Strategic Commodity Manager: Mechanical & Raw Materials

1st Executive; England; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

1st Executive is seeking a Commodity Manager to own a complex portfolio of mechanical subcontracting and raw materials. You will set strategy, lead major negotiations, and partner with Engineering, Operations and Quality to ensure manufacturability and supply continuity.

The ideal candidate has proven commodity management experience in a regulated, high-value environment, deep knowledge of machining and related cost drivers, and strong analytical and negotiation skills.

Qualifications

• Proven track record as a Commodity/Category Manager covering machined components, mechanical products, surface treatments or metallic raw materials.
• Evidence of building and delivering category strategies.
• Supply-chain experience in a regulated, high-complexity environment.
• A solid working knowledge of machining, fabrication, forging, casting, heat treatment, surface treatment and material conversion, and their cost drivers.
• Strong analytical skills, from quotes and cost breakdowns to commodity indices and capacity data.
• Experience managing sole-source or capacity-constrained suppliers where switching is difficult.
• Project or programme management experience leading cross-functional activity.
• Excellent negotiation, presentation and influencing skills at both senior and working level.
• You must be legally entitled to work in the UK to apply.

Responsibilities

• Define commodity strategy for mechanical products, machining, surface treatments, components and raw materials, covering supplier segmentation, capacity, cost drivers, lead times, quality, sustainability and obsolescence.
• The commercial and supply-chain input to make-or-buy decisions for machined and mechanical parts.
• The supply-chain risk register for your portfolio, including sole-source exposure, constrained capacity, sub-tier dependencies and trade risk, with mitigation plans agreed and tracked.
• Major supplier negotiations.
• Senior-level relationships with key suppliers to improve cost, quality and delivery, and to resolve significant technical, commercial or schedule issues.
• Identifying, qualifying and developing new suppliers in line with company strategy.
• Shaping major supply-chain contracts, including contract type and length.
• As the link between Engineering, Operations, Quality, Programmes and the supply chain.
• Alongside Design and Manufacturing Engineering from early in the design cycle, so parts are manufacturable and competitively sourced.
• Leading cross-functional teams on major technical or production issues.
• Leading programmes to develop in-house capability where that is the right strategy.
• Taking a key role in Quarterly Business Reviews and supporting Account Managers and the Sales function.
• Working with customer, government and external assurance bodies on supplier and compliance reviews.

Skills

Commodity management

Category strategy

Negotiation

Cross-functional leadership

Cost drivers analysis

Supply-chain risk management

Machining knowledge

Project management

Job description

1st Executive is seeking a Commodity Manager to own a complex portfolio of mechanical subcontracting and raw materials. You will set strategy, lead major negotiations, and partner with Engineering, Operations and Quality to ensure manufacturability and supply continuity.

The ideal candidate has proven commodity management experience in a regulated, high-value environment, deep knowledge of machining and related cost drivers, and strong analytical and negotiation skills.