Category Buyer

Category Buyer – Steel Commodities

Career Area:
Procurement

• Develop and execute category strategies for steel commodities aligned to enterprise sourcing goals
• Partner with Engineering and Supplier Development to ensure technical feasibility, manufacturability, and design-for-cost outcomes
• Evaluate supplier capabilities including metallurgy, fabrication processes, casting methods, machining, and quality systems
• Drive supplier performance improvements related to quality, lead time, cost, and capacity
• Lead negotiations with steel and fabrication suppliers, balancing market dynamics (commodity shifts, tariffs, raw material pricing)
• Identify and execute opportunities for cost reduction, should-cost modeling, and value engineering
• Support new product introduction (NPI) with supplier selection, validation, and readiness
• Manage supplier risk, including capacity constraints, technical capability gaps, and supply continuity challenges
• Serve as the primary liaison between procurement, engineering, and suppliers for category-related activities
• Analyze spend data and supplier performance metrics to inform sourcing decisions

• Strategic Sourcing: Demonstrated ability to develop and execute category strategies, including supplier selection, market analysis, and sourcing optimization. Aligns sourcing decisions with business priorities while incorporating considerations such as material selection, manufacturability, and total cost of ownership.
• Supplier Relationship Management: Proven capability to build and manage supplier relationships, assess supplier capabilities, and drive performance improvements. Effectively resolves complex technical and commercial challenges, particularly within steel, fabrication, or casting environments.
• Contracts Management and Administration: Working knowledge of contract development, execution, and compliance, including commercial terms, risk mitigation, and supplier agreements. Supports negotiations involving commodity pricing, technical specifications, and supplier performance expectations.
• Negotiation: Ability to lead supplier negotiations related to pricing, capacity, and contractual terms, with a strong understanding of commodity-driven cost structures such as steel markets and fabrication processes.
• Data Analytics: Leverages data to evaluate spend, identify cost drivers, assess supplier performance, and support fact-based sourcing decisions and negotiations.
• Effective Communications: Communicates complex technical and business information clearly across cross-functional stakeholders, including Procurement, Engineering, and Suppliers.
• Purchasing Tasks and
  
  Activities:
  
  Applies knowledge of procurement systems, processes, and compliance requirements in sourcing materials, components, and services.
• Interpersonal Relationships: Builds strong working relationships across teams, adapts communication style to varying stakeholders, and effectively influences outcomes in both technical and commercial settings.

• Degree or equivalent experience in Engineering, Supply Chain, or related field
• Background as a Supplier Development Engineer (SDE), Manufacturing Engineer, or Quality Engineer
• Experience in heavy manufacturing, industrial equipment, automotive, or metals-based industries
• Knowledge of steel, fabrication, castings, forging, or machining processes
• Application of should-cost model