Category Specialist - Electronics

Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies; Lakewood (CA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies is seeking a Category Specialist in Lakewood, CA. The role focuses on enabling the global sourcing strategy, optimizing supplier performance, and reducing total costs across the category.

You will collaborate with stakeholders to drive cost savings and risk mitigation while ensuring supply assurance for healthcare products. Ideal candidates have 4+ years in sourcing/procurement, Lean/Six Sigma experience, and a track record of supplier management in medical

Qualifications

• Minimum 4 years’ experience in Sourcing/Procurement/Supply Chain or Manufacturing/Operations or R&D in a large, multi-national, preferably in a medical device company.
• Strong preference for direct experience with electronics and electrical components.
• Operational Excellence (Lean, Six Sigma, or Similar) experience.
• Proven success in managing suppliers or in managing complex manufacturing processes.
• APICS CPSM certification or willingness to pursue
• Equivalent competency as an alternative to certification

Responsibilities

• Drive and manage supplier performance for on-time delivery, supply stability, cost management and cost increase mitigation.
• Identify and execute alternate sourcing, supplier consolidation and localization to maximize pricing leverage, and cycle time improvements.
• Drive and manage enhanced margin through improved material cost savings.
• Monitor current category market conditions, technology roadmaps and identify supply/demand challenges.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders and suppliers to develop and optimize business processes to improve speed, efficiency and accuracy of workstreams.
• Prepare Business Cases, including ROI models, and present Cost Savings and Risk Mitigation proposals.
• Develop and execute RFQs, cost models, and estimates for initial project resourcing needs.
• Negotiate terms with key suppliers and drive total landed cost reductions.

Skills

PC software

Results-driven

Communication

Lean Six Sigma

Team player

Interpersonal skills

Project management

Influence

Prioritization

Problem solving

Education

APICS CPSM certification

Equivalent competency

Job description

Requisition ID: 35266
At Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies, our 8,000+ global associates proud to come to work each day, knowing that what we do impacts the lives of patients around the world. For Terumo, for Everyone, Everywhere. We make medical devices and related products that are used to collect, separate, manufacture and process various components of blood and cells. With our innovative technologies and service offerings, we touch a patient’s life every second of every day and are committed to continuing to increase the number of patients we serve. Advancing healthcare with heart. With some of the best and brightest minds in the industry, an unmatched global footprint, comprehensive benefits and a distinct culture, Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies is a great place to work, grow and be part of a team that is focused on making a difference. Join us and help shape wherever we go next. You create your future and ours. As the Category Specialist, you’ll be responsible for enabling the business’ Sourcing Category strategy. Continuously improve the Company’s purchasing practices by identifying and leading efforts to proactively optimize category spend, manage supplier performance, reduce inventory, mitigate procurement risks, gain visibility to total spend and reduce total costs. Perform spend analysis to ensure best in class category sourcing leverage. Operates under the supervision of Category Manager and/or Sr. Manager, as an extension of the category manager and secondary contact for negotiation and supplier management with the Terumo Blood and Cell Technology (TBCT) supply base, responsible for the category and supplier strategy on a global basis. The Category Specialist will support the development, implementation and management of global strategies to provide the segment with supply assurance, pricing, flexibility, optimal inventory levels, lead-times, cycle times, quality and delivery performance.

Essential Duties

• Drive and manage supplier performance for on-time delivery, supply stability, cost management and cost increase mitigation. Pursue category performance improvement to stated goals: Lead time improvements, Minimum Order Quantity improvements, Localization or Vendor Managed Inventory opportunities, Payment Terms, Incoming Quality, optimized inventory levels and increase inventory turns.
• Identify and execute alternate sourcing, supplier consolidation and localization to maximize pricing leverage, and cycle time improvements.
• Drive and manage enhanced margin through improved material cost savings.
• Monitor current category market conditions, technology roadmaps and identify supply/demand challenges. Develop, implement and communicate tactical and strategic category plans internally as appropriate.
• Understand Internal and Supplier Manufacturing Processes to improve cost and reduce waste.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders and suppliers to develop and optimize business processes to improve speed, efficiency and accuracy of workstreams.
• Prepare Business Cases, including ROI models, and effectively present Cost Savings and Risk Mitigation proposals to appropriate parties for approval and qualification.
• Develop and execute RFQ’s, cost models, and estimates for initial project resourcing needs.
• Negotiate business T&C's relating to: payment terms, delivery terms, inventory strategies, lead times, price improvement, supply assurance and other strategic issues with key suppliers.
• Provide rigorous analysis of spend data and market trends/dynamics by site, supplier and/or category to prioritize and launch sourcing initiatives.
• Accountable for working closely with customer-facing teams, Operations teams, and R&D and Supplier Engineering teams to ensure that the supplier strategy supports product and customer needs.
• Manage commodities/spend to achieve the annual performance metrics applicable to Supply Chain – planning, logistics, warehousing, and procurement.
• Ensure that all supplier and sourcing strategies support the "best total landed cost" objective of the business, including costs of inventory ownership, transport, customs, duties and lead-time.
• Ensure that product compliance of suppliers meets all existing and future corporate social responsibility and product compliance requirements. Conduct periodic reviews of suppliers to ensure such compliance.

Minimum Qualification Requirements

Education

Experience

• Minimum 4 years’ experience in Sourcing/Procurement/Supply Chain or Manufacturing/Operations or R&D in a large, multi-national, preferably in a medical device company.
• Strong preference for direct experience with electronics and electrical components.
• Operational Excellence (Lean, Six Sigma, or Similar) experience.
• Proven success in managing suppliers or in managing complex manufacturing processes.

Skills

• Knowledge and use of relevant PC software applications and skills to use them effectively.
• Proven track record of driving positive results.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
• Demonstrated ability to drive continuous improvement initiatives by leveraging Lean, Six Sigma, and data analytics to optimize processes, reduce waste, and enhance cross-functional efficiency
• Highly self‑motivated team player who can work effectively with management, business unit personnel, and other stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to interact with diplomacy and tact while maintaining appropriate assertiveness and persistence.
• Effective project management skills.
• Proven ability to positively persuade and influence decision making, at all levels in the organization.
• Person of true convictions; Willing to stand up for those convictions; Able to communicate, reinforce and coach/counsel others on those convictions; Unafraid of change / improvement
• Interpersonal skills that could be described as "firm but fair"; Objective yet compassionate in evaluating performance; Can connect all people of the organization to the mission and goals of the organization.
• Ability to prioritize very well and maintain appropriate balance in a fast‑paced environment.
• Sound problem‑solving skills in both functional areas of operations and interpersonal relationship management.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations

APICS and/or CPSM certification or willingness to work towards same.

Or

An equivalent competency