Vice President Procurement (North America)

Company is stable very long term corporation. Automotive Tier One supplier, part of a large scale conglomerate worldwide.

Position is replacement for retired VP. Although there are plants across the border, this position will be based on the US side, with minimal travel to their plants across the border.

The Vice President Procurement (North America) will serve as the senior executive responsible for developing and executing the procurement, sourcing, supplier management, and cost optimization strategy across MSSL Wiring Systems operations. As a strategic member of the executive leadership team, the VP Procurement will drive sustainable competitive advantage through supplier innovation, supply chain resilience, transformational cost leadership, and operational excellence.

This role will lead all direct and indirect procurement activities while partnering closely with Operations, Engineering, Program Management, Finance, Quality, and Global Procurement organizations to support growth, profitability, and customer satisfaction. The successful candidate will influence procurement strategies across multiple manufacturing locations and manage critical relationships with global suppliers supporting automotive OEM programs.

Key Responsibilities

1. Executive Procurement Leadership

• Develop and execute a multi-year procurement and sourcing strategy aligned with North American and Global business objectives.
• Serve as a member of the executive leadership team, contributing to strategic planning, profitability improvement, and business growth initiatives.
• Establish procurement as a strategic value-creation function supporting innovation, operational excellence, sustainability, and customer commitments.
• Lead procurement transformation initiatives, including digital procurement, automation, AI-driven spend analytics, and supplier collaboration platforms.
• Drive alignment between regional procurement strategies and global commodity management initiatives.

2. Strategic Sourcing & Cost Leadership

• Establish sourcing strategies for critical commodities including copper, terminals, connectors, plastics, insulation materials, electronic components, logistics, and capital equipment.
• Deliver annual productivity and cost reduction targets through strategic negotiations, value engineering, supplier rationalization, and total cost ownership (TCO) methodologies.
• Lead executive-level negotiations involving long-term supply agreements, commercial settlements, inflation recovery initiatives, and strategic partnerships.
• Develop commodity risk management strategies addressing fluctuations in raw materials, foreign exchange, tariffs, and geopolitical risks.
• Benchmark procurement performance against industry best practices and leading automotive Tier 1 suppliers.

3. Supplier Relationship Management & Supply Chain Resilience

• Build and maintain executive relationships with strategic global suppliers and key industry partners.
• Establish a world-class Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) framework focused on quality, innovation, delivery, sustainability, and cost competitiveness.
• Ensure continuity of supply for all customer programs through proactive risk identification and mitigation plans.
• Lead supplier capacity reviews, business continuity planning, dual sourcing strategies, and crisis management processes.
• Champion supplier innovation initiatives that support new product development and customer requirements.

4. Organizational Leadership & Talent Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing procurement organization across North America.
• Build succession pipelines and organizational capabilities to support future business expansion.
• Define and monitor key performance indicators covering cost savings, supplier performance, inventory optimization, and risk management.
• Foster a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, collaboration, and ethical procurement practices.
• Promote cross-functional alignment between Procurement, Engineering, Operations, Quality, Finance, and Sales.

5. Indirect Procurement & Capital Expenditure Management

• Provide executive oversight of indirect procurement, MRO, logistics, facilities management, IT services, professional services, and capital expenditure sourcing.
• Ensure effective governance and strategic sourcing methodologies are applied across all spend categories.
• Drive standardization, spend visibility, and procurement compliance throughout the region.
• Support manufacturing expansion, automation investments, and major facility projects.

6. Financial Performance & Governance

• Manage procurement budgets, annual savings commitments, and working capital improvement initiatives.
• Partner with Finance to support EBITDA enhancement, cash flow optimization, and inventory reduction programs.
• Develop executive dashboards and procurement performance reporting for senior leadership.
• Ensure compliance with corporate governance standards, customer requirements, trade regulations, and procurement policies.
• Support due diligence and procurement integration activities related to acquisitions, divestitures, and business expansion opportunities.

Required Qualifications

Experience

• Minimum 15+ years of progressive Procurement and Supply Chain leadership experience.
• At least 8 years in a senior leadership or executive procurement role managing large teams and complex supplier networks.
• Proven track record in delivering multimillion-dollar cost savings, procurement transformation, and supplier performance improvements.

Industry Experience

• *** Extensive experience within the Automotive Tier 1 supply base is required.
• Strong understanding of OEM requirements and automotive manufacturing environments.
• Experience with electrical distribution systems, wiring harnesses, electronics, connectors, plastic components, or related automotive commodities preferred.
• Deep familiarity with IATF 16949 quality requirements and automotive supply chain standards.

Technical & Leadership Skills

• Expertise in strategic sourcing, supplier negotiations, category management, and total cost ownership methodologies.
• Strong executive presence with experience presenting to CEOs, Boards, and senior stakeholders.
• Deep understanding of global supply chain management, procurement analytics, and risk mitigation.
• Demonstrated success leading procurement transformation and organizational change initiatives.
• Strong financial acumen and commercial decision-making capabilities.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and stakeholder management skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, or related field.
• MBA or Master's Degree strongly preferred.
• Professional certifications such as CPSM, CPM, CSCP, APICS, or ISM certification.
• Experience managing global sourcing operations and supplier networks across Asia, Europe, and the Americas.
• Experience supporting acquisitions, integrations, and business transformation initiatives.
• Exposure to ESG, sustainability, and responsible sourcing programs.

Success Metrics

The Vice President Procurement will be evaluated on:

• Annual cost savings and EBITDA contribution.
• Supplier quality and delivery performance.
• Supply continuity and risk mitigation effectiveness.
• Working capital and inventory improvements.
• Procurement process digitization and transformation achievements.
• Organizational capability development and employee engagement.
• Customer satisfaction and support of strategic growth initiatives.