Brake Controls Buyer

Ford Motor Company; Dearborn (MI); Hybrid; USD 84,000 - 166,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical coverage

Dental coverage

Vision coverage

Vehicle discount program

Tuition assistance

Paid time off

Parental leave

Holiday pay

Job summary

Ford Motor Company in Michigan is seeking a procurement leader to develop and execute category strategies for brake controls and automotive underbody systems, overseeing supplier evaluations, negotiations, and program sourcing.

You will collaborate with engineering, quality, and program management, monitor market trends and risks, and drive on-time delivery and cost optimization across global suppliers.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, supply chain, engineering, or related field.
• 4+ years in procurement, strategic sourcing, or supply chain.
• Experience managing automotive commodities.
• Strong negotiation and contract management skills.
• Excel and procurement software proficiency (SAP, Ariba).

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement category strategies for Brake Controls commodity.
• Conduct supplier evaluations and negotiations to secure pricing and quality.
• Lead commercial evaluation of new vehicle programs with data-driven analysis.
• Manage supplier relationships to ensure timely delivery and issue resolution.
• Monitor global market trends and geopolitical risks to optimize sourcing.
• Collaborate with engineering, quality, and program management teams.

Skills

Category management

Negotiation

Data-driven decisions

Excel

Ariba

SAP

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business / supply chain / engineering

Tools

SAP

Ariba

E-sourcing tools

Job description

We are the movers of the world and the makers of the future. We get up every day, roll up our sleeves and build a better world - together. At Ford, we're all a part of something bigger than ourselves. Are you ready to change the way the world moves?

The Ford Purchasing team adds critical value to the entire organization. You'll help us source the highest quality parts and services from around the globe while ensuring optimal cost and on-time delivery. You'll also contribute to establishing a robust supply chain so that we can continually produce the vehicles our customers want.

In this position...

• Develop and implement category strategies for Brake Controls commodity to optimize cost, quality, resiliency, and supplier performance.

• Conduct supplier evaluations and negotiations to secure competitive pricing, quality, and mitigate risk.

• Lead the commercial evaluation of new vehicle programs, presenting data-driven sourcing recommendations to executive leadership.

• Manage supplier relationships to ensure timely delivery of products and resolve any issues that may arise.

• Monitor global market trends, capacity constraints, and geopolitical risks to proactively adjust the sourcing footprint.

• Accountable to work closely with others to meet deadlines with excellence; drive others to deliver required materials on time and with quality.

What you'll do...

• Develop and Execute Category Strategies: Lead the strategic sourcing and category management for brake control and automotive underbody systems to optimize cost, quality, resiliency, and overall supplier performance.

• Drive Commercial Sourcing and Negotiations: Lead supplier evaluations, RFQs, and complex contract negotiations to secure competitive pricing, protect intellectual property, and mitigate procurement risks.

• Guide New Vehicle Program Sourcing: Orchestrate the commercial evaluation of upcoming vehicle lines, utilizing data-driven analysis to present robust, strategic sourcing recommendations to leadership.

• Proactively Manage Supply Resiliency: Monitor global market trends, raw material indices, and geopolitical risks to proactively optimize our sourcing footprint and prevent supply chain disruptions.

• Manage Strategic Supplier Relations: Nurture high-impact relationships with key global suppliers, resolving commercial, quality, or delivery issues collaboratively to ensure uninterrupted vehicle production.

• Collaborate Across Functions: Partner closely with engineering, quality, and program management teams to align business goals with technical requirements, driving continuous improvement and process efficiency.

You'll have...

Minimum

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in business, supply chain management, engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

• Experience: Typically, 4 or more years of experience in procurement, strategic sourcing, or supply chain management, preferably with experience managing technical automotive commodities (such as braking systems, chassis, or electronic controls).

• Negotiation & Contract Management: Proven success navigating complex commercial negotiations and managing supplier contracts.

• Technical & Tool Proficiency: Strong capabilities in data-driven decision-making, with proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (especially Excel) and industry-standard procurement software (such as SAP, Ariba, or similar e-sourcing tools).

• Communication & Collaboration: Excellent communication skills, with a proven ability to translate complex commodity details into clear, strategic updates for cross-functional stakeholders and leadership.

Even better, you may have...

• Master's degree in business, supply chain management, or a related field.

• Strong negotiation skills and ability to build and maintain relationships with suppliers.

• Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and procurement software.

• Knowledge of sourcing best practices and industry trends.

• Strong communication skills that can effectively transition from bottoms-up details to concise, clear executive-level messaging.

You may not check every box, or your experience may look a little different from what we've outlined, but if you think you can bring value to Ford Motor Company, we encourage you to apply!

As an established global company, we offer the benefit of choice. You can choose what your Ford future will look like: will your story span the globe, or keep you close to home? Will your career be a deep dive into what you love, or a series of new teams and new skills? Will you be a leader, a changemaker, a technical expert, a culture builder…or all of the above? No matter what you choose, we offer a work life that works for you, including:

• Immediate medical, dental, vision and prescription drug coverage
• Flexible family care days, paid parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, subsidized back-up child care and more
• Family building benefits including adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, fertility treatments, and more
• Vehicle discount program for employees and family members and management leases
• Tuition assistance
• Established and active employee resource groups
• Paid time off for individual and team community service
• A generous schedule of paid holidays, including the week between Christmas and New Year's Day
• Paid time off and the option to purchase additional vacation time.

This position is a range of salary grades 7-8 and ranges from $84,480-$166,200.

Final determination of salary grade will be based on candidate's skills and experience, and base salary will be set within the applicable range according to job scope, responsibility and competitive market value.

For more information on salary and benefits, click here: https://fordcareers.co/GSR

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Candidates for positions with Ford Motor Company must be legally authorized to work in the United States.

Verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, age, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status or protected veteran status. In the United States, if you need a reasonable accommodation for the online application process due to a disability, please call 1-888-336-0660.

This position is hybrid. Candidates who are in commuting distance to a Ford hub location may be required to be onsite four or more days per week.

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