Location: Koenig & Bauer Office, Dallas, TX
Reports to: Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Direct Reports: N/A
Department: Global Procurement & Supply Chain
Standard Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. CT.
Travel: Willingness to travel regionally across the US (supplier visits, plant support) and internationally (headquarters alignment, supplier benchmarking), typically up to 15-25%.
FLSA Status: Exempt/Salary
Job Responsibility: The
Strategic Procurement Specialist is responsible for establishing, developing, and managing a high-performing, globally competitive supplier network across the United States. Operating at the intersection of regional market execution and global procurement strategy, this role executes a phased sourcing roadmap: initially building a resilient domestic supply base ("Local-for-Local") and subsequently qualifying premier regional partners for integration into the global manufacturing network ("Local-for-Global").
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:Market Intelligence & Strategic Sourcing- Conduct thorough procurement market research across the US industrial landscape, evaluating cost drivers, raw material availability, capacity constraints, and competitive benchmarks.
- Identify high-impact material groups and commodity categories suited for domestic localization and global export.
- Formulate and implement regional purchasing strategies that harmonize local operating requirements with corporate procurement guidelines.
- Lead total cost of ownership (TCO) and make-or-buy analyses to guide capital allocation and sourcing decisions.
Local-for-Local Implementation- Build, qualify, and scale a robust local supplier base across the US market to serve domestic operations.
- Structure and execute competitive tenders, RFPs/RFQs, and commercial negotiations.
- Partner with domestic manufacturing sites, plant logistics, and quality assurance teams to secure on-time delivery (OTD), targeted cost baselines, and rigorous quality standards.
- Establish resilient, long-term vendor partnerships to mitigate domestic operational disruptions.
Local-for-Global Supplier Development- Evaluate the domestic supply base to identify high-potential manufacturers capable of scaling to international delivery standards.
- Lead supplier audits, technical evaluations, capacity assessments, and quality compliance reviews.
- Successfully onboard and integrate selected US suppliers into global value chains, collaborating closely with Global Category Managers.
- Drive operational excellence initiatives with suppliers to meet stringent international quality, packaging, and logistical frameworks.
Relationship & Risk Management- Cultivate strategic supplier partnerships and formalize vendor relationship management frameworks.
- Implement structured vendor performance reviews (business reviews, scorecards, corrective action tracking).
- Proactively assess multi-tier supply chain risks, geo-economic vulnerabilities, and single-source bottlenecks, instituting business continuity countermeasures.
Commercial, Contract & Cost Management- Draft, negotiate, and execute comprehensive framework agreements, master service agreements (MSAs), and service level agreements (SLAs) in compliance with relevant legal standards.
- Execute targeted cost-reduction programs, utilizing should-cost models, linear price performance curves, and value-engineering inputs.
- Monitor macro commodity indices, currency trends, and market pricing to identify structural cost-down opportunities.
Stakeholder Alignment & Cross-Functional Integration- Serve as the primary strategic sourcing interface connecting regional plants with Engineering/R&D, Quality, Manufacturing Operations, and Global Procurement.
- Bridge strategic directives between corporate headquarters and local plant execution, ensuring technical specifications and lead-time requirements are satisfied.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)- Cost Optimization: Delivered procurement savings (annualized % cost reduction, total cost avoidance, and rebate realization).
- Localization Rate: Percentage share of regional spend successfully migrated to local suppliers.
- Global Supplier Integration: Number of domestic suppliers qualified and integrated into the global supply network.
- Operational Performance: Supplier On-Time Delivery rate (OTD) across covered commodities.
- Quality Excellence: Defect metrics (Parts Per Million / PPM), vendor non-conformance reports, and resolution cycle time.
- Risk Mitigation: Proportion of single-source dependencies eliminated and coverage of validated business continuity plans.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:- Demonstrated management, strategic leadership, and personnel development skills.
- Proven track record of driving operational changes that intersect across supply chain, labor, and customer service.
- Strong strategic planning capability-ability to look beyond day-to-day fulfillment to build an operational roadmap.
Communication Skills: Exceptional verbal and written communication skills.
- Deep expertise in cost breakdown analysis, should-cost modeling, and competitive bidding processes.
- Sound working knowledge of supplier audit procedures, quality management systems (e.g., ISO 9001, IATF 16949, or equivalent industry standards), and continuous improvement methodologies (Six Sigma, Lean).
- Solid foundational knowledge of commercial contract law, indemnification structures, and risk allocation clauses.
Core Values and Competencies:- Analytical & Structured Thinking: Demonstrated capacity to interpret complex market trends, model pricing scenarios, and deliver data-backed sourcing proposals.
- Commercial Negotiation: High degree of assertiveness and diplomatic negotiation capability in multi-million-dollar framework agreements.
- Intercultural Fluency: Ability to navigate the nuances of US industrial business culture while effectively managing matrixed reporting structures across international headquarters.
- Execution Focus: Entrepreneurial mindset with the initiative to operate independently in greenfield or transformation environments.
Required Qualifications: Education: Bachelor's or Master's degree in Supply Chain Management, Industrial Engineering, Business Administration, Economics, or a related technical discipline.
Experience: Minimum of 3+ years of progressive strategic sourcing, category management, or advanced procurement experience in an industrial manufacturing, engineering or international machinery environment.
Proven track record in supplier localization, international sourcing strategies, and supplier development programs.
Computer Skills: Proficiency with Google Suites and enterprise ERP systems (SAP MM/S4HANA preferred) and digital procurement tools (e-sourcing suites, spend analytics).
Physical Demands of Job: Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer or telephone (up to 5.5+ hours per day). Frequent face-to-face, video and email interaction with international teams and North American clients.
Benefits: Vacation - 15 days per year
Holidays - Up to 11 days
Sick - 7 days
Medical, Dental, and Vision
Disability and Life
Flexible Spending Accounts
401k Retirement and Profit Sharing Plan
Income replacement plans for cancer, critical illness, and accident
Long-Term Care Plans
Years-of-Service Bonus Plan
Educational Assistance
