Commodity Manager

Nidec Motor Corporation; St. Louis (MO); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Nidec Motor Corporation is seeking a Manager, Commodity to lead strategy and execution across commodity categories, driving cost competitiveness and supply continuity. You will oversee a team of commodity professionals and shape supplier performance, working with Engineering, Operations, Quality, Finance, and Planning.

This role impacts cost structure and business alignment on a global scale. The position requires strong leadership, market knowledge, and the ability to balance strategic planning

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, Finance, or related field.
• Prior procurement/strategic sourcing/commodity management experience required.
• Previous people-management experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead commodity strategies and supplier relationships to achieve cost, quality, and delivery objectives.
• Analyze market trends, capacity, cost drivers, and supply risks; drive sourcing and contracting.
• Own supplier performance, conduct business reviews, and lead corrective actions for underperforming suppliers.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (Engineering, Operations, Quality, Finance) to ensure supply continuity and alignment.

Skills

Negotiation

Analytical skills

Decision making

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain/Business/Engineering/Finance

Job description

We begin with dreams. Dreams drive our motivation. Dreams are our future. The world's dreams, people's dreams, our dreams. Our passion creates ideas that make dreams come alive. Technology and products that were only dreams become reality.

All for dreams. Dreams challenge and the Nidec-Group will continue to meet the challenge. For the world's and people's tomorrows; the world's first, the world's best technologies and products; we will continue our part in creating a better society.

Job Summary

The Manager, Commodity is a mid-level management role responsible for leading commodity management strategy and execution to support cost competitiveness, supply continuity, quality, and risk mitigation. This role manages commodity professionals and/or supplier portfolios and serves as the strategic owner for assigned commodities across sourcing, contracting, and supplier performance. The Manager, Commodity has a direct impact on cost structure, supply assurance, and alignment between Procurement and broader business objectives.

Job Description

Role Overview

The Manager, Commodity oversees sourcing strategy, supplier relationships, and commercial performance for one or more commodity categories (e.g., raw materials, components, services, or indirect spend). The role balances strategic planning, execution, and people leadership while partnering closely with Engineering, Operations, Quality, Finance, and Supply Chain. This position acts as the escalation point for supplier, cost, or capacity issues and ensures commodities are managed in alignment with business needs and market conditions. The role typically reports to a Director of Procurement, Supply Chain Leader, or Strategic Sourcing Leader, depending on organizational structure.

Key Responsibilities

People Leadership & Team Management

• Lead, coach, and develop Commodity Managers, Buyers, or Sourcing Specialists
• Set performance expectations tied to cost, quality, delivery, and risk objectives
• Conduct performance reviews, coaching, and development planning
• Support hiring, onboarding, and capability development

Commodity Strategy & Sourcing Leadership

• Develop and execute commodity strategies aligned with business and supply chain objectives
• Analyze market trends, capacity, cost drivers, and supply risks
• Define sourcing approaches, supplier segmentation, and makebuy strategies
• Drive competitive sourcing, negotiation, and contracting activities

Supplier Relationship & Performance Management

• Own strategic supplier relationships within assigned commodities
• Monitor supplier performance related to cost, quality, delivery, and innovation
• Lead business reviews and corrective action plans for underperforming suppliers
• Serve as escalation point for supplier issues or disputes

Cost, Risk & Commercial Management

• Drive cost reduction, cost avoidance, and valuecreation initiatives
• Lead negotiations for pricing, terms, and commercial agreements
• Identify and mitigate supply, geopolitical, and market risks
• Partner with Finance to ensure alignment with budgets and forecasts

CrossFunctional Collaboration

• Collaborate with Engineering and Product teams on designtocost and standardization
• Partner with Operations, Quality, and Planning to ensure supply continuity
• Support new product introductions and change management activities
• Align procurement decisions with operational and customer requirements

Process, Governance & Continuous Improvement

• Ensure compliance with procurement policies, ethical standards, and controls
• Standardize sourcing processes, tools, and documentation
• Track KPIs related to cost, performance, and supply risk
• Identify opportunities to improve sourcing efficiency and effectiveness

Scope & Impact

Manages a team and/or strategic supplier portfolio within defined commodity categories. Impact is at the functional or multisite level. Decisions influence cost structure, supply resilience, and operational performance. Poor commodity decisions may result in cost overruns, supply disruptions, or quality risk.

Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, Finance, or related field required
• Prior experience in procurement, strategic sourcing, or commodity management required
• Previous peoplemanagement experience preferred

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Strong understanding of commodity markets, supplier economics, and sourcing strategies
• Proven peopleleadership and performancemanagement skills
• Strong negotiation, analytical, and decisionmaking capability
• Ability to manage supplier relationships and crossfunctional stakeholders
• Excellent written, verbal, and executivelevel communication skills
• Ability to balance shortterm execution with longterm strategy

Additional Job Details

• Management - M2
• Works to achieve operational, functional, and/or business targets within team with direct impact on departmental or job family results
• Delivers operational results that have impact on the immediate or short-term results (e.g., less than 1 year) for the department and/or job family group
• Plans and establishes goals and objectives for a team typically comprising of intermediate-level professionals and entry level professionals
• Communicates with parties within and occasionally outside of own department or job family, which may include external clients or partners depending upon the job area
• Requires ability to influence others outside of own job area on policies, practices and procedures
• Responsible for making moderate improvements of processes, systems, or products to enhance performance of the job area
• Problems are difficult and moderately complex and typically impact multiple departments or job family
• Problems are typically solved through drawing from prior experience and analysis of issues
• Manages a team typically comprising of intermediate-level professionals and entry level professionals
• Leads, directs and reviews the work of team members in order to accomplish operational plans and results
• Typically has hiring, firing, promotion, and reward authority within own area, in accordance with manager review and approval
• Requires practical knowledge in leading and managing the execution of processes, projects and tactics within one job area
• Typically has advanced knowledge and skills within a specific technical or professional discipline with understanding of the impact of work on other areas of the organization
• Typically has a bachelor's degree or equivalent professional certification and 5 years of prior relevant experience

Equal Employment Opportunity and Affinity at Nidec

Nidec is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Aff... All qualified applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to their age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, genetic information, religious creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. For more information regarding your (EEO) rights as an applicant, please visit the following website: http://www1.eeoc.gov/employers/upload/eeoc_self_print_poster.pdf

Work Shift Schedule

No Soliciting

Nidec will not accept unsolicited resumes from individual recruiters or third party recruiting agencies in response to Nidec job postings. No fee will be paid to third parties who submit unsolicited candidates directly to our hiring managers. Pre-approval from the Nidec Talent Acquisition team is required before any external candidate can be submitted and such candidate must be submitted to the Nidec Talent Acquisition team.