Senior Strategic Sourcing Lead
Dayton
Permanent
$120,000 - $150,000 USD a year
Procurement
PR/617961_1794263680
Senior Strategic Sourcing Lead
Senior Strategic Category Lead
Location: Twin Cities, Minnesota
Work arrangement: Full-time, onsite
Compensation: $120,000 to $150,000 base salary
Position type: Senior individual contributor
The Opportunity
A growing industrial manufacturer supporting data-center and AI infrastructure is hiring a Senior Strategic Category Lead to develop and execute sourcing strategies across a portfolio of direct materials, components, and engineered systems.
This is a hands-on individual-contributor position for an experienced sourcing professional who can independently build category strategies, develop suppliers, lead complex negotiations, reduce total cost, improve supply continuity, and partner closely with Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, and Operations.
The assigned portfolio may include one or more of the following category groups:
- Electrical: Electronic components, PCBAs, controls, sensors, motors, VFDs, wire harnesses, cable assemblies, power supplies, electrical panels, fans, heaters, and electromechanical assemblies
- Fluid Handling: Pumps, valves, actuators, heat exchangers, coils, hoses, fittings, filters, expansion tanks, and fluid-distribution components
- Metals: Raw metals, sheet-metal fabrication, machining, extrusions, weldments, frames, coatings, and outside processing
- Buy/Resell: Complete purchased equipment, contract-manufactured products, and engineered systems
- Miscellaneous: Gaskets, seals, foam, insulation, plastics, refrigerant, labels, packaging, hardware, chemicals, coatings, and MRO
Direct experience in every category is not required. The ideal candidate brings strong strategic-sourcing fundamentals, industrial manufacturing experience, and the ability to learn and lead technically complex categories.
Key Responsibilities
- Develop and execute multi-year sourcing and category strategies aligned with business, product, and operational objectives
- Analyze supplier markets, cost drivers, capacity, technology trends, and supply-chain risks
- Identify, evaluate, qualify, and onboard new domestic and international suppliers
- Lead RFQs, supplier selection, commercial negotiations, and contract execution
- Negotiate pricing, payment terms, capacity commitments, tooling agreements, stocking programs, and long-term supply arrangements
- Deliver measurable cost savings, cost avoidance, lead-time improvements, and risk reduction
- Partner with Engineering and Quality to evaluate supplier capabilities, manufacturing processes, technical specifications, and product requirements
- Support new-product development, supplier readiness, component qualification, and production launches
- Develop dual-source and continuity strategies for business-critical materials and components
- Conduct supplier business reviews, site visits, capability assessments, and performance evaluations
- Monitor supplier performance across cost, quality, delivery, responsiveness, capacity, and service
- Lead supplier-development and corrective-action initiatives
- Develop should-cost models, total-cost-of-ownership analyses, and supplier-award recommendations
- Present category strategies, sourcing decisions, supplier risks, and savings opportunities to senior leadership
- Work effectively in a growing organization where priorities may change and processes continue to evolve
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, Operations, Finance, or a related discipline
- Approximately 8 to 15 years of relevant strategic sourcing, procurement, commodity management, or category-management experience
- Direct-material sourcing experience within an industrial manufacturing environment
- Demonstrated ownership of a commodity or category strategy
- Experience identifying, qualifying, and developing manufacturing suppliers
- Strong RFQ, supplier-selection, contract-negotiation, and supplier-management experience
- Experience partnering with Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, Operations, or NPI teams
- Ability to evaluate supplier capabilities, cost structures, capacity, quality systems, and operational risk
- Demonstrated record of measurable savings, supplier-performance improvement, or supply-risk mitigation
- Strong analytical, negotiation, communication, and project-management skills
- Ability to work full-time onsite in the northwest Twin Cities area
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with data-center infrastructure, thermal-management equipment, HVAC, industrial machinery, electronics, electromechanical systems, fluid handling, fabricated metals, or engineered equipment
- Experience sourcing from domestic and international suppliers
- Knowledge of should-cost analysis, total cost of ownership, supplier segmentation, and market intelligence
- Experience negotiating capacity agreements, indexed pricing, tooling ownership, consignment, or vendor-managed inventory programs
- Familiarity with supplier audits, first articles, PPAP, product qualification, or supplier-quality requirements
- Experience supporting a rapidly growing or evolving manufacturing organization
- CPSM, CPIM, CSCP, Six Sigma, or related certification is helpful but not required
Ideal Candidate Profile
The successful candidate will be comfortable operating as a senior, hands-on sourcing leader without needing a large team or established corporate infrastructure. This person will be able to move between strategy and execution, build credibility with technical stakeholders, challenge existing sourcing models, and create practical solutions that improve cost, quality, delivery, capacity, and supply continuity.
Why Consider This Opportunity?
- Join a growing company serving the expanding data-center and AI infrastructure market
- Take meaningful ownership of business-critical sourcing categories
- Build and shape supplier strategies in a developing sourcing organization
- Work directly with Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, and senior leadership
- Lead supplier-development, cost-reduction, and risk-mitigation initiatives with visible business impact
- Expand beyond sourcing execution into broader category and supplier-market leadership
If you are an experienced strategic-sourcing professional who enjoys developing suppliers, solving complex manufacturing challenges, and building category strategies from the ground up, we would welcome the opportunity to speak with you.
FAQs
Congratulations, we understand that taking the time to apply is a big step. When you apply, your details go directly to the consultant who is sourcing talent. Due to demand, we may not get back to all applicants that have applied. However, we always keep your resume and details on file so when we see similar roles or see skillsets that drive growth in organizations, we will always reach out to discuss opportunities.
Yes. Even if this role isn’t a perfect match, applying allows us to understand your expertise and ambitions, ensuring you're on our radar for the right opportunity when it arises.
We also work in several ways, firstly we advertise our roles available on our site, however, often due to confidentiality we may not post all. We also work with clients who are more focused on skills and understanding what is required to future-proof their business.Â
That's why we recommend registering your resume so you can be considered for roles that have yet to be created.Â
Yes, we help with CV and interview preparation. From customized support on how to optimize your CV to interview preparation and compensation negotiations, we advocate for you throughout your next career move.