Buyer, Engine Components

In this position...
As a Buyer, you will own sourcing and supplier management for Plastic Tubes supporting Ford engine programs. You will also help lead cross-functional resilience efforts across the broader supply base protecting production and launches by identifying supply risks and driving actions such as resourcing, dual sourcing, stockpiles, supplier restructuring, and capacity or plant development. You will partner with Product Development, Finance, Supply Chain (STA) and other teams to balance cost, quality, delivery, and launch readiness, and to ensure continuity of supply.

• Own the sourcing and supplier-management strategy for Plastic Tubes, including supplier relationships, commercial negotiations, and performance against cost, quality, delivery, and program requirements.
• Lead sourcing for assigned programs: market analysis, design competitions and market tests, business cases, negotiation, contracting, and launch milestones, delivering best cost at Job One and over the life of the component.
• Build market intelligence on cost drivers, bills of process, supplier capacity, and competitive position; use it to set and deliver cost targets, working with Product Development to develop forward-model cost targets.
• Build and strengthen global supplier relationships and influence supplier technology roadmaps; give suppliers clear feedback on their cost position relative to the market.
• Co-lead commodity strategy with Product Development, including the transition from ICE to BEV, and contribute to program workshops to identify vehicle-competitive pricing.
• Lead supplier business reviews and strategic initiatives (e.g., quarterly business reviews, cost strategy and gap-closure sessions).

• Identify and assess supply risks across the broader Engine commodity base, including capacity, financial health, sub-tier, and geographic exposure.
• Develop and drive mitigation plans, including resourcing, dual sourcing, stockpile strategies, supplier restructuring or improvement plans, and new capacity or plant development.
• Manage emerging supplier issues (supply, quality, cost, capacity), align internal stakeholders on mitigation, and follow through to closure.
• Co-lead the cross-functional interface with Product Development, Finance, and Supply Chain to keep resilience actions on track and funded.

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, or Engineering
• 5+ years of experience in purchasing, supply chain, or sourcing, preferably in automotive or a manufacturing environment
• Experience assessing supplier and supply-chain risk and developing mitigation plans
• Experience with resilience strategies such as resourcing, dual sourcing, inventory/stockpile planning, supplier capacity expansion, or supplier restructuring
• Strong negotiation skills, including creating leverage in both offensive and defensive situations
• Cost analytics skills: understanding of commodity cost drivers, part cost breakdowns, and gap-to-target analysis
• Strong analytical skills, including sourcing evaluations and business cases
• Strong leadership, interpersonal, and communication skills, with the ability to influence cross-functional teams without direct authority
• Working knowledge of purchasing policies, procedures, and systems
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office tools
• Ability to travel as required

• MBA or other advanced degree
• Knowledge of plastic and polymer components, such as extruded or molded tubing, resin materials, tooling, and related manufacturing processes
• Experience with distressed or financially at-risk suppliers, including working with Legal and Finance on commercial agreements
• Experience with data and visualization tools (e.g., Power BI) for risk monitoring
• Familiarity with engine or powertrain components

You may not check every box, or your experience may look a little different from what we've outlined,

As an established global company, we offer the benefit of choice. You can choose what your Ford future will look like: will your story span the globe, or keep you close to home? Will your career be a deep dive into what you love, or a series of new teams and new skills? Will you be a leader, a change maker, a technical expert, a culture builder or all of the above?

No matter what you choose, we offer a work life that works for you, including:

• Immediate medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug coverage
• Paid parental leave, new parent ramp-up…