Procurement Manager

ABOUT THE ROLE

We are seeking an experienced and strategic Procurement Manager to lead all procurement activities at our large-scale EPDM roofing manufacturing facility. The Procurement Manager will be responsible for the entire spectrum of purchasing, including direct raw materials, indirect goods, services, and auxiliary items. This role is critical to ensuring the continuous and cost-effective operation of our plant. The successful candidate will manage a team of two Junior Buyers.

WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING

• Develop and Execute Procurement Strategies: Develop and execute procurement strategies for all site-related spending, aligning with overall business objectives. This can include identifying areas of over-spending, supplier consolidation, more efficient sourcing strategies, or negotiating better pricing or contract terms. Drive savings opportunities at the plant.
• Contract Management: Lead contract negotiations, ensuring favorable terms, compliance, and risk mitigation. Manage the lifecycle of contracts, ensuring competitiveness, monitoring performance, and negotiating renewals and amendments.
• Category Management: Work in close cooperation with the category management team to identify, evaluate, and qualify new suppliers for key raw materials (e.g., EPDM polymer, carbon black, processing oils, and other additives) and indirect materials, ensuring a robust and competitive supply base.
• Procurement Operations: Manage the daily plant procurement operations. Ensure the timely and efficient procurement of all necessary materials and services to support production schedules and operational needs.
• Supplier Performance Management: Build and maintain strong relationships with suppliers, conducting regular performance reviews and driving continuous improvement. Resolve any issues related to supplier performance, including quality discrepancies, delivery delays, and invoice disputes.
• Team Leadership: Provide direct supervision, mentorship, and guidance to a team of two Junior Buyers. Set clear goals and objectives for the purchasing team, monitoring performance and providing regular feedback. Foster a collaborative and high-performing team environment.
• MRO Purchasing: Work closely with the plant MRO team to optimize spare parts and consumables inventory, reducing carrying costs while ensuring operational uptime.
• Inventory Management: Collaborate with the maintenance and production teams to ensure optimal levels of inventory to support plant operations, preventing stock-outs and excess inventory/obsoletes.
• Process Improvement & Compliance: Develop, implement, and enforce purchasing policies and procedures to ensure compliance with all company and regulatory requirements.
• Reporting: Utilize SAP and other systems to track purchasing metrics, analyze spending patterns, and generate reports for senior management. Track and report cost savings initiatives.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Engineering or a related field is required.
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in procurement, with at least 2 years in a manufacturing environment is preferred.
• Experience in the chemical, rubber, or plastics industry is considered a strong asset.
• Demonstrated experience in a leadership or management role.
• In-depth knowledge of procurement best practices, strategic sourcing, and supply chain principles.

SKILLS & COMPETENCIES

• Negotiation Skills: Strong negotiation, contract management, and supplier relationship management skills.
• Strategic Thinking & Problem Solving: Excellent problem-solving ability. Capable of developing long-term strategies that align procurement decisions with business goals. Seeks to proactively identify and resolve problems in the supply chain or procurement process.
• Analytical Skills: Strong analytical and data-driven decision-making capabilities. Ability to understand the technical aspects of the company’s materials and product lines from a procurement perspective
• ERP Systems: Proficient in using ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle) and Microsoft Office Suite.
• Communication Skills: Strong written and verbal communication skills to interact with stakeholders at all levels. Advanced planning & analytical capability. Ability to deal with ambiguities, conflicts and adversarial relationships.
• Organization & Time Management: Strong organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Relationship building: Strong interpersonal skills, empathy, and the ability to build effective relationships with vendors and internal stakeholders.
• Attention to Detail: High attention to detail in all aspects of procurement, from contract terms to supplier performance.
• Customer-Focused Approach: A commitment to understanding the needs of internal stakeholders and ensuring procurement strategies meet those needs.

WORKING CONDITIONS

• Varied environments including offices, plant, and distribution sites
• Travel Requirements: as needed, but not more than 10%
• Physical requirements – Frequently in office environment, often in plant environment, infrequent travel