Manager 4, Strategic Sourcing

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ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Commodity Manager - Chemicals & Gases will lead strategic sourcing, supplier management, cost optimization, contracting, and supply continuity activities for chemicals and industrial/specialty gases supporting four manufacturing sites across Malaysia, Thailand, China, and the Philippines.

This role will develop and execute regional commodity strategies aligned with global business objectives. The Commodity Manager will work closely with Manufacturing, Planning, Engineering, R&D, Quality, Finance, Legal, Facilities, EHS, and site procurement teams to ensure reliable supply, competitive cost, regulatory compliance, supplier innovation, and operational continuity.

The successful candidate must have strong knowledge of the chemicals and gases supply market, manufacturing operations, strategic negotiations, risk management, and cross-functional stakeholder leadership.

• Develop and execute APAC commodity strategies for chemicals, solvents, photoresists, developers, process materials, industrial gases, specialty gases, and related services.
• Consolidate requirements across Malaysia, Thailand, China, and the Philippines to maximize regional purchasing leverage.
• Conduct market analysis, cost modeling, supplier benchmarking, and industry trend assessments.
• Lead RFQ, RFP, e-bidding, supplier selection, and commercial negotiation activities.
• Identify and qualify alternative and dual sources to improve cost competitiveness and supply resilience.
• Align regional sourcing strategies with global commodity objectives, technology roadmaps, and manufacturing requirements.

• Supplier and Contract Management

• Lead commercial negotiations covering pricing, payment terms, lead time, inventory commitments, service levels, warranties, and supply guarantees.
• Develop and manage long-term agreements, supply agreements, statements of work, NDAs, and other commercial contracts.
• Establish supplier performance scorecards and conduct regular business reviews.
• Monitor supplier performance in cost, quality, delivery, service, innovation, sustainability, and risk management.
• Lead supplier corrective-action and escalation activities when performance does not meet requirements.
• Build strategic relationships with critical suppliers and their senior management teams.

• Supply Continuity and Risk Management

• Identify and manage supply risks related to sole-source materials, geopolitical events, transportation constraints, raw-material shortages, regulatory changes, and supplier financial health.
• Develop business continuity plans for critical chemicals and gases.
• Establish appropriate safety-stock, buffer-inventory, and supply-guarantee requirements based on material criticality and recovery lead time.
• Coordinate recovery plans during supply disruptions to prevent production interruptions.
• Maintain regional supply risk dashboards and provide timely updates to stakeholders and executive leadership.
• Partner with Planning and Operations to validate forecasts, consumption requirements, inventory levels, and replenishment strategies.

• Cost and Financial Management

• Deliver annual cost-reduction, cost-avoidance, working-capital, and productivity targets.
• Analyze total cost of ownership, including material price, freight, packaging, storage, equipment, infrastructure, handling, duties, and disposal costs.
• Develop should-cost models and index-based pricing mechanisms for key chemicals and gases.
• Lead price negotiations and challenge supplier cost-increase requests using market data and cost-driver analysis.
• Prepare annual budgets, forecasts, savings pipelines, and commodity price projections.
• Track and report spend, savings, supplier concentration, and sourcing performance.

• Cross-Functional and Site Support

• Serve as the primary commercial lead for chemicals and gases across the four APAC manufacturing sites.
• Partner with Engineering, R&D, Quality, EHS, and Operations on new-material introductions, supplier qualifications, process changes, and technology transfers.
• Support manufacturing expansion, capacity increases, bulk-gas infrastructure, chemical-delivery systems, and new product requirements.
• Coordinate with site procurement and shared-services teams to ensure effective purchase-order execution, order acknowledgment, delivery, and invoice resolution.
• Balance site-specific requirements with regional and global business priorities.
• Communicate sourcing decisions, risks, project status, and financial impact clearly to senior leadership.

• Innovation, Sustainability, and Compliance

• Engage suppliers to identify new technologies, alternative materials, process improvements, and cost-saving opportunities.
• Support the qualification of safer and more environmentally sustainable chemicals and gases.
• Drive initiatives related to emissions reduction, packaging optimization, waste reduction, chemical substitution, and responsible sourcing.
• Ensure supplier compliance with applicable environmental, safety, trade, and regulatory requirements.
• Partner with EHS and Legal to manage chemical restrictions, hazardous-material requirements, and regulatory changes across the region.

• Key Performance Indicators

• Annual cost reduction and cost avoidance
• Supply continuity and prevention of production interruptions
• Supplier quality and on-time delivery performance
• Percentage of critical materials with qualified alternative sources
• Contract coverage and supply-guarantee implementation
• Inventory optimization and working-capital improvement
• Supplier risk mitigation and recovery-plan effectiveness
• Completion of sourcing and qualification projects
• Supplier innovation and sustainability contributions
• Stakeholder and manufacturing-site satisfaction

• Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Engineering, Chemistry, Business Administration, Finance, or a related field.
• Minimum of 7-10 years of experience in strategic sourcing, commodity management, procurement, or supply chain.
• At least 3-5 years of direct experience managing chemicals, industrial gases, specialty gases, semiconductor materials, or other critical manufacturing materials.
• Demonstrated experience supporting multiple manufacturing sites or countries.
• Strong experience in contract negotiation, supplier management, cost analysis, and supply-risk mitigation.
• Understanding of chemical and gas supply chains, including raw materials, packaging, storage, transportation, infrastructure, and regulatory requirements.
• Strong analytical skills with experience using spend data, cost models, market intelligence, and supplier-performance metrics.
• Excellent written and verbal English communication skills.
• Ability to travel across Malaysia, Thailand, China, the Philippines, and other supplier locations as required.

• Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree or professional certification such as CPSM, CIPS, CSCP, or equivalent.
• Procurement experience within semiconductor, electronics, hard-disk-drive, pharmaceutical, automotive, or other high-technology manufacturing industries.
• Experience managing industrial gases, specialty gases, solvents, photoresists, developers, CMP materials, or high-purity process chemicals.
• Knowledge of hazardous-material transportation, chemical regulations, environmental compliance, and responsible sourcing.
• Experience with ERP and procurement systems such as Oracle, SAP, Power BI, or e-sourcing platforms.
• Working knowledge of Mandarin, Thai, Malay, or Filipino languages is an advantage but not required.

• Core Competencies

• Strategic sourcing and commodity management
• Commercial negotiation and contract management
• Supply-chain risk management
• Cost modeling and financial analysis
• Supplier relationship management
• Executive communication and presentation
• Cross-functional and multicultural leadership
• Problem-solving and decision-making
• Project and change management
• Stakeholder influence without direct authority

• Leadership Expectations

• Demonstrates ownership and accountability for regional commodity performance.
• Builds trust and alignment across different countries, cultures, and business functions.
• Remains calm, responsive, and decisive during critical supply situations.
• Challenges existing practices and leads continuous improvement.
• Balances cost, quality, service, innovation, sustainability, and supply continuity.
• Maintains high standards of integrity, confidentiality, and ethical procurement.

REQUIRED:

• Master’s degree or professional certification such as CPSM, CIPS, CSCP, or equivalent.
• Procurement experience within semiconductor, electronics, hard-disk-drive, pharmaceutical, automotive, or other high-technology manufacturing industries.

PREFERRED:

• Experience managing industrial gases, specialty gases, solvents, photoresists, developers, CMP materials, or high-purity process chemicals.
• Knowledge of hazardous-material transportation, chemical regulations, environmental compliance, and responsible sourcing.
• Experience with ERP and procurement systems such as Oracle, SAP, Power BI, or e-sourcing platforms.
• Working knowledge of Mandarin, Thai, Malay, or Filipino languages is an advantage but not required.

WD thrives on the power and potential of diversity. As a global company, we believe the most effective way to embrace the diversity of our customers and communities is to mirror it from within. We believe the fusion of various perspectives results in the best outcomes for our employees, our company, our customers, and the world around us. We are committed to an inclusive environment where every individual can thrive through a sense of belonging, respect and contribution.

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