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.