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Strategic Sourcing Specialist
West Chester, United States
Position Description:
The Strategic Sourcing Specialist role will be responsible for the strategic management of supplier relationships in support of Trew’s Product Development team. This role will assist in optimizing the value and performance in the acquisition of goods and services for the organization. The Strategic Sourcing Specialist will create innovative sourcing strategies to mitigate risks to business operations contacts and to develop relationships with suppliers that provide the best value to Trew.
The ideal candidate will possess good self-management skills, well rounded thinking, confidence, a collaborative approach to working with others within various departments, and the ability to work under pressure and timelines associated with the daily life in the Strategic Sourcing department of a fast-moving industry.
Duties/ Responsibilities:
- Assist in leadership of New Product Development (NPD) initiatives, including identifying and onboarding suppliers and managing supplier relationships
- Support the Product Development engineering team, including by acting as the technical and commercial interface between suppliers and the Product Development engineering team
- Initiate and coordinate design review discussions between the Product Development engineering team and suppliers to identify areas for improvement in the manufacturability of components
- Create and manage RFQ packages with current and prospective suppliers and analyze for best value to the project and the Company
- Negotiate contracts, improved prices and terms of business with suppliers and review opportunities to add value to the Company
- Manage prototype and production costs to align with NPD project budgets and product targets and communicate results to internal stakeholders
- Manage prototype part delivery and related order documentation, including expediting to support NPD project schedules
- Support development of process to transition prototype parts to production parts
- Interface with Strategic Sourcing team responsible for production commodities to understand current strategies, trends, and norms within each commodity
- Research and evaluate areas of opportunity and reduce costs where possible
- Explore alternate supplier sources for goods and materials
- Aid in the development of creative and innovative procurement processes and strategies for both NPD and production to improve operational efficiency, add value, aid business performance and work towards a strategy of continuous improvement
- Coordinate First Article and/or Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) packages according to the requirements of the Product Development and Quality teams
- Maintain a willingness to learn about the Company and its operations and business functions so that maximum value can be added to the project teams
- Become a teammate who is sought to support the activities of internal and external stakeholders related to NPD
- Research potential vendors’ abilities and products via supplier visits and assessments
- Deliver briefs, updates and reports as and when required, in particular when there is a risk which could prevent the organization meeting customer demands or where there are over capacity concerns
- Assist where able in training less experienced team members
- Maintain a high level of performance in carrying out the goals of the department and the Company
- Support product change requests and manufacturing process improvement objectives relative to sourced components and communicate the impact on supplier capacity and cost
- Ensure good communications, and update records with new and existing suppliers
- Ensure that a professional and consistent approach is taken in relation to all supplier relationships
- Ensure compliance with company guidelines, purchasing policies and procedures guidance
- Perform other special projects or duties as assigned by manager
Required Skills/ Abilities:
- Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and contribute performance-based solutions is required
- Ability to add value by reducing cost, cost avoidance, and making business improvements
- Understanding of vendor relations and specific function capabilities as they relate to NPD and production processes desired
- Ability to add value by identifying ways to reduce cost and make business improvements and by negotiating favorable terms with suppliers
- Demonstrated ability to manage own work load with minimal supervision required
- Able to work effectively in a team environment as well as an individual contributor
- Experience establishing and maintaining good working relationships with internal and external customers
- Highly diligent, self-starting, and goal-oriented and will find ways to knock down barriers to obtain solutions to challenging tasks
- Strong desire to learn about mechanical and electrical components within the material handling industry
- Strong analytical, problem solving, and troubleshooting skills
- Thorough knowledge of supply and demand planning
- Understanding of supply chain management principles and practices
- Proficiency in Word, Excel, Microsoft Outlook and ERP systems, preferably NetSuite
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Working knowledge of MS SharePoint / Teams
- Ability to read engineering drawings
Education & Experience
- A bachelor's degree in business, supply chain management, engineering, or related field
- At least 3-5 years’ experience in a project-oriented environment is not required but is preferred
- Experience with mechanical and electrical components and parts is preferred
- APICS certification is not required but is preferred
Work Environment This is primarily a desk-based role, requiring extended periods of sitting and computer use
Hybrid position with approximately 3 days in office per week
Physical Requirements Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer. Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times. Ability to traverse office and manufacturing facility.
Trew EEO Statement Trew and its companies are an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will be considered for employment without regard to age, race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, marital status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, nationality, sex, or veteran status.
Other Duties Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
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