Serial Life Purchasing Program Manager

The Serial Life North American Purchasing Program Management position is critical in managing the Total Production Cost (TPC) for the specific vehicle program(s) in scope. To drive cost performance, the PPM will closely coordinate activities and stakeholders from Manufacturing, Engineering, Brand, Supply Chain, and Purchasing using multiple tools, including War Room, and TPC Boost Events. The PPM will also be responsible for coordinating and managing all the necessary cross functional activity required to perform Program Extension, Traplines, and managing the sourcing for serial-life programs.

The candidate must have excellent communication skills, strong systems knowledge, and experience navigating cross-functional teams to deliver challenging targets. The PPM will have deep understanding and presence at NA manufacturing plants, as well as well-rounded knowledge of supply base and critical supplier commodities/locations. This requires travel to support the on-site actions to drive cost savings development and execution. Strong strategic thinking, problem-solving abilities, and cost analysis skills are also critical to success.

Activity description for this role includes but not limited to:

• Manages / supports initiatives such as Monozukuri workshops, cost savings initiatives, resourcing, complexity reduction, monthly savings reporting in Total Production Cost (TPC) War Rooms, Traplines, Extensions, Capacity Studies, etc.
• Interfacing with both internal and external enterprise: Manufacturing, Purchasing, Engineering, Supply Base, and Supply Chain
• Total Production Cost (TPC) Management: Spearhead efforts to optimize cost, drive performance and strategies for a given vehicle and powertrain direct material cost. Drive supplier cost reductions through Monozukuri and Resourcing
• Trapline Management: Evaluate, coordinate and control cost impacts for volume, mix and extensions for specific vehicle programs
• Resourcing Cost / Optimization Strategy: Develop and implement low-cost solutions for supplier direct material costs
• Sourcing Timing and Cost: Manage sourcing timelines, source package creation and cost targets
• Cost Recovery: Investigate, decision and coordinate supplier cost recovery (CLS/CLD) due to supplier impacts
• KPI Reporting: Own and manage the TPC metrics and feedback specific to a given vehicle program(s)
• Support and manage the Purchasing input and cost roll up for Product / Industrial Governance Committees; actively lead governance communication for vehicle program
• Supports Executive Report Outs and Program Reviews: Communicate actions and recommendations through War Rooms, Mid-term escalations, Governance, and SVP Leadership escalations for a given vehicle / scope

Main deliverables include but not limited to:

• Coordinate / lead trapline and supply base activity, managing sourcing, tooling refurb and CN related activity
• Execution of cost savings tools, such as Monozukuri, War Room and TPC boosters
• Implementation of Resourcing strategy, optimizing DMC for a given vehicle
• Investigate and decision supplier cost recoveries (e.g. certified line shortage / disruption charges)
• Quick responses to cost and program timing for traplines and bulletins
• Working closely with Commodity Purchasing teams, study, communicate and manage cost impact of program changes and product actions
• Coordination and communication development to all levels of leadership and as well as external communication for program changes

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor of Science degree in Business, Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Finance, Marketing, Economics, International Business, Accounting, Entrepreneurship, Engineering, or equivalent from an AACSB accredited program; Other technical degrees with business background also considered
• A minimum of 5 years of relevant purchasing experience or other disciplines that require significant negotiation/exposure to sourcing processes
• Strong communication, presentation and commodity leadership skills
• Well organized, self-motivated, with ownership mentality
• Ability to support all aspects of the commercial relationship with the supply base and key internal stakeholders
• Must be skilled at relationship building, cost analysis, negotiation (both internal and external), benchmarking, time management and presentations to all levels of management
• Strong use of MS Office Suite/G Suite