About this role
General Information Job title: Commodity Buyer
Overall job purpose: • Execute strategic, tactical and operational purchasing activities for direct and indirect material at the Opelika plant. • Manage supplier scouting, RFQs, bid comparisons, negotiations, price maintenance and contract preparation for assigned scope. • Drive localization, cost-reduction and supply-stability initiatives in close coordination with cross-functional stakeholders. • Take ownership of defined sourcing packages and contribute to procurement strategy implementation under the direction of the responsible lead or manager. Organization: Opelika Plant (Miele Manufacturing Inc.), BU Cooking
Organizational unit: Procurement / Supply Chain Management Organisational Factors Reporting to: Director Operations
Direct Reports: none
Organizational relations:
Locally: • Operations / Production / SCM • Quality Management, R&D, Maintenance and Logistics • Finance / Controlling, Human Resources and internal requesters • Suppliers and external service providers
Internationally: • BU Cooking procurement functions and commodity/category managers • Relevant stakeholders from R&D, Quality, Finance and Operations in Germany and other locations • Other internal interfaces as required Required Skills (for hiring) Requirements: • Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Supply Chain, Engineering or a comparable field preferred. • 3-5 years of experience in procurement, strategic sourcing, supply chain or a manufacturing environment. • Proven experience in RFQ processes, bid evaluation, supplier negotiations and contract administration. • Strong analytical and numerical skills with the ability to evaluate cost structures, business cases and savings opportunities. • Good communication, negotiation and stakeholder-management skills in cross-functional teams. • Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office, especially Excel; ERP/SAP experience preferred. • Solid understanding of quotations, contracts, supplier data maintenance and sourcing processes. • Ability to manage defined sourcing packages independently and prioritize multiple activities. • Occasional travel as required (approximately 10-20%). Main Responsibilities Responsibilities: • Independently manage sourcing activities and supplier relationships within assigned categories or commodities. • Lead RFQs / RFPs, supplier requests, bid comparisons and commercial recommendations. • Maintain price records, supplier master data, contracts and purchasing information in SAP / ERP and related tools. • Conduct supplier negotiations on pricing, commercial terms, delivery conditions and service levels within delegated authority. • Drive localization, dual-sourcing, cost-reduction and supply-stability initiatives for Opelika. • Analyze quotations, spend data, cost breakdowns and market input to identify savings and risk-mitigation opportunities. • Coordinate with Operations, SCM, Quality, R&D and Finance to align specifications, timelines and commercial requirements. • Monitor supplier performance indicators and follow up on delivery, capacity, quality, cost or price topics. • Support supplier scouting, onboarding, evaluations, risk checks, performance reviews and continuous improvement activities. • Prepare and administer framework agreements and procurement documentation in line with signature regulations. • Lead supplier meetings, plant visits and cross-functional workshops for assigned topics as required. • Track project status, savings measures and implementation milestones and report progress transparently. • Contribute to procurement strategy development for the assigned area and support junior colleagues on procurement topics when required.