Procurement Manager, Transformers

Responsibilities

• Order Execution & Delivery
• Place and manage purchase orders for metal tanks, core & coil, dielectric oil, and transformer assembly components to maintain tight delivery timelines
• Track open orders and supplier commitments; expedite as needed to prevent production line disruptions
• Own on-time delivery performance for the transformer category and drive corrective action when suppliers miss commitments
• Sourcing & Negotiation
• Run the RFI/RFQ process for new and existing components — metal tanks, core & coil (electrical steel, copper/aluminum winding), oil, and assembly hardware
• Negotiate component costs, payment terms, and supplier contracts to meet category cost targets
• Identify, qualify, and onboard new suppliers to strengthen the transformer supply base, including tank fabricators and core & coil winders
• Draft and manage supplier contracts, including terms, pricing schedules, and volume commitments
• Risk Management
• Manage risk on long lead-time items — core steel, copper/aluminum winding, and custom-fabricated tanks — through buffer strategies, alternate sourcing, and early-warning tracking
• Maintain supply base health and flag single-source or capacity risks before they impact production
• Partner with Quality and Engineering on supplier qualification and material substitutions when risk requires it
• Commodity Strategy & Performance
• Build and maintain the commodity strategy for the transformer category — sourcing roadmap, supplier consolidation, and cost-down initiatives
• Track and report supplier performance: on-time delivery, quality, cost, and responsiveness
• Drive year-over-year cost reduction through negotiation, should-cost analysis, and supplier competition
• Stay current on steel, copper, aluminum, and transformer oil market pricing trends to inform buying and negotiation timing

Requirements

• 5+ years in procurement, sourcing, or commodity management, ideally in transformer, electrical equipment, or heavy industrial manufacturing
• Experience buying core & coil materials (electrical steel, magnet wire), metal tanks/fabrications, or dielectric fluids (a strong plus)
• Hands-on experience running RFI/RFQ processes, negotiating supplier contracts, and issuing/managing POs
• Track record of managing long lead-time and supply-constrained categories
• Strong negotiation skills with a track record of delivering measurable cost reduction
• Comfortable working with ERP/procurement systems for PO management and reporting
• Able to read BOMs and component specifications to support sourcing decisions
• Strong written and verbal communication; able to work cross-functionally with Engineering, Quality, and Operations

Bonus Points

• Experience in transformer or switchboard manufacturing, familiarity with electrical infrastructure
• Experience with ERP/MRP systems (SAP, Oracle, Dynamics365, NetSuite, etc.)
• Experience with establishing a vendor network from the ground up