Category Buyer - Fabrications

About the role

Join Caterpillar's Resource Industries (RI) Supply Management team and play a critical role in keeping our operations moving. As a Buyer, you will manage commercial relationships with approximately 10 fabrications suppliers across the U.S. and Canada, ensuring the right parts are delivered on time, at the right quality, and at a competitive cost. This role offers a unique opportunity to build and strengthen your commercial and negotiation skills while working directly with supplier leaders and key business partners. You'll gain exposure to strategic sourcing, supplier negotiations, and relationship management, with opportunities to influence business outcomes, collaborate with leaders from a variety of organizations, and travel to supplier locations to strengthen partnerships and drive results.

What You Will Do

• Serve as the primary contact between Caterpillar and the supply base for global initiatives, providing support to various RI business units (including collaborating across other business unit verticals such as Power & Energy, Construction Industries, and our Service Parts Organization)
• Provide leadership for strategic sourcing-qualified supply network, business continuity, supplier risk management – capacity & financial, logistics, contract management, supplier commercial negotiations, cost/spend management – TCO assurance, supplier onboarding/offboarding, lead/response time optimization and resource management decisions
• Accountable for the complete commercial relationship with the supplier, including but not limited to Supplier Relationship Mgmt., Supplier Performance Mgmt., Cost Mgmt., Risk Mgmt., and Category Network Mgmt.
• Responsible for all commercial discussions/negotiations with the supply base
• Responsible for development, management and execution of the global category strategy, managing policies, agreements, source catalogs, and special procurement programs
• Demonstrate leadership in recognizing the potential for cost and inventory reductions, and quality improvement; as well as responsibility for the soundness of business proposals and risk assessment
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives and purchasing new product introduction activities
• Promote the highest level of professionalism and business ethics

Qualifications

• Experience as a commercial buyer with a strong background in purchasing, logistics, manufacturing, and engineering environments
• Demonstrated knowledge of strategic sourcing methodologies, procurement technologies, and supply chain processes, with the ability to analyze, optimize, and continuously improve procurement strategies to drive efficiency, cost savings, and operational performance
• Experience working with procurement systems (Lognet, but transitioning to PROcure)
• Experience with Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint
• Experience with Project Management and the ability to manage multiple projects at a given time
• Knowledge of techniques and processes for inspecting, cleansing, transforming, and modeling data; ability to discover useful information, draw logical conclusions, and support decision-making
• Effective communicator, in written and oral form
• Well-developed interpersonal skills required in dealing with sensitive issues, developing others, and reaching consensus on specific actions
• Strong Negotiator, able to interpret, analyze and negotiate contractual cost elements
• Understanding of QCLDM
• Knowledge of policies, standards and processes of how to manage and administer contracts
• Analytical, problem-solving, and project leadership skills
• Knowledge of supplier relationship management concept and strategies; ability to address critical issues to meet supplier needs and maintain engaged, partnering relationships with suppliers

Top Candidates will also have

• Direct experience with manufacturing processes such as cutting, forming, welding, machining, including an understanding of castings and forgings
• Professional certification in Purchasing and/or Inventory Management preferred, e.g.; Certified Purchasing Manager (C.P.M.), Certified in Production and Inventory management (CPIM) and Certified in Integration Resource Management (CIRM), or comparable international certification
• Understanding of Lean Manufacturing principles as applied by Caterpillar and our suppliers

Additional Information

• Location: Mossville, IL
• Domestic relocation assistance is available for this position
• This position will require up to 25% travel
• Sponsorship is not available
• This position requires working onsite five days a week

Pay

$112,710.00 - $169,060.00

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision benefits
• Paid time off plan (Vacation, Holidays, Volunteer, etc.)
• 401(k) savings plans
• Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)
• Health Lifestyle Programs
• Employee Assistance Program
• Voluntary Benefits and Employee Discounts
• Career Development
• Incentive bonus
• Disability benefits
• Life Insurance
• Parental leave
• Adoption benefits
• Tuition Reimbursement
• These benefits also apply to part-time employees