Global Sourcing Engineer

Why Valmont

Valmont impacts millions of people around the world every day. Our technology helps feed the growing population, supplies reliable energy, and enhances connectivity to create a sustainable future. As a Fortune 1000 company, we respect hard work, honor diversity, and invest in our employees to shape tomorrow.

The primary function is to develop and implement sourcing processes, supplier metrics and scorecards, and improve supplier quality systems. This role ensures the quality management system and sourcing processes are followed by external suppliers, internal operations, and sourcing professionals, delivering safe, low‑cost, on‑time products to customers. The incumbent develops control plans, work instructions, SOPs, and conducts internal and external process studies using statistical analysis.

• Work with Manufacturing teams to establish, implement, and maintain the Quality Management System.
• Develop training to facilitate sourcing and supplier quality processes.
• Interface with product engineering, sales, marketing, process engineering, legal and operations to ensure transfer to production of new products that are in accordance with approved data.
• Manage suppliers’ performance and conduct audits to ensure timely resolution of supplier failures, corrective actions, and preventive actions.
• Visit suppliers and dealers to complete site audits, analyze processes, address quality issues, and report findings.
• Determine corrective and preventive actions.
• Hold suppliers accountable to executing the actions required to meet expectations.
• Identify and provide leadership in make‑versus‑buy evaluations and discussions with engineering, legal, operations, commercial, etc.
• Support quality teams to ensure products and processes comply with the relevant requirements of the quality management systems.
• Analyze corrective and preventive actions to respond to customer complaints, shortages and warranty claims.
• Support Operations, Quality Technicians, Reliability and Manufacturing Engineering by creating and maintaining divisional quality documentation, such as quality manuals, work procedures, control plans, etc.
• Design quality tools, processes (preferably poke‑yoke) and ensure implementation on the production floor or by suppliers.
• Develop and enforce supplier agreements incorporating terms and conditions, confidentiality, intellectual property rights, and audit rights.
• Supplier Terms and Conditions:
  • Quality Standards:
    Suppliers must comply with ISO, UL, CSA, CE, and other relevant standards.
  • Delivery & Lead Time:
    Define acceptable timelines and penalties for delays.
  • Pricing & Cost Control:
    Require cost transparency and address currency fluctuation clauses.
  • Warranty & Liability:
    Specify warranty periods and liability for defective parts.
  • Confidentiality:
    Enforce non‑disclosure agreements for proprietary designs and processes.
  • Intellectual Property:
    Ownership of designs and tooling remains with Valmont.
  • Audit Rights:
    Valmont reserves the right to audit supplier facilities and processes.
  • Termination Clause:
    Conditions under which contracts can be terminated.
• Negotiation Framework:
  • Lead supplier negotiations to secure cost‑effective agreements while ensuring compliance with corporate standards.
  • Supplier Scorecard Metrics:
    Quality, cost, delivery, responsiveness.
  • Continuous Improvement Expectations:
    Lean initiatives and cost‑down programs.
  • Dispute Resolution:
    Arbitration or mediation process for conflicts.
  • Volume Discounts &
    
    Incentives:
    
    Negotiation levers for long‑term agreements.
  • Risk Mitigation:
    Dual sourcing strategy and contingency planning.
• Reports to VP Global Operations – Global Agriculture.
• Requires up to 25% travel, both internationally and domestically, including overnight stays.

• Bachelor’s degree with 5+ years relevant experience OR Associate’s degree with 7+ years relevant experience OR 9+ years of relevant experience.
• Five years of work experience in a Sourcing or Engineering position; preferably as a commodity manager, sourcing engineer, or sourcing quality.
• Three years minimum experience working within a global Manufacturing…