Commodity Buyer

2700 Miele Plant USA (US); Opelika (AL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Miele Manufacturing Inc. in Opelika, AL seeks a Commodity Buyer to execute strategic, tactical and operational purchasing for direct and indirect materials.

You will manage supplier scouting, RFQs, negotiations and contract preparation, driving localization and cost-reduction in collaboration with cross-functional teams. Requirements include 3–5 years in procurement and strong analytical, negotiation and stakeholder-management skills.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, supply chain, engineering or related field.
• 3–5 years in procurement, strategic sourcing, supply chain or manufacturing.
• Experience with RFQ processes, bid evaluations, supplier negotiations and contract administration.
• Strong analytical and numerical skills with ability to evaluate cost structures and savings opportunities.
• Good communication, negotiation and stakeholder-management skills in cross-functional teams.
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office, especially Excel; ERP/SAP experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Independently manage sourcing activities and supplier relationships within assigned categories or commodities.
• Lead RFQs / RFPs, supplier requests, bid comparisons and commercial recommendations.
• Maintain price records, supplier master data, contracts and purchasing information in SAP / ERP and related tools.
• Conduct supplier negotiations on pricing, terms, delivery conditions and service levels within delegated authority.
• Drive localization, dual-sourcing, cost-reduction and supply-stability initiatives for Opelika.
• Analyze quotations, spend data, cost breakdowns and market input to identify savings and risk-mitigation opportunities.
• Coordinate with Operations, SCM, Quality, R&D and Finance to align specifications, timelines and commercial requirements.
• Monitor supplier performance indicators and follow up on delivery, capacity, quality, cost or price topics.
• Support supplier scouting, onboarding, evaluations, risk checks, performance reviews and continuous improvement activities.
• Prepare and administer framework agreements and procurement documentation in line with signature regulations.
• Lead supplier meetings, plant visits and cross-functional workshops for topics as required.
• Track project status, savings measures and implementation milestones and report progress transparently.

Skills

RFQ processes

Negotiations

Analytical skills

Stakeholder management

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

SAP ERP

Excel

Job description

General Information

Job title: Commodity Buyer

Overall job purpose:

• Execute strategic, tactical and operational purchasing activities for direct and indirect material at the Opelika plant.
• Manage supplier scouting, RFQs, bid comparisons, negotiations, price maintenance and contract preparation for assigned scope.
• Drive localization, cost-reduction and supply-stability initiatives in close coordination with cross-functional stakeholders.
• Take ownership of defined sourcing packages and contribute to procurement strategy implementation under the direction of the responsible lead or manager.

Organization: Opelika Plant (Miele Manufacturing Inc.), BU Cooking Organisational unit: Procurement / Supply Chain Management

Organisational Factors

Reporting to: Director Operations

Direct Reports: none

Organizational relations:

• Locally:
  • Operations / Production / SCM
  • Quality Management, R&D, Maintenance and Logistics
  • Finance / Controlling, Human Resources and internal requesters
  • Suppliers and external service providers
• Internationally:
  • BU Cooking procurement functions and commodity/category managers
  • Relevant stakeholders from R&D, Quality, Finance and Operations in Germany and other locations
  • Other internal interfaces as required

Required Skills (for hiring)

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Supply Chain, Engineering or a comparable field preferred.
• 3-5 years of experience in procurement, strategic sourcing, supply chain or a manufacturing environment.
• Proven experience in RFQ processes, bid evaluation, supplier negotiations and contract administration.
• Strong analytical and numerical skills with the ability to evaluate cost structures, business cases and savings opportunities.
• Good communication, negotiation and stakeholder-management skills in cross-functional teams.
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office, especially Excel; ERP/SAP experience preferred.
• Solid understanding of quotations, contracts, supplier data maintenance and sourcing processes.
• Ability to manage defined sourcing packages independently and prioritize multiple activities.
• Occasional travel as required (approximately 10-20%).

Main Responsibilities

• Independently manage sourcing activities and supplier relationships within assigned categories or commodities.
• Lead RFQs / RFPs, supplier requests, bid comparisons and commercial recommendations.
• Maintain price records, supplier master data, contracts and purchasing information in SAP / ERP and related tools.
• Conduct supplier negotiations on pricing, commercial terms, delivery conditions and service levels within delegated authority.
• Drive localization, dual-sourcing, cost-reduction and supply-stability initiatives for Opelika.
• Analyze quotations, spend data, cost breakdowns and market input to identify savings and risk-mitigation opportunities.
• Coordinate with Operations, SCM, Quality, R&D and Finance to align specifications, timelines and commercial requirements.
• Monitor supplier performance indicators and follow up on delivery, capacity, quality, cost or price topics.
• Support supplier scouting, onboarding, evaluations, risk checks, performance reviews and continuous improvement activities.
• Prepare and administer framework agreements and procurement documentation in line with signature regulations.
• Lead supplier meetings, plant visits and cross-functional workshops for assigned topics as required.
• Track project status, savings measures and implementation milestones and report progress transparently.
• Contribute to procurement strategy development for the assigned area and support junior colleagues on procurement topics when required.

For more than 125 years, Miele has been a family-owned, family-run company. Based on this tradition, a healthy balance between the demands and the appreciation of our employees is very important to us. Besides following our objective of becoming “forever better” which our employees represent with their specialist knowledge, their ambition and with thinking ahead, we want to ensure that everyone can experience and profit from our good working environment here at Miele. Living and passing on our Miele values, as well as working in teams to further develop our innovative products, are important parts of our Miele culture at each of our 50 locations. What does it take for a family-run company to become world market leader in the premium domestic appliance segment? It takes more than offering average products, run-of-the-mill service or short-sighted actions. It also requires the aspiration to do it forever better and to be forever better. This stance accounts for a good working environment at Miele and the success of our products. Our colleagues can rest assured that those who live up to our standards of quality and professionalism grow personally and professionally. No matter if they are apprentices or managers. Make our claim your challenge - whether in Gütersloh, Melbourne or Singapore! Become one of more than 23,000 Miele employees in 50 countries around the world who are committed to making our products even better every day - and help us to expand our innovation leadership.