MTI Motion designs and creates customized motion-control solutions for the world’s most demanding applications in numerous industries, including commercial aerospace, defense, oil and gas, and transportation. Our innovative portfolio includes high-performance motors, drives and controllers, as well as windings, gears and ball screws.
We’re committed to promoting a collaborative team environment that focuses on accountability, honesty and integrity to ensure customer satisfaction. We take pride in the work we perform and are committed to continuous improvement. In addition to offering a competitive benefits package, we strive to offer our employees opportunities to achieve career advancement.
MTI Motion is a wholly owned operating company within the Steel Partners (NYSE: SPLP) family of companies and is headquartered in Pleasant Prairie, WI, with facilities worldwide.
POSITION OVERVIEW
MTI Motion is seeking a Commodity Manager to manage the assigned category portfolio and associated activities. This includes, but is not limited to: Maximizing supplier performance, leading cost-savings and avoidance projects, and other sourcing-related activities. In this role, you will lead negotiations of long-term supply agreements and other contracts, which include pricing, terms and conditions, risk mitigations, working-capital strategies and warranties.
The Commodity Manager will develop, implement and manage global strategies to provide value in supply assurance, pricing, flexibility, quality and delivery performance. You will benchmark new processes, approaches, technology that provide improvements and value MTI Motion can use. The Commodity Manager researches, identifies, and analyzes current and emerging procurement trends, develops a deep understanding of market conditions and develops proposed global supply chain solutions focusing on total cost of ownership.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Category management
- Manage all areas of category management, including category business plans, global market and pricing analysis, and procurement support.
- Contribute to the development of the company’s strategic category objectives and goals.
- Develop global category strategies with defined plans for cost savings, risk assessment and mitigation, and service-level agreements.
- Develop and execute category negotiation strategies with suppliers, including specific targets for pricing, service, quality, intellectual property, tool ownership, exclusivity and inventory.
- Monitor current category market conditions, technology roadmaps and identify supply/demand challenges and opportunities.
- Become a subject matter expert in assigned commodities through external research, benchmarking and analyzing cost drivers and life-cycle costs. Provide market intelligence and category price trends. Develop deep understanding where our competition sources their components and materials, as well as determining the respective costs of same.
- Assist in the development and maintenance of should-cost models that are relevant to the global marketplace.
Sourcing management
- Use a strategic-sourcing process to manage assigned categories and finished products for multiple locations of MTI Motion and subsidiaries. Identify all stakeholders for each major category and form cross-functional teams to define and implement a strategy that reduces cost, improves quality and delivery performance, and improves MTI Motion’s competitive position. Build a case for significant change and develop consensus among key stakeholders.
- Provide rigorous analysis of spend data and market trends and dynamics to prioritize and launch sourcing initiatives within designated spend/category categories.
- Analyze current spend and evaluate current suppliers. Consolidate spend across multiple manufacturing locations to create leverage, analyze purchasing trends and develop sourcing alternatives. Identify new high-potential suppliers on a global basis.
- Deliver 5% year-over-year net-cost reductions for commodities and program that fall within assigned responsibility.
KPIs/metrics
- Develop key performance indicators (KPIs) for chosen suppliers, and negotiate on multiple variables to award longer-term strategic contracts that result in significant cost reduction and improved service levels.
Project management
- Support new product introduction (NPI) programs as a team member by coordinating all sourcing and supplier qualification activities on a global basis.
- Manage multiple projects, coordinate activities of team, and track progress/schedules.
- Monitor current category market conditions, technology roadmaps, and identify supply/demand challenges and opportunities.
REQUIREMENTS AND PREFERRED EXPERIENCE
- Bachelor’s degree (preferred in business, finance, engineering or supply-chain management) from an accredited college or university is required. An associate degree in combination with relevant experience in purchasing, materials or engineering background with a specialized knowledge on a focused group of commodities will be considered.
- Minimum of four years of relevant, progressive strategic sourcing, category management or equivalent work experience and expertise.
- Demonstrated knowledge of strategic-sourcing process and tools and their application in restructuring purchases of a global supply chain and global multi-plant manufacturing business.
- Track record of delivering significant cost-reduction and service-level improvements.
- Expertise in negotiation of long-term contracts with safeguards against identified risks.
- Ability to identify key performance indicators (KPIs) and measures and evaluate alternatives.
- Demonstrated ability to build and lead teams attaining cross-functional consensus.
- Excellent communication skills at all levels – clearly articulate position with clarity at all levels of the organization.
- Ability to work with key stakeholders in multiple global locations and at various levels.
- Strong analytical problem-solving abilities using contemporary tools and methods.
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.
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
MTI Motion is an equal employment opportunity (EEOC) employer such that all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age or other legally protected status.
We will ensure individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact MTI Motion to request accommodation.
DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION
At MTI Motion, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace. If you are excited about this role but your experience does not align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or another role.