Commodity Manager - Plastics & ChemicalsIndustry: Plastics, Chemicals & Advanced Manufacturing
Location: Greater Knoxville, TN
Commodity Focus: Resins, Titanium Dioxide (TiO2), Carbon Black & Chemical Additives
Travel: As Needed to Suppliers and Manufacturing Facilities
Position OverviewWe are seeking an experienced Commodity Manager to oversee strategic sourcing, procurement, and supplier management activities for raw materials and indirect materials supporting U.S. manufacturing operations.
This position will be responsible for developing and executing purchasing strategies that improve
cost efficiency, supplier performance, material availability, and supply chain reliability. The Commodity Manager will manage supplier relationships, lead contract negotiations, evaluate market conditions, and identify opportunities to reduce costs while maintaining material quality and continuity of supply.
The ideal candidate will have strong procurement experience within the
plastics and chemicals industries, particularly involving resins, titanium dioxide (TiO2), carbon black, and chemical additives. This individual will collaborate with Procurement, Supply Chain, Regulatory, Quality, Sales, Technical Services, and Operations to align sourcing strategies with manufacturing requirements and business objectives.
Key ResponsibilitiesStrategic Sourcing & Commodity Management
- Manage purchasing requirements for raw materials and indirect materials across U.S. manufacturing facilities
- Develop and execute commodity sourcing strategies that improve purchasing leverage, cost efficiency, and supply continuity
- Oversee procurement activities involving resins, TiO2, carbon black, chemical additives, and related manufacturing materials
- Identify and evaluate suppliers based on pricing, quality, service, capacity, and supply reliability
- Lead supplier selection, quotation processes, competitive bidding, and sourcing evaluations
- Conduct Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) analysis to support purchasing decisions
- Evaluate opportunities to consolidate purchasing volumes and improve supplier agreements
- Align sourcing strategies with production requirements, business objectives, and long-term supply chain needs
Supplier Relationship Management & Negotiations
- Develop and maintain strong relationships with domestic and international suppliers
- Lead supplier negotiations involving pricing, commercial terms, contracts, and service expectations
- Conduct supplier visits, audits, and performance evaluations
- Establish supplier performance expectations and monitor compliance with purchasing requirements
- Identify supplier performance issues and coordinate corrective action plans
- Lead supplier cost reduction workshops and continuous improvement initiatives
- Evaluate supplier capabilities, production capacity, and long-term supply reliability
- Collaborate with suppliers to identify opportunities for improved pricing, quality, and operational efficiency
Market Analysis & Supply Chain Risk Management
- Monitor plastics and chemical commodity markets, including pricing trends, supply availability, and market conditions
- Analyze raw material cost drivers, supply market developments, and emerging technologies
- Identify supply chain risks and develop strategies to maintain material availability
- Evaluate domestic and global sourcing opportunities
- Monitor supplier market conditions and identify potential disruptions
- Maintain knowledge of relevant industry associations, supply market trends, and purchasing practices
- Develop recommendations to improve sourcing flexibility and supply chain resilience
- Partner with internal teams to address material shortages, supplier issues, and changing production requirements
Procurement Financial Management & Cost Reduction
- Support material budget planning, purchasing forecasts, and cost management initiatives
- Analyze historical pricing, supplier agreements, and purchasing trends
- Identify and implement cost reduction and cost avoidance opportunities
- Evaluate supplier proposals using financial analysis and Total Cost of Ownership principles
- Monitor procurement performance against established cost and operational objectives
- Develop purchasing reports, supplier performance metrics, and cost analysis presentations
- Support financial planning through commodity pricing forecasts and market evaluations
- Collaborate with Finance and Operations to align procurement activities with business requirements
Procurement Systems & Documentation
- Maintain accurate purchasing records, supplier information, pricing histories, and contractual documentation
- Manage material specifications, supplier performance records, and purchasing agreements
- Utilize procurement and business systems to support purchasing activities and reporting
- Analyze purchasing data using Microsoft Excel, Power BI, and other business intelligence tools
- Support purchasing process improvements and data accuracy initiatives
- Interpret engineering drawings, blueprints, and technical specifications related to purchased materials
- Maintain organized supplier documentation and purchasing records
- Develop reports and presentations supporting procurement decisions and sourcing strategies
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Collaborate with Procurement, Supply Chain, Regulatory, Quality, Sales, Technical Services, and Operations
- Coordinate with manufacturing teams to ensure purchased materials meet production requirements
- Partner with Quality and Technical Services to address material specifications and supplier quality concerns
- Support Regulatory teams in evaluating applicable material and supplier requirements
- Work with Operations to anticipate purchasing needs and prevent supply disruptions
- Communicate commodity market conditions, supplier performance, and purchasing recommendations to leadership
- Support cross-functional initiatives focused on cost savings, operational efficiency, and supplier performance
- Manage multiple sourcing projects and procurement priorities independently
Required Qualifications- Strong knowledge of plastics and chemicals procurement
- Experience with strategic sourcing, commodity management, and supplier relationship management
- Understanding of domestic and global supply chain operations
- Experience evaluating suppliers, negotiating contracts, and managing purchasing requirements
- Knowledge of commodity market trends, purchasing practices, and supply chain cost drivers
- Ability to conduct supplier evaluations and Total Cost of Ownership analysis
- Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving capabilities
- Ability to interpret engineering drawings, blueprints, and technical specifications
- Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
- Ability to analyze procurement data and prepare purchasing reports
- Understanding of contract law as it relates to purchasing and supplier agreements
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to build and maintain effective supplier and internal stakeholder relationships
- Ability to manage multiple procurement projects and priorities independently
- Willingness to travel to supplier and manufacturing locations as needed
Preferred Qualifications- Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Logistics, Chemistry, or a related field
- 5+ years of procurement experience
- Direct procurement experience within the plastics or chemical manufacturing industries
- Experience purchasing resins, titanium dioxide (TiO2), carbon black, and chemical additives
- Experience developing and executing commodity sourcing strategies
- Demonstrated success negotiating supplier contracts and achieving measurable cost savings
- Experience managing domestic and international suppliers
- Knowledge of global plastics and chemical commodity markets
- Experience conducting supplier audits and performance evaluations
- Experience with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
- Advanced experience using Microsoft Power BI for purchasing analysis and reporting
- Experience supporting multiple manufacturing facilities
- Experience developing material cost forecasts and procurement budgets
- Experience implementing supply risk mitigation and supplier performance improvement initiatives
- Familiarity with regulatory and quality requirements affecting chemical and plastic raw materials
Candidate Must-Haves- Strong procurement knowledge within the plastics and chemicals industries
- Experience with strategic sourcing and commodity purchasing
- Demonstrated supplier relationship management and contract negotiation capabilities
- Understanding of raw material procurement and supply chain operations
- Knowledge of plastics and chemical commodity markets, pricing trends, and cost drivers
- Experience evaluating suppliers and managing purchasing agreements
- Strong analytical and financial evaluation skills
- Ability to interpret technical specifications and engineering documentation
- Advanced Microsoft Office proficiency, particularly Excel
- Strong communication, negotiation, and organizational skills
- Ability to independently manage multiple purchasing priorities
- Understanding of supply chain risk management and continuity of supply
- Willingness to travel as needed
