Manager, Indirect Central Purchasing

Saint-Gobain - Malvern, PA

Full-time - Manager

Malvern, PA

Miscellaneous Manufacturing

About the position

The Manager, Indirect Central Purchasing is responsible for managing the North American purchasing strategy for specific central services, including Marketing and Travel, within the Indirect Purchasing team. This role supports central business functions and is tasked with overseeing all aspects of category management for these strategic, indirect, and complex purchase categories across all business units in North America. The position requires engagement with stakeholder teams at leadership levels to drive purchasing activities that benefit the organization. As part of a Regional Purchasing team, the Category Manager will collaborate with the Global Purchasing team based in France, ensuring alignment with macro strategies and translating them into actionable projects. A key challenge for this role is to effectively convert Saint-Gobain's macro strategies into tangible actions and deliverables that meet the business requirements approved by central services leaders across North America. The Manager will establish and lead cross-functional teams to develop, advocate, and implement best-in-class purchasing category strategies aimed at achieving both short and long-term objectives. This includes working closely with various internal departments such as Legal, Privacy, IT, and Security to ensure successful execution of the Indirect Purchasing strategy for assigned Central Services Categories, which involves managing an estimated $50MM+ spend responsibility. The Manager will also be responsible for developing and maintaining sourcing activities that align with category strategy objectives. This includes identifying spend, controlling sourcing strategy, leading supplier negotiations, and optimizing the value proposition to drive savings associated with indirect spend categories. The role requires a proactive approach to managing supplier relationships and advocating for process improvements based on market best practices. Additionally, the Manager will prepare annual strategic travel plans in conjunction with the preferred travel management company to ensure alignment with global objectives and policies, while also providing ongoing support to the Saint-Gobain traveler community in North America.

Responsibilities

• Manage the North American purchasing strategy for specific central services including Marketing and Travel.
• Oversee all aspects of category management for strategic, indirect, and complex purchase categories across all business units in North America.
• Engage with stakeholder teams at leadership levels to drive purchasing activities.
• Collaborate with the Global Purchasing team in France to align macro strategies with local actions.
• Establish and lead cross-functional teams to develop and implement purchasing category strategies.
• Develop and maintain sourcing activities that deliver category strategy objectives.
• Identify spend and control sourcing strategy for indirect spend categories.
• Lead supplier negotiations and contract negotiations to optimize value and drive savings.
• Prepare annual strategic travel plans in conjunction with the preferred travel management company.
• Monitor and communicate changes in legislation affecting business travel.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or relevant experience in the required field.
• 5+ years of experience in purchasing, sourcing, and procurement with a focus on indirect goods and services.
• 5-7 years of relevant experience in a manufacturing company/environment preferred.
• Excellent negotiation, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Deep understanding of category management, strategic sourcing, and total cost methodologies.
• Ability to manage multiple high-visibility projects with demonstrated project management skills.
• Strong Microsoft Office suite skills and analytical skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, as well as effective presentation skills.

Nice-to-haves

• SPSM, CPSM, CPOM, or other Purchasing/Procurement certification(s) and/or PMP certification(s) preferred.

Benefits

• Continuing education credits
• Employee stock purchase plan
• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Tuition reimbursement
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Employee assistance program
• Vision insurance
• Employee discount
• Pet insurance