Position: Indirect Purchasing Manager

About the Role:

The Indirect Purchasing Manager is responsible for developing and executing sourcing strategies for all non-production (indirect) goods and services. This role leads category management, drives cost optimization initiatives, manages supplier relationships, ensures compliance with corporate policies, and partners cross-functionally to deliver measurable value, mitigate risk, and support business objectives.

This role will report directly to the US Executive Director of Purchasing and have a dotted line reporting structure to Nexteer's Global Indirect Commodity Purchasing Director.

Key Responsibilities

As an Indirect Purchasing Manager, you will be responsible to:

Strategic Sourcing & Category Management

• Develop and implement sourcing strategies across assigned indirect commodities (e.g., IT, Facilities, Machinery & Equipment, Logistics, Outside Services, MRO, Engineering and Corporate Expenditures).
• Oversee and conduct market research, benchmark pricing, and evaluate emerging trends to inform category strategies.
• Build multi-year category roadmaps that align with organizational goals and operational needs.

Spend Analysis & Cost Optimization

• Analyze spend data to identify consolidation opportunities, inefficiencies, and cost-saving initiatives.
• Use analytics tools to track spend patterns, supplier performance, and compliance.
• Develop cost models, total cost of ownership (TCO) analyses, and savings forecasts.

Supplier Relationship Management

• Source, evaluate, and select suppliers based on quality, cost, capability, and risk profile.
• Lead supplier business reviews, performance scorecards, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Build strategic partnerships that enhance service levels, innovation, and long-term value.

Cost Savings & Value Delivery

• Lead negotiations to secure competitive pricing, favorable terms, and measurable cost reductions.
• Drive year-over-year savings targets through strategic sourcing, demand management, and process improvements.
• Identify opportunities to optimize supplier portfolios and eliminate maverick spend.

Policy Adherence & Compliance

• Ensure all purchasing activities comply with corporate policies, procedures, and governance standards.
• Enforce contract compliance, ethical sourcing practices, and regulatory requirements.
• Support internal audits and implement corrective actions where needed.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Finance, Legal, Operations, IT, HR, Facilities, Engineering, IT and other stakeholders to understand business requirements.
• Influence decision-making and align teams on sourcing strategies, supplier selection, and contract terms.
• Facilitate communication between internal teams and suppliers to ensure seamless execution.

Risk Management

• Assess supplier risks related to financial stability, operational capability, cybersecurity, and compliance.
• Develop mitigation plans, contingency strategies, and supplier diversification approaches.
• Ensure contracts include appropriate Terms and Conditions protections for liability, data security, and business continuity.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in procurement, sourcing, or supply chain management.
• Strong negotiation skills and experience managing complex supplier relationships.
• Proficiency in procurement systems (QAD, Intelex, BPM, Power BI etc.) and spend analytics tools.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver cost savings and manage multiple categories.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and project leadership skills.

Core Competencies

• Strategic thinking
• Analytical problem-solving
• Negotiation & influence
• Supplier management
• Financial acumen
• Risk mitigation
• Cross-functional collaboration
• Policy & compliance discipline

Education Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Finance, or related field (Master's preferred).

Employment Agencies

Employment agencies are an important component of our talent acquisition strategy, and we value the partnerships we have built with our preferred vendors. We will not accept unsolicited resumes from employment agencies for any employment opportunity. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at Nexteer Automotive or directly to hiring managers in any form without a signed Nexteer Automotive Agency Agreement on file, and search engagement for that position, will be deemed unsolicited in nature, and no fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired as a result of the referral or through other means. Additionally, any resume submitted without a contract in place will be considered Nexteer Automotive property and no fees will be paid to the agency if the candidate is hired.

Please note, agency agreements will only be valid if in writing and signed by a member of Nexteer's Human Resources team. No other Nexteer employee is authorized to bind Nexteer to any agreement regarding the placement of candidates by an agency.