastic self-motivated Head of Procurement - Direct Materials Americas who thrives in a fast-paced environment. The successful candidate is comfortable performing a wide range of tasks from administrative to strategic. The position can be based in either Pittsburgh, PA or Batesburg, SC.

Accountabilities:

• Strategic Sourcing: Develop and execute long-term category strategies for direct materials to drive cost savings, optimize supplier performance, and secure favorable pricing.
• New Product Development (NPD/NPI): Align procurement strategies with engineering and design teams early on to foster supplier involvement, improve timeline efficiency, and manage risk-buy readiness.
• Supplier Management: Conduct Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs), negotiate complex contract terms, and resolve supplier performance issues through root-cause analysis.
• Risk Mitigation: Develop "should-cost" models, monitor market intelligence, and create resiliency plans to proactively address material shortages, lead times, and single-source vulnerabilities.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with operations, finance, and commercial teams to forecast material costs, manage budgets, and align category strategies with broader corporate targets.
• Team Leadership: Coach and mentor junior category managers or sourcing specialists, building departmental capability and driving succession planning. Will manage the performance of 7 or 8 direct reports, conducting regular 1:1 meetings, coaching and mentoring personal development, and provide constructive feedback through appraisals.

Required skills/experience:

• Experience: At least 15 years of progressive experience in direct procurement, strategic sourcing, or commodity management—often within manufacturing, homebuilding, or tech industries.
• Negotiation & Analytics: Strong financial acumen with proven ability to interpret contracts, utilize should-cost analysis, and manage complex supply agreements.
• Technical Skills: Proficiency in supply chain and ERP software such as SAP, Oracle, or advanced MS Excel.
• Soft Skills: Exceptional leadership, change management, and interpersonal communication skills to effectively manage relationships with C-suite executives and external suppliers.

Desired:

Member of Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS), or Institute of Supply Management (CPSM, or CPM) or another appropriate professional institute or relevant experience.

Education:

Bachelor's Degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Engineering, Accounting, or a related field; an MBA is preferred

Hitachi Rail employees enjoy a comprehensive benefits package including Competitive Pay, Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance, Short & Long Term Disability, Life & Accident Insurance, Flexible Spending Accounts, a Retirement Savings Plan, and Paid Vacation. We also offer a number of Work/Life Programs such as Flextime and a variety of Training and Development opportunities.

Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE)-Females/Minorities/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

If you need a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job at Hitachi, please send the nature of request and contact information to View email address on click.appcast.io.

Queries other than accommodation requests will not be responded to.