Buyer - Transportation

Job Description

Education/Knowledge

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in a relevant field (Supply Chain, Business Administration)
• Technical or engineering degree, desirable
• Experience in logistics/transportation (3+ years)
• Experience in Procurement Area, desirable
• Advanced English language skills is a must
• Great communication skills
• Data analytics/business intelligence knowledge and skills
• Microsoft office proficiency is a most - complementary informatic tools knowledge, desirable
• Transportation Management System knowledge/skills, desirable

As a Finished Vehicle Transportation Buyer, you will have responsibility for strategic sourcing decisions driven by market conditions/data analytics/business intelligence, cost, technology and quality, oriented to maximize the Ford vehicles logistics and transportation business in NA region, leading cross regional and functional groups, dealing with Rail, Carhaulers, Driveaway, Port Services, Vehicle DIstribution Centers, LLPs, etc. **

Responsibilities**

• Develop and execute supply base/commodity strategies - focused on Transportation and Logistics services for finished vehicles
• Interact and create strong relationship with cross functional teams to deliver common objectives (cost, timing, quality)
  • Lead cross-functional teams regarding on-time execution of Ford’s sourcing process
  • Facilitate execution of target setting process for new projects
  • Support the Program process by participating in cross-functional team discussions to deliver required Supply Chain milestone requirements.
  • Establish and maintain strong cross-functional relationships
• Lead negotiations to ensure best cost at sourcing as well as long term price sustainability
  • Lead target and pricing negotiations using tools to secure best cost at sourcing
  • Negotiate Year Over Year cost efficiencies and reductions through:
• Development and utilization of analytical tools to deliver Best In Class value and pricing (Cost analysis, Cost Models, Benchmarking, Market Intelligence)
• Management of annual/multi-year pricing agreements
• Supplier risk management to deliver sourced projects and leveraging Supply Chain position to complete them on time
  • Acting like a partner
  • Trusting and being trustworthy
  • Communicating with consistency
  • Being fact based
  • Thinking value not just price
  • Lead on-going cross-functional resourcing team meetings (Engineering, Quality, Finance, Service, Materials and Manufacturing/Plant Engineer)
  • Lead program management of resourcing actions, including problem resolution with the cross-functional team
  • Track and document all ongoing open issues through resolution – via Resourcing Work Plans publication/update
• Deliver strong data analysis that lead to positive business decisions and robust tracking of price changes
  • Issue, analyze and evaluate requests for proposals as a result of customer requisition
  • Secure project contracts sign-off with subsequent changes that lead to updated quotes
• Lead sourcing processes to deliver best in class value, diverse supply base and strong business relationships with suppliers
  • Source projects and manage Sourcing Agreements in accordance with Ford’s Business Framework and other regionally driven diversity sourcing efforts (e.g. Minority Business Enterprise, Women Business Enterprise, Veteran Business Enterprise principles, etc.)
  • Execute ongoing operation sourcing activities consistent with the Commodity Strategies
• Provide local supplier/country expertise for sourcing and may be delegated the lead for a local supplier negotiation by the regional lead
• Project management and agile execution
• Provide local Project Launch Support including resolution of supply issues, capacity studies and timing plans
• Manage long term relationships and day-to-day execution with suppliers and internal customers around supply, quality, part launches, resourcing and capacity planning (including distressed suppliers)
• Build positive relationships with the supply base by:
• Develop plan and manage Supplier Resourcing actions in accordance with applicable processes and procedures:
• Lead the development and deployment of constraint mitigation actions to protect assembly/powertrain plant production as a result of supplier constraints or catastrophic losses
• Utilize Supply Risk Management tools to intervene proactively avoiding potential supply disruption
• Support Project Management and Quality teams in identifying high risk suppliers in Global Capacity Studies and then lead the active resolution of capacity/supply issues
• Strong data analytics and business intelligence knowledge and skilss to potentialize and maximize strategic decisions and mindset
• Lead the development of supplier support plans that aid in the execution of short-term capacity increases and/or production schedule changes that can lead to supplier capacity constraints

Qualifications

• Knowledge of different means of transport, vehicles characteristics and transportation devices, logistics/transportation regulations and regional/worldwide geography
• Automotive and logistics industry knowledge is required, along with KPIs mindset and continue improvement tools
• Knowledge of business generalities, regional and global economical elements
• High level of integrity, resilience, and commitment.
• Demonstrated understanding, intent and proper execution of Supply Chain Systems, Policies and Processes
• Understand the economic drivers of the supply base for specific commodities/services.
• Evaluates a supplier’s financial health and cost drivers from their balance sheet ratios
• Understand material cost processes, their intent and how to utilize system tools
• Develop/applies Lean Tools, processes and concepts to all aspects of the Suppliers to improve the performance of manufacturing systems resulting in efficiency flow throughs
• Physicals-based part cost analysis (Cost elements, ABC costing, cost models, etc.)
• Uses industry standard and company-specific processes, methods, tools, and templates to define projects including detail tasks, milestones, dependencies, business need, objectives/key deliverables, scope, timing, quality, and cost with stakeholder input, according to established governance
• Develop robust business, commodity and supplier strategies aligned with functional, program and enterprise goals
• Physicals-based negotiation that drives competitive cost in the supply base
• Understand, develop, and continuously improve business relationships with suppliers. Understand the importance of enabling supplier success to deliver a strong and sustainable business for the supplier and Ford. Model the standard for transparent, respectful, fact based, and timely communication in the relationship. Hold colleagues accountable and drives them toward this standard. Leverage relationships to obtain the supplier's best resources to enable achievement of Ford's business objectives.
• Utilizes the risk management tools to proactively identify and assess risks and develop and implement mitigation strategies to effectively manage risk and ensure effective supply base performance. This includes, financial, operational and reputational risk. Monitors key predictive metrics to anticipate and comprehend supply risks and ensure timely actions are taken to avoid supply disruption.
• Professionally manage customer and supplier relations internal and external to the organization
• Advanced English language skills
• Maintain focus & ability to work in a fast-paced environment with minimal guidance
• Process driven
• Demonstrated effective cross-functional communication and leadership skills
• Business case evaluation (e.g. evaluate risk, opportunities, TARR analysis, etc.)
• Demonstrated project management skills
• Commercial creativity as frequently negotiations are not strictly ‘cost’ based
• Negotiate effectively with low or lack of leverage
• Teaching skills to educate new, cross-functional team members on purchasing processes
• Intermediate to Advanced Excel skill set
• Knowledge and use of data analytic tools (Qlikview, Tableau, Alteryx, etc.) to process, relate and interpret large amount of data with the objective to improve the decision-making process

DISCLAIMER:

Ford Motor Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer, as we are committed with a diverse workforce, and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, status as a veteran and basis of disability.