Advanced Category Purchasing Specialist - Stampings & Springs. Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. Troy, MI. Develop and implement the supplier strategy for Stampings and Springs category in North America, ensuring Purchasing and Business Unit requirements are reflected in the strategy. Set budget with assigned suppliers for Stamping and Springs. Prepare purchase orders, solicit bid proposals, and review requisitions for goods and services. Execute Annual Price Negotiations with assigned suppliers for Stampings and Springs, achieving targets for material cost reductions. Research and evaluate suppliers, based on price, quality, selection, service, support, availability, reliability, production and distribution capabilities, and the supplier's reputation and history. Drive sourcing process during product development through supplier selection according to strategy. Analyze price proposals, financial reports, and other data and information to determine reasonable prices. Negotiate price using innovative negotiation concepts and administer contracts with suppliers to purchase the highest quality merchandise at the lowest possible price. Close contracts to achieve strategic objectives for each sourcing. Input and maintain resulting data and contracts in various systems such as Supply On, Lexpro and Modias. Perform Contract Administration with selected suppliers, such as Continental Strategic Supplier Contract, Sourcing Agreements and Tooling Agreements. Evaluate and monitor contract performance to ensure compliance with contractual obligations and to determine need for changes. Present status and results for assigned goals and objectives to management. Maintain internal data for Stampings and Springs, ensuring timely implementation of correct data and reporting in Continental data systems. Plan, monitor, and report on material field specific overall objectives by utilizing Business Warehouse, Modias, Purchase Price Variance and Negotiation Status Protocol tools. Confer with staff, users, and vendors to discuss defective or unacceptable goods or services and determine corrective action. Improve supplier relationships within the Continental organizations, acting as the main interface and escalation path with program management, supplier quality, plant purchasing etc., by communicating supplier expectations, supporting quality incidents reduction, facilitating supplier technical presentations. Monitor changes affecting supply and demand, tracking market conditions, price trends, or futures markets. Attend meetings, trade shows, conferences, conventions, and seminars to network with people in other purchasing departments.
Requires a Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Materials Engineering or related or equivalent. Requires five (5) years of progressively responsible experience with automotive purchasing of stamped parts or springs. Requires five (5) years with the following: negotiating supplier contracts with Automotive suppliers; managing automotive supplier relationships; developing and executing supplier strategy for stamped parts or springs; negotiating stamped parts; three (3) years: costing mechanical parts or analyzing cost breakdowns for mechanical parts; working in cross functional teams including collaborating on sourcing decisions, supplier analysis, and executing project plans; and two (2) years: working within an Automotive Quality System including APQP process, PPAP requirements and VDA 6.3 audit process. M-F, 40 hours per week. Must be able to participate in conference calls with colleagues and/or suppliers worldwide including at night and during weekends, especially when a topic or issue is critical. Requires 15% US and 10% international travel for supplier visits, workshops, and meetings. To apply, send resume to: 07AHFMCIT@continental-corporation.com and reference Job ID 178973BR.
