Director of Procurement – Chemical & Raw Materials

About the role

The Director of Procurement – Chemicals and Raw Materials is accountable for providing leadership and direction as it relates to a large procurement category assigned. Develops, recommends and implements procurement strategic sourcing strategies and continuous improvement initiatives to create a robust and resilient supply chain in alignment with the business growth and profitability goals. This position is working in a matrix organization and will report to the VP, Procurement - North Americas.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a trusted business partner to senior and executive leadership by regularly communicating sourcing strategies, progress, outcomes, and critical issues, effectively influencing decisions across multiple levels of the organization.
• Take ownership of assigned spend categories & create supply strategies and cost saving initiatives.
• Manage vendor relationships, suppliers’ performance, negotiate contracts, identify and implement improvement opportunities.
• Implement and maintain procurement best practices, policies, and procedures across the organization.
• Develop and deliver reporting on vendor performance and initiate improvements as necessary.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including product development, operations, finance, and legal to ensure alignment of sourcing activities with business needs.
• Analyze market trends, commodity prices, and geopolitical factors to anticipate and mitigate supply chain risks.
• Stay informed about global trade regulations, tariffs, and compliance requirements, ensuring adherence across all sourcing activities.
• Provide inspiring, hands‑on leadership that motivates, coaches, and develops the procurement team to consistently perform at their best, fostering a culture of ownership, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Set clear strategic direction and performance expectations, ensuring alignment with business objectives while providing regular, constructive feedback and individualized coaching to support both results delivery and long‑term professional growth.
• Champion talent development and succession planning, identifying development opportunities, building capabilities, and preparing the procurement organization with the skills, mindset, and leadership strength required to support future business needs.
• Address performance and/or behavior issues with documentation, coaching, corrective actions and discipline as needed.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain management, chemical engineering, business or related field.
• Ten+ years of progressive experience in procurement within a manufacturing environment and a minimum of five years in a leadership role.
• Proven track record of delivering significant cost savings and process improvements.
• Extensive contract negotiation experience, commercial acumen, and legal understanding.
• CSCP, CPSM certification, or MBA preferred.
• Experience with PVC and Rubber compounding sourcing is a plus.
• Experience in working within a fast paced, complex, dynamic business environment.
• Exceptional leadership and team management experience.
• Skilled at communicating at all levels within the organization as well as with customers and vendors.
• Strong skills in using MS Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel).
• Adaptive to AI procurement technologies and implementation.
• ERP experience with SAP or Oracle preferred.
• Strong data analytic capabilities.
• Use of procurement tools such as eRFX, supplier portals, contract management, spend cubes, should cost modeling, and artificial intelligence preferred.

Qualifications

We Offer You! Competitive Salary
Excellent Bonus Potential
Medical, Dental & Vision Plans
Paid Time Off, Training & Holidays
Charitable Contribution Match Program
Tuition Assistance
Wellness/Fitness Resources
Training & Professional Development
401K Match w/ 2-year Vesting Period
Employee Stock Purchase Plan
Dynamic Culture & People - just to name a few!

Benefits

The salary range for this position is $140,000 to $170,000 with bonus potential.

About Quanex, A Part Of Something Bigger

Quanex (NYSE: NX) is a global, publicly traded manufacturing company primarily serving OEMs in the fenestration, cabinetry, solar, refrigeration and outdoor products markets. We are A Part of Something Bigger by improving the performance and aesthetics of end products through continuous innovation, helping customers achieve greater production efficiencies, dedication to giving back to communities where we operate, producing shareholder value and helping our employees learn, grow, and thrive. Learn more at Quanex.com.