Principal Sourcing Project Manager

Tennant Company; Eden Prairie (MN); On-site; USD 105,000 - 163,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) match

Paid vacation

Company holidays

Dental and vision coverage

Employee Assistance Program

Job summary

Tennant Company in Minneapolis–St. Paul area seeks a Principal Strategic Sourcing Manager for Robotics to lead end-to-end sourcing, supplier management, and lifecycle governance of sourced products and contract-manufactured systems.

You will align product roadmaps with total-cost goals and drive performance across global supply chain partners. The role requires 7+ years in strategic sourcing with robotics or high-tech components, strong negotiation skills, and PMP or equivalent certification.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Engineering, Business, or a related field required; MBA or relevant master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum of 7 years of related experience in strategic sourcing, procurement, supplier management, or sourcing program management.
• Extensive experience managing contract manufacturers and OEM relationships, including performance, quality, delivery, cost, and launch expectations, required.
• Experience sourcing complex sourced products, high-technology components, electronics, electro-mechanical systems, sensors, or robotics-related systems strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex negotiations and developing long-term commercial agreements.
• Project-management experience required; PMP or other recognized project-management certification preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain, and execute sourcing strategies for sourced products, contract-manufactured systems and assigned categories.
• Lead the sourcing lifecycle from market assessment through launch, production management, and product balance-out.
• Lead complex negotiations and draft supplier agreements ensuring long-term value and protection of the organization.
• Drive strategic supplier performance through governance, scorecards, and business reviews.
• Identify and mitigate global supply, capacity, quality, financial, IP, and geopolitical risks.

Skills

Strategic sourcing

Contract negotiations

Supplier management

Project management

Cross-functional leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Engineering, Business

MBA or related master’s degree preferred

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Project

Job description

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Principal Strategic Sourcing Manager - Robotics

Pay: $105,100 - $162,700

With more than $1B in revenue, Tennant Company is a globally recognized leader in the cleaning equipment industry. For the past 150 years, we have been passionate about developing and manufacturing innovative and sustainable solutions for our customers. At Tennant Company, we are committed to stewardship and creating a cleaner, safer and healthier world. With manufacturing, operations and sales, service, and support functions across the globe, your journey at Tennant can take you places you never expected.

We are seeking an execution-focusedPrincipal Straegic Sourcing Manager to lead end-to-end sourcing and supplier management in the dynamic, high-technology landscape of Robotics sourced products and contract-manufactured systems. This role translates product and business strategy into executable category plans, supplier selections, commercial agreements, launch readiness, and sustained supplier performance. Working across Product Management, Engineering, Program Management, Operations and Global Supply Chain, this position ensures sourced products meet cost, quality, delivery, technology, risk, and lifecycle requirements. The role is accountable for creating a resilient, competitive, and high-performing external supply network that supports Tennant's Robotics Venture and broader business objectives.

• Tennant Company does not provide employment visa sponsorship for this position, now or in the future.
• Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship.
• This role is located in the Minneapolis-St. Paul (Twin Cities) area and is not eligible for remote work.
• Relocation assistance is not available.

Key Responsibilities:

• Sourced Product Strategy & Portfolio Management: Develop, maintain, and execute sourcing strategies for sourced products, contract-manufactured systems and assigned categories. Align strategies with product roadmaps, organizational objectives, current and future market conditions, technology needs, and total cost goals, and translate into clear execution plans.
• End-to-End Sourcing Execution and NPD Readiness: Lead the sourcing lifecycle from market assessment and supplier qualification through request-for-quote, evaluation, selection, contracting, launch, production management, and product balance-out. Ensure sourced-product readiness for prototypes, pilot builds, validation, and early production in a fast-paced Robotics NPD environment. Align specifications, product availability, capacity, tooling, quality readiness, and supplier delivery commitments with program build schedules. Execute projects with strong schedule and budget discipline.
• Commercial Negotiation, Contracting and Value Excellence: Lead complex negotiations using a strong understanding of commercial terms, legal frameworks, intellectual property considerations, and long-term business requirements. Draft, negotiate, and deliver multifaceted supplier agreements with minimal guidance ensuring that commercial agreements protect the organization while enabling performance, flexibility, continuity, and long-term value. Drive total-cost competitiveness, cost transparency, productivity, and value engineering across the sourced-product portfolio.
• Supplier Relationship & Performance Management: Drive strategic supplier performance through clear expectations, strong governance, scorecards, business reviews, corrective actions, and supplier development to ensure commitments meet launch requirements and business needs throughout sourced-product lifecycle.
• Risk Management & Continuity: Identify, assess, and mitigate global supply, capacity, quality, financial, intellectual property, geopolitical, and brand-reputation risks. Develop continuity and escalation plans and exercise sound judgment regarding internal escalation.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Serve as the primary sourcing and supplier-management point of contact for assigned sourced-product programs. Influence global stakeholders and lead through others to resolve issues, align priorities, and connect product teams with core Global Supply Chain resources.
• Governance, Reporting & Communication: Own sourcing schedules, supplier-readiness dashboards, key performance indicators, and executive-level reporting. Communicate status, decisions, risks, issues, and mitigation plans clearly across and upward in the organization.
• Process Improvement & Change Leadership: Recommend, develop, and implement scalable sourcing, supplier-management, and launch-readiness processes. Lead continuous improvement and new ways of working that strengthen execution across the organization.
• Business Development Support: Provide sourcing and supplier due-diligence support for partnerships, acquisitions, or other strategic growth initiatives as required.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Engineering, Business, or a related field required; MBA or relevant master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum of 7 years of related experience in strategic sourcing, procurement, supplier management, or sourcing program management.
• Extensive experience managing contract manufacturers and OEM relationships, including performance, quality, delivery, cost, and launch expectations, required.
• Experience sourcing complex sourced products, high-technology components, electronics, electro-mechanical systems, sensors, or robotics-related systems strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex negotiations and developing long-term commercial agreements.
• Project-management experience required; PMP or other recognized project-management certification preferred.

Capabilities:

• Demonstrated expertise in strategic sourcing, category management, supplier relationship management, and contract-management.
• Ability to understand technical requirements and work directly with Engineering on specifications, design alternatives, manufacturability, and supplier capabilities.
• Strong financial, analytical, numeric, and deductive reasoning, including total-cost and business-case analysis.
• Proven ability to manage multiple complex programs, maintain execution discipline, and make sound decisions under pressure.
• Strong executive communication and the ability to influence across functions, levels, and global regions without direct authority.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel and working proficiency with Microsoft Project and other standard Microsoft Office tools.
• Demonstrated learning agility, ownership, judgment, and confidence operating as an individual contributor who leads through others.

Posted salary ranges are made in good faith. Tennant Co. reserves the right to adjust ranges depending on the experience/qualifications of the selected candidate as well as internal and external equity. The salary range reflects both entry into the role and future growth. Total Compensation = Base Salary + Benefits

Benefits = A comprehensive benefits package including multiple medical plan options, 401(k) with a 100% match up to 6%, paid vacation time, 8 paid company holidays and 3 personal holidays dental and vision coverage, wellness rewards, robust family support programs, company-paid disability and life insurance, and a full Employee Assistance Program.

Defining Our Employee Value Proposition

At Tennant Company, we...

Discoverfulfilling work with opportunities for growth and meaningful recognition.
Drivethe quality and innovation our customers rely on in our products and services.
Connectwith people who care about each other, ourbrandsand our communities.

These are the principles that define how our employees experience Tennant Company, make Tennant a great place to grow your career, and are at the core of our legacy and future.Together, they serve as guideposts for working with our customers, our partners and one another.

Begin your journey with us. Let's reinvent how the world cleans.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Tennant Company is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are made on the basis of individual skill, ability, reliability, productivity, and other factors important to performance. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, physical or mental disability, age, veteran status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity, or any other basis protected by state or federal law or local ordinance.