Senior Strategic Sourcing Lead

DSJ Global; Dayton (MN); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

DSJ Global is seeking a Senior Strategic Category Lead in the Twin Cities area to develop and execute multi-year sourcing strategies across direct materials, components, and engineered systems for a growing industrial manufacturer.

This hands-on individual-contributor role requires building supplier networks, leading complex negotiations, reducing total cost, and ensuring supply continuity while partnering with Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing and Operations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, Operations, Finance, or a related discipline.
• Approximately 8 to 15 years of relevant strategic sourcing, procurement, commodity management, or category-management experience.
• Direct-material sourcing experience within an industrial manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated ownership of a commodity or category strategy.
• Experience identifying, qualifying, and developing manufacturing suppliers.
• Strong RFQ, supplier-selection, contract-negotiation, and supplier-management experience.
• Experience partnering with Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, Operations, or NPI teams.
• Ability to evaluate supplier capabilities, cost structures, capacity, quality systems, and operational risk.
• Demonstrated record of measurable savings, supplier-performance improvement, or supply-risk mitigation.
• Strong analytical, negotiation, communication, and project-management skills.
• Ability to work full-time onsite in the northwest Twin Cities area.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute multi-year sourcing and category strategies aligned with business, product, and operational objectives.
• Analyze supplier markets, cost drivers, capacity, technology trends, and supply-chain risks.
• Identify, evaluate, qualify, and onboard new domestic and international suppliers.
• Lead RFQs, supplier selection, commercial negotiations, and contract execution.
• Negotiate pricing, payment terms, capacity commitments, tooling agreements, stocking programs, and long-term supply arrangements.
• Deliver measurable cost savings, cost avoidance, lead-time improvements, and risk reduction.
• Partner with Engineering and Quality to evaluate supplier capabilities, manufacturing processes, technical specifications, and product requirements.
• Support new-product development, supplier readiness, component qualification, and production launches.
• Develop dual-source and continuity strategies for business-critical materials and components.
• Conduct supplier business reviews, site visits, capability assessments, and performance evaluations.
• Monitor supplier performance across cost, quality, delivery, responsiveness, capacity, and service.
• Lead supplier-development and corrective-action initiatives.
• Develop should-cost models, total-cost-of-ownership analyses, and supplier-award recommendations.
• Present category strategies, sourcing decisions, supplier risks, and savings opportunities to senior leadership.
• Work effectively in a growing organization where priorities may change and processes continue to evolve.

Skills

Strategic sourcing

Supplier development

RFQ negotiations

Contract management

Cost reduction

Cross-functional collaboration

Project management

Analytical skills

Negotiation

Education

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain or related

Job description

Senior Strategic Category Lead

Location: Twin Cities, Minnesota

Work arrangement: Full-time, onsite

Compensation: $120,000 to $150,000 base salary

Position type: Senior individual contributor

The Opportunity

A growing industrial manufacturer supporting data-center and AI infrastructure is hiring a Senior Strategic Category Lead to develop and execute sourcing strategies across a portfolio of direct materials, components, and engineered systems.

This is a hands-on individual-contributor position for an experienced sourcing professional who can independently build category strategies, develop suppliers, lead complex negotiations, reduce total cost, improve supply continuity, and partner closely with Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, and Operations.

The assigned portfolio may include one or more of the following category groups:

• Electrical: Electronic components, PCBAs, controls, sensors, motors, VFDs, wire harnesses, cable assemblies, power supplies, electrical panels, fans, heaters, and electromechanical assemblies
• Fluid Handling: Pumps, valves, actuators, heat exchangers, coils, hoses, fittings, filters, expansion tanks, and fluid-distribution components
• Metals: Raw metals, sheet-metal fabrication, machining, extrusions, weldments, frames, coatings, and outside processing
• Buy/Resell: Complete purchased equipment, contract-manufactured products, and engineered systems
• Miscellaneous: Gaskets, seals, foam, insulation, plastics, refrigerant, labels, packaging, hardware, chemicals, coatings, and MRO

Direct experience in every category is not required. The ideal candidate brings strong strategic-sourcing fundamentals, industrial manufacturing experience, and the ability to learn and lead technically complex categories.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute multi-year sourcing and category strategies aligned with business, product, and operational objectives
• Analyze supplier markets, cost drivers, capacity, technology trends, and supply-chain risks
• Identify, evaluate, qualify, and onboard new domestic and international suppliers
• Lead RFQs, supplier selection, commercial negotiations, and contract execution
• Negotiate pricing, payment terms, capacity commitments, tooling agreements, stocking programs, and long-term supply arrangements
• Deliver measurable cost savings, cost avoidance, lead-time improvements, and risk reduction
• Partner with Engineering and Quality to evaluate supplier capabilities, manufacturing processes, technical specifications, and product requirements
• Support new-product development, supplier readiness, component qualification, and production launches
• Develop dual-source and continuity strategies for business-critical materials and components
• Conduct supplier business reviews, site visits, capability assessments, and performance evaluations
• Monitor supplier performance across cost, quality, delivery, responsiveness, capacity, and service
• Lead supplier-development and corrective-action initiatives
• Develop should-cost models, total-cost-of-ownership analyses, and supplier-award recommendations
• Present category strategies, sourcing decisions, supplier risks, and savings opportunities to senior leadership
• Work effectively in a growing organization where priorities may change and processes continue to evolve

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, Operations, Finance, or a related discipline
• Approximately 8 to 15 years of relevant strategic sourcing, procurement, commodity management, or category-management experience
• Direct-material sourcing experience within an industrial manufacturing environment
• Demonstrated ownership of a commodity or category strategy
• Experience identifying, qualifying, and developing manufacturing suppliers
• Strong RFQ, supplier-selection, contract-negotiation, and supplier-management experience
• Experience partnering with Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, Operations, or NPI teams
• Ability to evaluate supplier capabilities, cost structures, capacity, quality systems, and operational risk
• Demonstrated record of measurable savings, supplier-performance improvement, or supply-risk mitigation
• Strong analytical, negotiation, communication, and project-management skills
• Ability to work full-time onsite in the northwest Twin Cities area

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with data-center infrastructure, thermal-management equipment, HVAC, industrial machinery, electronics, electromechanical systems, fluid handling, fabricated metals, or engineered equipment
• Experience sourcing from domestic and international suppliers
• Knowledge of should-cost analysis, total cost of ownership, supplier segmentation, and market intelligence
• Experience negotiating capacity agreements, indexed pricing, tooling ownership, consignment, or vendor-managed inventory programs
• Familiarity with supplier audits, first articles, PPAP, product qualification, or supplier-quality requirements
• Experience supporting a rapidly growing or evolving manufacturing organization
• CPSM, CPIM, CSCP, Six Sigma, or related certification is helpful but not required

Ideal Candidate Profile

The successful candidate will be comfortable operating as a senior, hands-on sourcing leader without needing a large team or established corporate infrastructure. This person will be able to move between strategy and execution, build credibility with technical stakeholders, challenge existing sourcing models, and create practical solutions that improve cost, quality, delivery, capacity, and supply continuity.

Why Consider This Opportunity?

• Join a growing company serving the expanding data-center and AI infrastructure market
• Take meaningful ownership of business-critical sourcing categories
• Build and shape supplier strategies in a developing sourcing organization
• Work directly with Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, and senior leadership
• Lead supplier-development, cost-reduction, and risk-mitigation initiatives with visible business impact
• Expand beyond sourcing execution into broader category and supplier-market leadership

If you are an experienced strategic-sourcing professional who enjoys developing suppliers, solving complex manufacturing challenges, and building category strategies from the ground up, we would welcome the opportunity to speak with you.