Brake Controls Buyer

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

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision coverage

Vehicle discount program

Tuition assistance

Paid time off & holidays

Job summary

Ford’s Purchasing team drives value by sourcing high-quality parts globally while optimizing cost and on-time delivery. The role focuses on developing category strategies for brake controls and underbody systems, leading supplier evaluations, and negotiating complex contracts.

You will manage supplier relationships, monitor market trends, and collaborate across engineering and program teams to ensure timely, high-quality material delivery.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience.
• 4+ years in procurement, strategic sourcing, or supply chain management, preferably with automotive commodities.
• Proven success in complex negotiations and contract management.
• Proficiency in data-driven decision-making, Excel, and procurement software (SAP/Ariba).
• Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement category strategies for brake controls to optimize cost, quality, resiliency, and supplier performance.
• Conduct supplier evaluations and negotiations to secure competitive pricing and mitigate risk.
• Lead commercial evaluation of new vehicle programs with data-driven sourcing recommendations to leadership.
• Manage supplier relationships to ensure timely delivery and issue resolution.
• Monitor market trends, material indices, and geopolitical risks to adjust the sourcing footprint.
• Collaborate with engineering, quality, and program teams to align goals and drive process improvements.

Skills

Data-driven decisions

Negotiation

Communication

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree

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 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.

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.