Global Category Lead - Mechanical

Key Responsibilities

• Own and deploy the global bearings commodity strategy across all regions.
• Drive global commercial alignment with key suppliers, including negotiation and strategic governance ensuring best commercial terms across regions.
• Partner with regional teams to ensure consistent execution of global strategy, while addressing local market dynamics and operational requirements.
• Own global supplier performance management, including: KPI frameworks, Executive-level strategic reviews.
• Use global market intelligence (RM trends, tariffs, FX, capacity constraints) to inform decision making and mitigate risk.
• Own supplier evaluation, selection, and sourcing activities for assigned commodities including bearing and transmission belts across North American operations, while supporting global sourcing initiatives with the global commodity team.
• Develop and implement North American and global supply base strategies that achieve best total value across total cost, quality, delivery, lead time, service.
• Lead negotiations covering pricing, commercial terms, and risk mitigation.
• Translate business needs into effective sourcing strategies that support performance and long-term competitiveness.
• Drive supplier performance with strategic business reviews.
• Own, Build and strengthen strategic partnerships with key suppliers to ensure alignment, collaboration, and long‑term value creation.
• Drive commercial conflict resolution with suppliers when necessary.
• Lead strategic initiatives across global sourcing, tariff mitigation, and new program launches.
• Support new product launch initiatives by applying global and regional sourcing strategies, to ensure program objectives in timing, cost, quality, and delivery objectives.
• Partner with Engineering, Operations, Quality, Finance, and Program Management to understand requirements, budgets, and operational challenges.

Requirements

• A Bachelor degree in Business, Supply Chain or related field.
• A minimum of 8 years of purchasing experience.
• Experience sourcing bearings and rotating components in high-volume manufacturing.
• Experience working with Engineering on standardization, VA/VE, and platform strategies.
• Understanding of bearing cost drivers (steel, heat treatment, precision classes, capacity).
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, negotiation skills, analytical and problem-solving skills, and Intermediate level of proficiency in Excel.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute commodity strategies.
• Experience in analyzing, selecting/recommending and auditing suppliers for regional and global manufacturing environment, based upon supplier capability relative to designing, supporting, quality and manufacturing.
• Strong negotiation background with knowledge of corporate purchasing practices and strategies.
• Proven track record of fostering strong supplier relationships with senior management with key suppliers.
• Proven experience in mitigating supplier delivery, cost, and relationship issues with positive outcomes for the company.

Qualifications

• Preferred qualifications include:
• Experience working with Engineering on standardization, VA/VE, and platform strategies.
• Understanding of bearing cost drivers (steel, heat treatment, precision classes, capacity).
• Intermediate level of proficiency in Excel.
• Experience in analyzing, selecting/recommending and auditing suppliers for regional and global manufacturing environment, based upon supplier capability relative to designing, supporting, quality and manufacturing.
• Strong negotiation background with knowledge of corporate purchasing practices and strategies.
• Proven track record of fostering strong supplier relationships with senior management with key suppliers.
• Proven experience in mitigating supplier delivery, cost, and relationship issues with positive outcomes for the company.

Pay

The annual salary for this role is $107,000 - $164,000 plus any applicable bonus (Actual salaries will vary and will be based on various factors, such as skill, experience and qualification for the role.).

Benefits

• Hybrid work arrangements
• Savings & Retirement benefits
• Tuition reimbursement
• Parental leave
• Fertility & Family building support
• Employee Assistance Programs
• Charitable contribution matching and Volunteer Time Off