Strategic Sourcing and Procurement

Wanzl North America; Newton (NC); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Wanzl North America (WNA) is seeking a procurement professional in the US to develop sourcing strategies for assigned categories, analyze market conditions, and manage supplier relationships across domestic and international bases. The role requires strong analytics, negotiation, and contract management skills, with a focus on cost reductions and process improvements.

The candidate will work closely with R&D, finance, and manufacturing teams to align supplier capabilities with product needs and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or equivalent.
• Outstanding Excel skills.
• Experience with ERP systems, SAP preferred.
• Mathematical concepts for procurement (weighted averages, percentages, ratios and proportions).

Responsibilities

• Continuous Improvement of sourcing processes and detailed market analysis.
• Develop category strategies based on cost and manufacturing capabilities.
• Negotiates pricing, logistics and contracts with suppliers.
• Manages supplier relationships, performance evaluations and conflict resolution.
• Forecasts annual material and tooling budgets and supports cost-reduction activities.
• Travel domestically and internationally as needed.

Skills

Analytical skills

Excel skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering or equivalent

Tools

ERP systems

SAP

Job description

Position Overview

Responsible for developing the sourcing strategy for specific categories of goods within the company. This role requires a combination of technical knowledge, analytical skills, and industry-specific expertise.

Work requires detailed data analysis, logical reasoning and operations where independent judgment is used. Technical and engineering knowledge is needed since there is a high need to focus on details and manufacturing process understanding. Soft skills to be able to negotiate prices, and contracts are also needed.

Company And Opportunity Overview

WNA’s vision is to be a leading entrepreneurial player in terms of market share, agility, and game-changing solutions. WNA is a solution provider, creating value along the supply chain of our customers, from online purchase to their customers.

WNA is headquartered in the Charlotte Metro Area, North Carolina. With around 500 employees and ~$200M of sales, WNA focuses on the retail and distribution market segments with marquee customers such as Walmart, Amazon, and the majority of large grocers and retailers.

In addition to being the largest manufacturer of shopping carts in North America, WNA has three additional main product segments as well as a Service business, providing turnkey solutions for customer guidance (Access Systems), Shelving & Fixtures, and Material Handling products.

Access Solutions provides sophisticated customer guidance and loss prevention systems for major retailers. With German-engineered products and a strong installed base, this segment focuses on protecting existing market share while expanding into adjacent opportunities in smart retail, autonomous store technology, and digital integration.

Additionally, WNA offers a range of digital solutions integrated into our products, including advanced shopping cart containment systems, smart exit gate technology, and innovations for autonomous and semi-autonomous retail stores. We are continuously expanding and enhancing our digital offerings to meet evolving customer needs and drive industry advancement.

WNA is part of the Wanzl Group, headquartered in Germany, and has 12 plants in 8 countries, providing comprehensive, solutions-driven service and expert knowledge of local markets for customers across the globe through their 360° service.

Duties And Responsibilities

• Continuous Improvement of WNA Sourcing Processes
• Detailed analysis of:
  • Market conditions (commodities prices, shipping prices, inflation)
  • Manufacturing capabilities and area of expertise from our supply base.
  • Manufacturing process and main cost drivers.
  • Business relationship over the years (demand, price, commodities, type of products)
• Analytical thinking to develop and execute category strategies based on cost and manufacturing capabilities.
• Managing relationships with suppliers, including negotiation, performance evaluation, and conflict resolution.
• Negotiates pricing, logistics and finance terms and conditions with suppliers.
• Drafts, review, and manage contracts effectively for legal correctness, price, and acceptability of terms.
• Defines the commodity strategy regularly by supplier (strategic, growth, challenger, decrease, phase-out, immediate action).
• Develop new potential suppliers with focus on localization with cross-functional support.
• Identify and mitigate risks associated with the supply chain and procurement processes.
• Works with international support base to accomplish company goals.
• Assists in forecasting of annual material and tooling budgets and reporting.
• Responsible to develop cost reduction activities related to Supplier base.
• Serves as direct interface between suppliers, R&D, and assigned facility team members.
• Must be able to travel domestically and internationally as needed.

Skills And Experience

• Strong Analytical and Problem-Solving Skills
• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or equivalent
• Outstanding Excel Skills
• Experience with ERP systems, SAP experience preferred
• Mathematical Concepts necessary for procurement (weighted averages, percentages, ratios and proportions)