Sr. Project Leader, Strategic Sourcing Insights

Location: Onsite, four days per week - Kohler, WI

Opportunity

As an Insights Project Leader in K&B Strategic Sourcing, you will run a structured program to identify and drive value creation and savings opportunities across Kohler's indirect and direct spend (approximately $2.5B). Acting as an internal consultant, you will analyze spend, products, suppliers, and end-to-end value drivers to size opportunities, influence prioritization, and enable execution through influencing category, engineering, operations and purchasing teams. You will present recommendations to senior leaders, facilitate plant and supplier workshops (including VAVE), and partner cross-functionally (e.g., Engineering, Marketing, Supply Chain) to deliver results.

Specific Responsibilities

• Serve as an internal consultant to identify, shape, and drive value creation initiatives that reduce total cost and improve end-to-end supply chain performance.

• Analyze enterprise spend, products, supplier landscape, and supply chain cost drivers to identify and prioritize initiatives across approximately $2.5B indirect and direct spend.

• Drive savings/value creation by influencing and enabling execution through category leaders and purchasing teams; this role does not own spend but drives opportunities from identification through realization.

• Conduct advanced purchasing/spend analytics (including segmentation, supplier consolidation, specification/logistics/process opportunities) and use AI-enabled tools to automate repeatable work and accelerate insight generation and tracking.

• Plan and facilitate plant and supplier workshops, including VAVE and cost-reduction ideation sessions, partnering closely with Engineering and cross-functional teams to convert ideas into actions.

• Prepare and deliver clear, executive-ready recommendations and regular progress updates to senior leadership; drive alignment, decisions, and escalation as needed.

• Build strong relationships with purchasing managers, category leaders, and sourcing directors to align priorities, remove barriers, and sustain pace of delivery.

• Maintain opportunity pipeline, business cases, and realized savings tracking; ensure governance, documentation, and clear handoffs to execution owners.

• Manage sourcing-related risks and incorporate relevant external benchmarks and best practices into sourcing and supply chain recommendations.

• Support and lead additional Strategic Sourcing / SOEx improvement programs (capability, process, standard work) as prioritized by leadership.

• Operate effectively in a global team, including some flexibility for morning/evening calls across time zones and occasional travel (~40%).

• Identifying and aiding implementation of standard work practices.

KEY COMPETENCIES

Interpersonal

• Persuades and influences stakeholders (including senior leaders) to prioritize and execute value creation initiatives.

• Communicates clearly; builds trust and cross-functional alignment; facilitates workshops and discussions effectively.

• Supports change; identifies and builds critical internal and external relationships.

Business / Technology

• Understands internal/external customer needs and navigates complexity across a multi-site/global organization.

• Builds structured programs for opportunity ideation, prioritization, and reporting/governance.

• Applies supply chain and cost-driver analysis (e.g., multi-tier supply chains, market/benchmark research, cost modeling/should-cost inputs).

• Strong working knowledge of ERP and analytics tools (Excel/BI); comfortable applying AI tools to improve efficiency.

Managerial

• Leads cross-functional, multi-location initiatives with clear plans, goals, and governance. Understands industry direction, anticipates change, and communicates a compelling vision internally and externally.