VP Purchasing

Your Role

As the VP of Purchasing, you will lead the purchasing strategy and organization for the Product Company, with responsibility for building a competitive, reliable, and high-performing supply base.

Purchased materials represent a significant portion of our product costs, making Purchasing a critical contributor to the company's profitability, operational performance, and long-term growth. As a member of the Product Company's Executive Management Team, you will partner closely with business leaders to ensure purchasing strategies support company objectives while continuously improving cost, quality, delivery, and supplier performance.

You will lead and develop the Purchasing organization, including Sourcing, Production Buyers, and Supplier Quality Assurance (SQA), while serving as the organization's senior purchasing expert.

Your day-to-day

• Lead the entire Purchasing department, encompassing Sourcing, Production Buyers, Purchasing Agents, and Supplier Quality Assurance teams, fostering a culture of collaboration and excellence.
• Drive recruitment, training, mentoring, and performance development to build a high-performing procurement team aligned with organizational priorities.
• Formulate and implement comprehensive purchasing strategies that synchronize with corporate objectives at the Product Company, Division, and Group levels.
• Constantly assess and enhance the supplier base, using financial, technical, quality, and logistical criteria supported by industry benchmarks and best practices.
• Strengthen the supply chain infrastructure to optimize product quality, reduce lead times, minimize costs, and improve logistics performance.
• Lead complex supplier negotiations; manage contracts, pricing agreements, and service level agreements to secure advantageous terms and partnerships.
• Establish rigorous purchasing protocols ensuring fair competitive bidding, adherence to procurement policies, and regulatory compliance.
• Encourage early engagement of Purchasing in product development cycles to capitalize on cost optimization opportunities and supplier innovations.
• Partner with Logistics and Production teams to develop agile, lean material flow processes that enhance operational efficiency.
• Oversee purchasing projects, fostering a culture of continuous process improvement and adoption of modern procurement technologies.
• Maintain vigilant monitoring of supplier performance dynamics, driving initiatives to elevate quality, reliability, technical support, and overall availability.
• Collaborate actively in cross-division and Group-wide procurement initiatives to leverage synergies and harmonize best practices.

Your skills and experience

The ideal candidate combines a strategic mindset with hands-on expertise in procurement management, complemented by strong leadership skills and commercial acumen. You excel in navigating complex manufacturing environments and are adept at balancing cost efficiency with quality and supplier reliability.

Your qualifications and experience will ideally include:

• A Bachelor’s degree in Procurement, Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, or a closely related discipline.
• At least 5 years of progressive experience in procurement, senior buying, or supply chain roles within manufacturing or related industries.
• Proven leadership experience, demonstrating the ability to develop teams and manage multi-functional procurement activities effectively.
• Familiarity with lean manufacturing principles and initiatives, with a preference for candidates who have directly contributed to such programs.
• Relevant professional certifications such as CPM (Certified Purchasing Manager) or CPIM (Certified in Production and Inventory Management) are advantageous.
• In-depth knowledge of procurement processes, contract law, purchasing directives, and regulatory compliance.
• Strong negotiation skills and commercial awareness, capable of driving mutually beneficial supplier agreements.
• Exceptional analytical and financial skills, with the ability to interpret complex supplier and operational data to guide strategic decisions.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, enabling effective collaboration across teams and with domestic and international stakeholders.
• Experience presenting insights to senior leadership and influencing organizational strategies.
• Highly organized with outstanding time management skills to balance competing priorities and deliver results on schedule.
• Self-motivated, adaptable, and capable of thriving in fast-paced, evolving environments.
• Discretion and professionalism in handling confidential and sensitive business information.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite, with hands-on experience in ERP systems such as BPCS (AS400) and SAP preferred.
• Fluency in English is mandatory; proficiency in additional languages is considered a plus.

Your location

This role requires you to work on-site at our office in Bay Minette, United States (US). You will be part of a dynamic team and enjoy the benefits of face-to-face collaboration.

Why it is great to work with us

Working with us means growing your career by harnessing your skills, curiosity, and the collective knowledge of a global network. We prioritize long-term development, continuous learning, and encourage innovative thinking that drives meaningful change. Here, your insights directly influence our success, as you take ownership of your responsibilities supported by leaders committed to your empowerment.

We embrace flexible work arrangements promoting work-life balance and foster an inclusive culture where diverse perspectives help us excel. Innovation is ingrained in our ethos — we test new ideas, refine them, and implement impactful solutions that propel us forward.