Category Buyer - Cowling

Location: Fond du Lac, WI | Workplace: Hybrid (3+ days in office per week) | Travel: up to 20% (domestic and international) | Direct reports: Yes | Visa sponsorship: Not available | Relocation assistance: Yes | Pay range: $73,600 – $106,200 annually (base) plus discretionary bonus and comprehensive benefits.

Supplier Management

• Build and maintain constructive relationships with suppliers and internal customers to understand needs and facilitate collaboration.
• Support the Category Team in strategy development, execution, and communication while providing supplier and market intelligence.
• Visit current and potential suppliers to evaluate capabilities, assess risk, develop category expertise, and maintain visibility of operations, capacity, and markets.
• Conduct in‑person business reviews with suppliers to drive accountability and continuous improvement in quality, delivery, cost, and capacity.
• Facilitate Requests for Quote, analyze quotations, and build supplier selection recommendations based on total landed cost, capabilities, risk, capacity, and business requirements.
• Obtain supplier quotations and feasibility assessments for new or changed component designs to ensure manufacturability, cost, timing, and capacity requirements are understood.
• Execute purchase orders, requisitions, and appropriation requests for tooling, components, and services.
• Identify supplier risks and develop mitigation plans to support business continuity.
• Drive supplier performance improvement activities using Mercury’s Supplier Progress Review process and continuous‑improvement tools.
• Monitor supplier capacity and readiness to support current and future production requirements.

Project Management

• Utilize project‑management tools to ensure timely completion of sourcing, supplier development, and new‑product‑launch activities.
• Manage supplier‑driven and Mercury‑driven changes through established change‑management processes.
• Develop, align, monitor, and communicate project schedules with suppliers and internal stakeholders to manage risk and ensure successful execution.
• Coordinate supplier readiness activities supporting new product launches, engineering changes, and production transitions.
• Lead supplier action plans and recovery activities when performance gaps or project risks are identified.
• Ensure supplier deliverables and milestones are completed in alignment with program timing requirements.

Cost Management

• Conduct detailed analysis of supplier quotations and commercial proposals using industry benchmarks, market data, and should‑cost methodologies.
• Develop cost‑reduction opportunities through supplier collaboration, value analysis, process improvements, and sourcing initiatives.
• Manage tooling lifecycle activities with suppliers, including condition monitoring, capacity, maintenance, and replacement planning.
• Support processes to quantify and recover costs associated with supplier performance issues.
• Negotiate commercial agreements, pricing adjustments, tooling investments, and other supplier‑related activities to obtain optimal outcomes.
• Provide accurate financial reporting, forecasting potential cost changes, and diligent use of Mercury’s order‑management processes.

Collaboration

• Engage internal and external stakeholders with a positive attitude, effective communication, and a focus on mutually beneficial outcomes.
• Demonstrate personal integrity, procurement credibility, and a focus on common goals that builds trust.
• Support and actively participate in cross‑functional discussions with suppliers.
• Ensure procurement objectives are understood and aligned across functions.
• Proactively communicate concerns and emerging issues, facilitating plans to resolve them.
• Partner with the category leader to develop, align, communicate, and champion strategies.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Engineering, Operations Management, or a closely related field.
• 5+ years of experience in supply chain management or engineering capacity.
• Strong analytical, financial, project‑management, and communication skills.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally (day and overnight) up to approximately 20%.

Preferred Qualifications

• CPSM and CPIM certifications.
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt.

Pay

The hiring range for this position is $73,600 – $106,200 annually. Base pay varies based on knowledge, skills, experience, business needs, and geographic location. The role is also eligible for an annual discretionary bonus.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Paid vacation.
• 401(k) plan with up to 4% company match.
• Health Savings Account with company contribution.
• Well‑being program.
• Product purchase discounts and additional employee perks.

About Mercury Marine

Mercury Marine, headquartered in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, is the world’s leading manufacturer of recreational marine propulsion engines and a division of Brunswick Corporation. The company offers outboard engines, sterndrives, inboard packages, propellers, inflatable boats, SmartCraft electronics, parts distribution, and related products for recreational, commercial, and government marine applications.