Category Buyer – Raw Materials (North America)

Purpose of the Role:
Ensure the secure, sustainable, and cost-effective availability of raw materials required for manufacturing and commercial operations across North America.
Key Responsibilities
Operational Excellence

• Ensure continuous availability of raw materials for manufacturing in North America.
• Develop contingency plans and dual-sourcing strategies to mitigate supply risks.
• Maintain deep market knowledge of raw material trends, pricing, and availability.
• Streamline sourcing processes to reduce lead times and improve responsiveness.
• Ensure raw materials meet strict quality standards for safe and consistent production.
• Drive continuous improvement in sourcing practices, reporting progress to Director Procurement.

License to Operate

• Ensure compliance with trade regulations, import/export laws, and industry standards.
• Manage supplier audits to guarantee ethical sourcing and regulatory adherence.
• Promote safe handling and procurement of raw materials, supporting workplace safety.

Stakeholder Intimacy

• Build strategic partnerships with raw material suppliers across North America.
• Negotiate long-term contracts to secure favorable terms and supply reliability.
• Foster continuous tactical purchases of rubber waste and raw materials.
• Collaborate with suppliers to drive innovative rubber waste solutions.
• Ensure transparent communication and trust-building with internal stakeholders (manufacturing, R&D, finance).

Profitable Growth

• Develop competitive sourcing strategies to achieve cost savings and margin improvements.
• Make purchase deals that contribute directly to company profitability.
• Balance financial risk with supply security in sourcing decisions.
• Enhance negotiating power by leveraging scale and market intelligence.
• Ensure continuity of supply at optimal cost to support profitable manufacturing growth.

Required Competencies
General (Corporate) Competencies

• Commitment: Active, suggests improvements, and passes on enthusiasm.
• Organizational Commitment: Involved in DRI.
• Focus on Quality: Improves work quality for self and others.
• Continuous Improvement: Analyzes problems thoroughly and seeks opportunities for improvement.

Role-Specific Competencies

• Negotiation: Handles complex issues with negotiating space.
• Anticipation: Prevents issues by taking timely measures.
• Networking: Builds and maintains a professional network.
• Communication: Conveys messages, ideas, and opinions clearly in both oral and written form.

Requirements

• Work and Think Level: Higher professional and commercial level.
• Education: Commercial or procurement-related degree.
• Experience: At least 5 years in a similar role.
• Languages: English and Spanish, both spoken and written.

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Compensation Range: $75,000.00 - $95,000.00 DOE annual salary with bonus opportunity.

Benefits:

• Health, Dental, Vision Insurance
• Life Insurance
• Paid Short-Term and Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• 401(k) Matching Program
• Paid Parental Leave
• Pet Insurance
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Wellness Perks
• And More
• At the Heart of Your Life

Raf Van Gorp founded Ravago in 1961 when he had the opportunity to buy the premises of a dynamite company in Arendonk, Belgium. This enabled him to work out the luminous idea he had: recycling production waste from the plastics producing petrochemical companies.From there, Ravago grew into a comprehensive service provider to the petrochemical industry, constantly pushing the boundaries of plastics applications and bringing the (re)use of plastics to a next level, with sustainability continuously on our mind. Over the years, the ambition of global expansion and market leadership in polymer and chemical distribution, recycling and compounding, and building materials, became a reality.

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NOTICE TO APPLICANTS:
Ravago Americas is an equal employment opportunity employer. We adhere to a policy of making employment decisions without regard to race, color, age, sex, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, citizenship status, or marital status. We assure you that your opportunity for employment with this employer depends solely upon your qualifications.