Manager, Category Purchasing

Yazaki North America; Canton Charter Township (MI); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Safe environment

Diverse teams

Global resources

Growth opportunities

Competitive benefits

Job summary

Yazaki North America in Canton, MI, is seeking a Manager, Category Purchasing to lead the purchasing team and drive category strategies across global operations. This hybrid role focuses on managing contracts, supplier relationships, and commodity optimization to deliver value for Yazaki North America.

The ideal candidate has a Bachelor's degree, 5–10 years of leadership experience in automotive purchasing, and a deep understanding of OEM/supplier dynamics.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field is required.
• 5–10 years of leadership experience in purchasing or equivalent roles.
• Ability to manage complex projects and align global/local goals.
• Understanding of automotive market dynamics (OEMs and tier suppliers).

Responsibilities

• Lead and monitor performance of direct reports with coaching and feedback.
• Oversee budget input and execution aligned with financial goals.
• Conduct annual performance evaluations and compensation recommendations.
• Translate organizational goals into annual objectives for the department.
• Track monthly progress against KPIs and take proactive action to meet targets.
• Develop career plans to enhance growth, skill development, and succession readiness.
• Manage sourcing and contracting activities for new business.
• Oversee supplier relationships and ensure performance and quality.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Global/local perspective

Automotive market knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in a related field

Job description

Yazaki is looking for a Manager, Category Purchasing to join our Purchasing team in Canton, MI. This person is responsible for all day-to-day activities for commodity purchasing. They will manage all contracts for products related to Yazaki North America, review and revise contracts, manage commodity strategies, manage supplier relationships, performance, and support the end users. The ideal candidate will enjoy working in a collaborative and action-driven environment making lasting impacts on the organization. This position is hybrid.

What you will be doing:

• Lead and monitor performance of direct reports, providing coaching, feedback, and guidance to ensure team effectiveness and development.
• Provide input to the departmental Operating Expense budget and oversee budget execution, ensuring alignment with organizational financial goals.
• Conduct annual performance evaluations for direct reports and provide recommendations for compensation adjustments.
• Cascade organizational and leadership objectives into actionable annual goals for the department.
• Track and report monthly progress against departmental objectives and key performance indicators (KPIs), taking proactive action to meet targets.
• Implement career development and training plans to enhance employee growth, skill development, and succession readiness.

Category Management

• Ensure OEM Minority-Based Enterprise (MBE) targets are integrated into sourcing strategies and met consistently.
• Maintain and update Category Strategies on a quarterly basis, ensuring alignment with organizational objectives and market trends.
• Enforce Category Strategies across the team, providing guidance and oversight to direct reports.
• Serve as Global Category Team Lead representing YNA, collaborating with regional and international teams.
• Identify potential new sub-categories for sourcing initiatives and develop corresponding sourcing strategies.
• Support creation of departmental forecasts for annual spend and savings, tracking progress and identifying opportunities for improvement.
• Collaborate with Global Purchasing Teams, including Europe, Brazil, India, Mexico, China, and Japan, to align strategies and share best practices.
• Monitor and manage spend and savings performance for assigned categories and sub-categories, ensuring financial and operational targets are met.
• Develop and implement sourcing strategies for each category and sub-category to optimize supplier selection, pricing, and contract outcomes.
• Oversee supplier relationships, ensuring performance, quality, and strategic alignment with business objectives.
• Lead sourcing and contracting activities for new business and support supplier negotiations as required.

What you will bring to the table:

• Bachelor's degree in a related field
• 5-10 years leadership experience
• Ability to work in complex project organization and to understand Purchasing and Program goals and tasks in global & local perspective
• Understanding of automotive market (2nd tier suppliers, OEMs, etc.)

What we can provide you:

• A safe collaborative learning work environment that stimulates creativity and exploration
• Diverse teams of experts
• Resources from around the globe
• Supportive leadership and team members to help you do your best work
• Opportunities for professional growth
• Competitive compensation and benefits package including incentive compensation, 401K match, tuition assistance and a generous holiday schedule