Corporate Procurement and Vendor Relations Manager - Confidential : Job Details

About the Company

The company is an independently owned wholesale distributor of electrical products with 12 branches in VA, NC, and SC. Based on revenues, ranked in the top 100 largest electrical distributors in the country. They've grown to the point where they must add a senior-level procurement and supplier relations manager. This is a highly strategic role at the corporate level and will be responsible for a variety of cool things. The spend for this role is only $35M, it's it's more heavily focused on strategic supplier relations working with 14-18 suppliers to figure out where their strengths and weaknesses lie, where to add, and where to drop. As you'd expect, there is a delicate dance between sales and purchasing in this role, so diplomacy is important. You'll be working very closely with senior leadership both internally and externally on stock and flow business and special projects, lead time, rebates, and so forth.

You won't need to deal with POs, they have a solid, experienced team for that. If you've been looking for a chance to make a significant impact on a company, this will allow you to really delve into the facts and figures, put deals together with common suppliers of the same product and drive supplier performance. The purchasing is handled, we need a real procurement and vendor strategist. You won't be bogged down with data, they have a team in place that does their data analysis, and an in-house auditor. Knowing your way around Power BI will be important and if you also have some experience dealing with Profit 21, that's great, but you don't need to be bogged down in that minutia, you can focus on the fun stuff, like highly strategic long-term plays. The position will also hold their relationship with AD/IMARK ( I'm not sure if I have the new name right)

Ideally, they'd like someone in Raleigh where they're headquartered but they are open to someone working from one of their larger offices in Lynchburg or Richmond. They will certainly help with the cost of relocation and they're ready to put a compensation plan together to get that right DNA on board.

About the Role

This leader is responsible for procurement, supplier selection, and performance. Implements procurement strategy, providing for supplier selection and rationalization, supplier management, and supplier relations activities including growth and incentive management. is responsible for strategic supplier management of 14-18 serving 11 branch warehouses in VA, NC, and SC. The primary objective is to maintain a competitive total cost of ownership, optimize rebates, and increase customer satisfaction through higher fill rates and greater product selection.

Responsibilities

• Leadership: Leads supplier selection and rationalization, collaborating with sales and inventory teams, providing regular updates on performance, and coordinating executive and channel-level events with strategic suppliers.
• Procurement: Negotiate competitive pricing and terms, ensuring adequate supplier selection while managing channel and manufacturer rep conflicts. Implement policies to enforce company-wide procurement guidelines.
• Supplier Management: Analyze supplier performance to metrics to mutually agreed-upon targets, communicating with management, and conducting periodic evaluations with suppliers. Manage key supplier contacts and function as a liaison for high-level escalations.
• Supplier Relations: Collaborate with suppliers and sales leadership to define annual growth plans and incentive targets, identifying growth and inventory improvement opportunities. Promote growth initiatives, coordinating with sales leadership and tracking results.

Qualifications

1. BA/BS in business, supply chain management, industrial distribution, industrial engineering, or a related field is preferred.

2. Extensive knowledge of the electrical products and distribution industry, having experience with major suppliers such as Mersen, Bussman, Hubbell, Panduit, T&B, and others.

3. 6 years experience in purchasing electrical products, including terms negotiation and strategic initiatives to improve cost, quality, and service level.

4. 10 years or more experience overseeing the design and implementation of a strategic sourcing function transformation, including strategy, organization, processes, and technology.

5. Demonstrated ability to influence and communicate at all levels, regardless of direct report relationships, simplifying complex information and confidently responding to questions.

6. Applied experience with ERP replenishment systems, working with processes in areas of purchasing, inventory control, warehouse, and supplier system integrations.

7. High proficiency in analytics, working with complex spreadsheets and business intelligence reporting tools such as Power BI.

8. APICS, CPIM, CCP, or ISM certification desired.

$135-155,000 plus bonus and relocation assistance

Pay range or salary or compensation