Senior Buyer \u2013 Finished Vehicles Transportation

The Senior Buyer - Finished Vehicle Transportation is responsible for leading the sourcing strategy, commercial negotiations, and supplier performance management for key Finished Vehicle Logistics (FVL) service categories, including vehicle releasing and driveaway port processing, value-added services, and yard management operations.

Key Responsibilities include but not limited to:

• Lead, develop, and execute the sourcing strategy for Vehicle Releasing & Driveaway operations, Port Processing (VPC) services, and Yard Management Services.
• Serve as the commercial lead for complex, high-impact contract negotiations and supplier award recommendations.
• Lead development of RFIs, RFQs, and RFPs, including scope definition, service models, and commercial structures.
• Analyze cost models, labor-based pricing structures, operational benchmarks, and total cost of ownership impacts.
• Negotiate multi-year contracts, service-level agreements (SLAs), KPIs, and continuous improvement plans.
• Craft executive leadership recommendation packages and support cross-functional approval processes.
• Own supplier relationships for assigned categories, ensuring high performance across safety, quality, delivery, and cost.
• Lead quarterly business reviews and drive corrective action plans for service gaps or performance issues.
• Collaborate with operations to ensure seamless service during new launches, peak volume, port transitions, and network updates.
• Monitor supplier compliance with Stellantis Purchasing policies, risk management expectations, ESG standards, and legal requirements.
• Contribute to budget planning, cost forecasting, and year-over-year productivity delivery.
• Track industry trends in vehicle handling, labor markets, automation, port operations, and yard management.
• Identify opportunities to reduce logistics costs while improving throughput, accuracy, and vehicle quality.
• Support Stellantis digital transformation by evaluating technology-enabled improvements for yard, port, and releasing processes.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelors degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, Logistics, Operations, or related discipline.
• 5+ years of experience in purchasing, logistics, transportation, or supply chain management.
• Strong understanding of outbound vehicle logistics, yard/port operations, or transportation service procurement.
• Experience leading complex RFx processes, commercial evaluations, and multi-year contract negotiations.
• Excellent analytical capability, including cost modeling and data-driven decision-making.
• Strong communication, cross-functional collaboration, and stakeholder-influencing skills.
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver results in a fast-paced environment.

Preferred Qualifications:

• 7+ years of experience in Finished Vehicle Logistics, automotive transportation, or service procurement.
• Direct experience with vehicle releasing, port processing, VPC operations, or yard management service providers.
• Knowledge of yard/port flow constraints, labor-driven cost structures, and vehicle handling quality standards.
• Experience developing KPI/SLA frameworks and governance models for service providers.
• Advanced negotiation experience with multi-site, multi-region logistics providers.