Commodity Buyer

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.