Global Sourcing Specialist

Itape; Minneapolis (MN); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Itape in Minneapolis seeks a Sourcing Specialist to support global sourcing activities for paper-based materials, including release liners. You will coordinate trials, manage supplier qualifications, and lead cost and quality initiatives across R&D, Operations, and Procurement.

You will build market insights, develop roadmaps, and maintain data quality for reporting, while traveling up to 20% to engage suppliers and drive continuous improvement in supply continuity.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in a related field.
• Minimum 3 years of experience in Purchasing or Supply Chain within manufacturing.
• Knowledge of paper materials, markets, and specifications; ability to translate technical needs to R&D/Operations.

Responsibilities

• Support category strategies and sourcing initiatives for paper-based materials.
• Coordinate trial material orders and track timelines and spend.
• Lead RFx processes and consolidate supplier inputs and pricing data.
• Develop sourcing roadmaps and ensure timely availability of materials for production.
• Monitor supplier performance with KPIs and drive cost reductions.

Skills

Negotiation

Planning & Organization

Communication

Analytical skills

Excel & reporting tools

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

Excel

Reporting/dashboard tools

Job description

Position Description

Title: Sourcing Specialist

Department: Global Sourcing

Immediate Supervisor: Sr. Global Sourcing Manager

Status: Exempt

Position Overview: Supports Global Sourcing activities and assists in category management for specified raw materials, including paper related spend, and other raw materials as directed. Acts as a liaison across R&D, Plant Operations, Quality, and Procurement to facilitate material trials, supplier engagement, and sourcing initiatives. Provides category knowledge and market insights as needed, with emphasis on paper-based materials including various paper and release liners. Delivering data-driven analysis and reporting to inform decisions on cost, quality, availability, and innovation.

Principle Accountabilities

• Support category strategies and sourcing initiatives for assigned raw materials, including paper-based materials including but not limited to release liners
• Maintain working knowledge of paper markets and materials and support paper-related sourcing initiatives as needed; Serve as primary liaison across R&D, Plant Operations, Quality, and other stakeholders to plan, coordinate, and communicate material trials, qualifications, and changes.
• Coordinate trial material orders, including; track timelines, requirements, and trial-related spend to support budget visibility.
• Lead and/or support RFI/RFQ/RFP processes for liners and other materials as directed; consolidate supplier inputs, technical documentation, and pricing data.
• Assess, and integrate new or existing suppliers to support future requirements and innovation projects.
• Build and maintain supplier KPI metrics/scorecards; monitor and improve supplier performance against quality, delivery, service, and cost targets.
• Assist in resolution of supply and/or quality issues; coordinate corrective actions with suppliers and internal teams and mediate price/quality disputes as needed.
• Develop sourcing roadmaps and monitor timetables to ensure timely availability of materials to support plant operations and new product launch programs.
• Review supplier capacities and supply risks; recommend tooling and capital investments and/or dual sourcing to protect continuity and support growth.
• Perform demand/supply and market analysis to assess short and long-term pricing trends, raw material availability, and industry capacity for liners and paper.
• Manage sourcing and trial data quality; cleanse and maintain data and deliver reporting/dashboards (trial results, material performance, cost comparisons) to enable decision-making.

Essential Skills and Experience

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experiencein a related field
• Experience in raw material sourcing, with a preference for paper and paper-based materials.
• Working knowledge of paper materials including paper varieties and release liner materials, markets, and specifications; ability to translate technical needs with R&D and Plant Operations.
• Minimum 3 years of experience working in the Purchasing or Supply Chain field, in manufacturing environment
• Experience finding, qualifying, assessing, and auditing suppliers, including international
• Strong negotiation skills
• Excellent planning, organizational and oral and written communication skills
• Strong analytical skills and proficiency in Excel and reporting/dashboard tools
• Travel is required (up to 20%). Some international travel may be required.
• Position requires the ability to organize and conduct meetings with internal and external customer and suppliers.
• Position requires an advanced level of negotiating skills needed for involvement in supplier contract process and cost reductions.
• Position requires interaction with other internal groups concerning technical matters, conveying ideas, and recommending possible solutions to problems.
• Formal Project Management training a plus.