Program Purchasing Manager: High Performance Computing (HPC)

ZF Group; Lansing (MI); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual incentive plan

Paid vacation

401k plan

Health care benefits

Paid holidays

Employee groups and community outreach

Job summary

ZF Group is seeking a Program Purchasing Manager for High Performance Computing (HPC) to lead a global team of program buyers and drive procurement strategy for new product launches, while ensuring supply continuity and cost competitiveness.

You will collaborate with Engineering, Product Management, Manufacturing and Legal to align procurement with business goals and manage supplier relationships across regions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Engineering, or related field.
• 8–10 years of progressive experience in purchasing, procurement, or program buying.
• At least 3 years of leadership experience guiding global teams.
• Proven supplier management, strategic sourcing, and contract negotiation experience.
• Experience with supplier change requests, lifecycle management, and last-time-buy.

Responsibilities

• Lead a global team of Program Buyers across regions.
• Direct procurement for new product development and program launches.
• Serve as primary purchasing escalation point for program, supply, and commercial issues.
• Manage supplier changes, resourcing, and lifecycle commercial impacts.
• Build strategic supplier partnerships and drive performance improvements.
• Lead negotiations, contracts, and sourcing strategies to meet cost/quality/delivery goals.
• Collaborate with Engineering, Product Management, Manufacturing, Quality, Finance, Operations, Supply Chain, and Legal.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Project management

Analytical skills

Negotiation

Education

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management

Tools

ERP systems

Procurement software

Contract management systems

Job description

This role offers the opportunity to lead a global Program Buying organization, driving procurement strategy, supplier partnerships, and new product launches while ensuring supply continuity, cost competitiveness, and operational excellence. The ideal candidate brings extensive leadership experience in procurement and supply chain management within electronics or advanced technology industries, with a proven track record in supplier management, commercial negotiations, and cross-functional program execution.

What you can look forward to as Program Purchasing Manager: High Performance Computing (HPC):

• Lead and develop a global team of Program Buyers, fostering accountability, continuous improvement, and best-practice sharing across regions.
• Direct procurement activities for new product development and program launches, ensuring milestone achievement, SOP readiness, and risk mitigation.
• Serve as the primary purchasing escalation point, proactively resolving program, supply, and commercial issues.
• Manage supplier-related engineering changes, resourcing activities, and lifecycle commercial impacts while minimizing disruption to operations.
• Build strategic supplier partnerships and drive improvements in supplier performance, responsiveness, and business continuity.
• Lead commercial negotiations, contract execution, and sourcing strategies to achieve cost, quality, delivery, technology, and risk-management objectives.
• Oversee component lifecycle management, material availability, supply continuity, contingency planning, and cost-reduction initiatives.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Engineering, Product Management, Manufacturing, Quality, Finance, Operations, Supply Chain, and Legal teams to align procurement strategies with business goals.

Your profile as Program Purchasing Manager: High Performance Computing (HPC):

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Engineering, Operations Management, or a related field.
• Minimum 8–10 years of progressive experience in purchasing, procurement, supply chain, or program buying roles.
• Minimum 3 years of leadership experience managing teams in a global environment.
• Proven experience supporting new product launches and complex cross-functional programs.
• Demonstrated expertise in supplier management and strategic sourcing.
• Strong experience negotiating commercial agreements and supplier contracts.
• Experience managing supplier change requests, component lifecycle management, and last-time-buy activities.
• Excellent project management and organizational skills with strong analytical and financial acumen.
• Experience within electronics, semiconductor, or advanced technology industries. Knowledge of electronic components, processors, memory, storage, networking, and related supply chains.
• Experience supporting global manufacturing operations and complex technical products. Familiarity with ERP systems, procurement tools, and program management methodologies.

What We Offer:

• A supportive collaborative team environment
• Annual Incentive Plan
• Paid Vacation
• 401k Plan
• Health Care Benefits
• Paid Holidays
• Supportive Employee Groups and community outreach activities