Snr Director, Purchasing Direct Materials

At Tenneco, we don’t follow industry standards; we set them, and we don’t settle for being best-in-class because we hustle to be better than best-in-class. Whether it’s our Core Values – radical candor, simplify, organizational velocity, tenacious execution and win – or our Get Stuff Done (GSD) mindset, we’re determined to become the most trusted partner and best manufacturer and distributor to the transportation industry.

With a product portfolio as expansive as it is innovative, an obsessive commitment to quality and excellence, and a global presence, we’re all about getting stuff done, so we can win.

How do we make it happen?

Through the Tenneco Way. Fueled by our Core Values, a winning mindset and a relentless commitment to excellence, the Tenneco Way is how we win. It’s what keeps Team Tenneco bold, driven, and unapologetically focused on pushing past limits and redefining success.

Want to learn more about who we are? Check out our website to discover the Tenneco Way

The Purchasing Director, Direct Materials is responsible for developing and executing purchasing strategies that deliver material cost improvement, supply continuity, quality, working-capital performance, and long-term competitiveness.

This leader oversees direct-material sourcing, commodity management, supplier negotiations, program purchasing, supplier performance, and supply-risk mitigation. The role partners closely with Operations, Finance, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Commercial, and Program Management to translate business priorities and market intelligence into measurable results.

The successful candidate will have strong automotive direct-material purchasing experience and demonstrated knowledge of carbon steel and stainless steel markets, including cost drivers, index mechanisms, conversion economics, tariffs, trade actions, regional supply dynamics, and supplier structures.

• Develop and execute direct-material commodity and supplier strategies aligned with business and financial objectives.
• Lead the purchasing business plan, forecast, annual operating plan, and material-cost outlook.
• Deliver validated cost savings and working-capital improvements through negotiation, competitive sourcing, localization, VAVE, supplier productivity, payment terms, and supply-base optimization.
• Lead purchasing actions related to commodity movements, tariffs, duties, freight, foreign exchange, and economic recovery.
• Ensure savings, forecasts, and financial assumptions are accurate, documented, and aligned with Finance.
• Partner cross-functionally to identify cost opportunities, support customer recovery, and resolve issues affecting cost, quality, delivery, cash, launches, or supply continuity.

• Maintain strong knowledge of carbon steel and stainless steel markets, supply chains, and commercial practices.
• Understand key metals-market drivers, including raw materials, alloy surcharges, energy, mill capacity, regional supply and demand, product form, conversion costs, freight, tariffs, and published indices.
• Evaluate market and index movements to validate supplier pricing and develop effective negotiation and index-based agreement strategies.
• Understand the economics of mills, service centers, processors, stampers, fabricators, and other tiers within the metals supply chain.
• Apply market-based analysis to other assigned direct-material commodities.

• Lead major supplier negotiations involving cost, productivity, payment terms, contracts, capacity, tooling, quality, delivery, and commercial claims.
• Make sourcing decisions based on total cost, capability, capacity, quality, delivery, financial condition,…