Director of Purchasing
On-siteAustin, Texas, United States
Job Summary
Develop and execute the purchasing operating strategy aligned with the business plan, product roadmap, and financial objectives. Lead and scale the Austin and Saltillo purchasing organization, recruiting, coaching, and developing managers while establishing cross-training and succession plans. Own the end-to-end requisition-to-purchase-order process, ensuring accurate, authorized, and timely releases for direct and indirect materials across electronics, contract manufacturing, MRO, and tooling. Manage supplier scorecards, negotiate pricing and terms, and drive cost-down initiatives through competition and volume leverage. Partner with Planning, Manufacturing, Engineering, and Quality to protect customer commitments, align purchasing coverage with demand, and execute continuity plans for long-lead or geopolitically sensitive materials. Serve as the senior functional owner for purchasing controls in NetSuite, Plex, and Kinaxis, ensuring compliance with procurement policies, ISO 9001, and internal audit requirements.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, Operations, Finance, or a related field
- 10+ years of progressive purchasing, procurement, or supply chain experience in manufacturing
- At least 7 years leading teams, managers, or multi-site organizations
- Demonstrated experience with direct materials for complex mechanical, electromechanical, and electronic products
- Experience with domestic and international suppliers
- Proven success improving supplier delivery
- Proven success resolving shortages
- Proven success negotiating commercial agreements
- Proven success delivering cost reductions
- Proven success building purchasing capability
- Strong commercial skills
- Strong financial skills
- Strong analytical skills
- Strong contract-management skills
- Strong supplier-performance skills
- Advanced understanding of MRP
- Advanced understanding of inventory
- Advanced understanding of procurement controls
- Advanced understanding of supplier quality
- Advanced understanding of engineering changes
- Advanced understanding of new product introduction
- Strong ERP and planning-system experience
- Executive communication skills
- Cross-functional leadership skills
- Ability to manage escalations under time pressure
- Willingness to travel domestically and internationally
Desired Qualifications
- NetSuite experience
- Plex experience
- Kinaxis experience
- Arena experience
- Bilingual English/Spanish
- CPSM certification
- CPM certification
- CSCP certification
- CPIM certification
- Project-management certification
- Lean certification
- Six Sigma certification
- Experience supporting U.S.–Mexico manufacturing
- Experience supporting IMMEX operations
- Experience supporting contract manufacturers
- Experience supporting rapidly scaling product portfolios
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