Strategic Buyer, Direct Materials

Wieland North America, Inc; Louisville (KY); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision

401(k) with match

Paid vacation & holidays

Growth opportunities

Wellness programs

Sustainability

Job summary

Wieland North America, Inc. is seeking a Strategic Buyer for Direct Materials to support value-driven vendor partnerships and risk management.

This on-site role in Louisville, KY will coordinate with internal stakeholders to define material, quality, and service requirements while negotiating and contracting with suppliers. The ideal candidate has 7–10 years of procurement experience, strong communication, and expertise in supplier relationship management.

Qualifications

• B.S. degree in business or a technical-related discipline.
• 7-10 years of procurement experience, preferably in a centralized structure.
• Ability to travel at least 15% including internationally.
• Strong computer skills (Microsoft Office, SAP S4, SAP Ariba).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Proven ability to lead and collaborate effectively in cross-functional teams.
• Strong problem-solving, analytical, and organizational skills.
• Knowledge of strategic category planning, total cost of ownership, and fact-based negotiation.
• Expertise in financial modeling, product/category management, supplier analysis, contract management, and supplier relationship management.
• Skilled in internal stakeholder collaboration, influencing, and change management.

Responsibilities

• Establish long-term, cost-competitive supplier relationships at high-performance standards and manage internal stakeholders from different Business Units.
• Work closely with Procurement and different internal departments to monitor KPIs, track progress, and adjust strategies to ensure continual improvement of Cost and Quality performance.
• Build, develop and execute commodity strategies for different material groups and external processing steps.
• Drive digitalization of our key suppliers through system integration of transactions and communications and continuously improve internal processes to reduce operational workload.
• Implement the Wieland global standard process.
• Overall responsibility for identification, evaluation, and the approval process of new suppliers that meet Wieland's performance standards and compliance requirements.

Skills

Procurement experience

Cross-functional collaboration

Analytical skills

Negotiation skills

Financial modeling

Contract management

Supplier analysis

Internal stakeholder collaboration

Change management

Education

B.S. degree in business or technical-related discipline

Tools

SAP S4

SAP Ariba

Microsoft Office

Job description

Overview

Wieland - Creating Value for Generations!

Wieland is a global leader in copper and copper alloy manufacturing, processing, and distribution. We provide a large product and service portfolio including power, automotive, ammunition, coinage, construction materials, refrigeration, electronics and many other industries. To us, metal is more than material.

Wieland's Cultural Values

Wieland’s culture is what makes for a fun and rewarding place to work! As a company, we benefit daily from our employees' knowledge and abilities.With our cultural vision, we place our core values at the heart of everything we do:safety,ambition,optimism,reliability,ownership,diversity, &respect.

Wieland is hiring a Strategic Buyer, Direct Materials. The Strategic Buyer conducts strategic sourcing activities supporting the organization's objectives for value-driven vendor partnerships and focused on risk management, reliability, and cost effectiveness. Participates in supplier negotiations and contract preparation using structured processes. Coordinates with internal stakeholders to define material, quality, and service requirements. The role supports vendor partnerships and monitors performance using established KPI's, goals, and scorecards. This role will help integrate new sources, methods, and vendors to ensure a reliable supply of materials. Reviews market intelligence and analysis to anticipate price fluctuations. The strategic buyer will use ERP systems and other software tools to manage processes, create efficiencies, and control costs. This role is located in Louisville, KY and will be fully on-site. While this role is local, occasional travel to other locations will be required (15-20% travel).

Responsibilities

Strategic Buyer Responsibilities:

• Establish long-term, cost-competitive supplier relationships at high-performance standards and manage internal stakeholders from different Business Units.
• Work closely with Procurement and different internal departments to monitor KPIs, track progress, and adjust strategies to ensure continual improvement of Cost and Quality performance.
• Build, develop and execute commodity strategies for different material groups and external processing steps.
• Drive digitalization of our key suppliers through system integration of transactions and communications and continuously improve internal processes to reduce operational workload.
• Implement the Wieland global standard process.
• Overall responsibility for identification, evaluation, and the approval process of new suppliers that meet Wieland's performance standards and compliance requirements.

Strategic Buyer Qualifications:

• B.S. degree in business or a technical-related discipline.
• 7-10 years of procurement experience, preferably in a centralized structure.
• Ability to travel at least 15% including internationally.
• Strong computer skills (Microsoft Office, SAP S4, SAP Ariba)
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Proven ability to lead and collaborate effectively in cross-functional teams
• Strong problem-solving, analytical, and organizational skills.
• Knowledge of strategic category planning, total cost of ownership, and fact-based negotiation.
• Expertise in financial modeling, product/category management, supplier analysis, contract management, and supplier relationship management.
• Skilled in internal stakeholder collaboration, influencing, and change management.

Qualifications

Joining Wieland’s team gives you…

• Benefits-Starting on Day 1!Including Medical, Dental, Vision, Disability, Life & more!
• Retirement Savings- 401(k) contribution + match.
• Work/Life Balance- Paid Vacation & Holidays.
• Growth Opportunities - We have over 9,000+ employees worldwide and 40+ locations in North America alone. Growth opportunities are limitless!
• Wellness Programs – Wieland encourages participation in ourunique and personalized approach to wellness, where you are eligible to earn healthcare premium discounts as well as HSA employer contributions based on your status within the program.
• Sustainability- Wieland continues to break ground with eco-friendly solutions and push the barrier in sustainability for future generations.

Wieland is anequal opportunity and affirmative action employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment for all employees. Come join Wieland today and help us continue to build a global corporation we are all proud to belong to.