Senior Buyer - New Product Development en Sub-Zero Group, Inc.

Overview

Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove the leading manufacturer of luxury kitchen appliances is a longstanding, family-owned company in the Madison area. Icons of design and paragons of performance and quality, Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove are the refrigeration, cooking, and dishwashing specialists found in world’s most luxurious homes. We look for team members who are driven by innovation and excellence, striving to serve our customers by doing what is right—with integrity, teamwork, and accountability.

The NPD Senior Buyer will be responsible for performing work related to the Product Development Process (PDP) and sit on cross functional project teams while reporting through the Strategic Sourcing Department. Primary duties include working on new projects in cross functional teams, create and monitor project budgets, help develop and execute sourcing strategies, develop risk mitigation strategies, RFQs and supplier selection process, negotiating, and total cost management while executing successful launch strategy for NPD Projects.

Growth and development are important aspects of this position. Whether you aspire to be a leader or a technical expert, this position will set you up for success in the future.

Primary Responsibilities

We are looking for someone who has experience with strategic sourcing of a variety of commodities. The ideal candidate will have a desire to be challenged and a thirst to be an instrumental part in helping develop innovations for new technologies.

Our NPD Buyers are essential to the success of bringing our innovative products to market through cross functional teams. As an NPD Senior Buyer, you will be responsible for partnering with Project teams to deliver best-in-class luxury appliances that provide value to the customer as well as profitability to the organization. Key responsibilities will include:

• Lead Supply Chain activities as part of an NPD cross functional team.   
• Ability to articulate the company’s business requirements and objectives to the NPD Supply Chain so that all NPD suppliers are properly aligned for success.
• Assess NPD supply chain with our business objectives and lead supplier development strategies as required.
• Compose and execute contractual NPD Agreements that provide the lowest risk to the company as well as conduct on-going negotiations and actions to ensure the best interests of the Company are protected during the life of the contract.
• Ability to clearly communicate concise updates, assessments and recommendations of the NPD Team with Corporate Management Team.
• Work cohesively with the Sub-Zero Group’s Supply Chain team which includes Demand Planning, Import-Export, Operations, Strategic Sourcing, Supplier Quality, and Transportation to optimize the PDP.
• Execute sourcing Strategy for NPD to optimize Sub-Zero Group’s strategic business alliances through short-term and long-term operational requirements.
• Help select, qualify, and develop a strategic supply base.
• Acquire sources for new technologies that provide us with a competitive advantage.
• Identify high-risk supply chains and implement contingency plans internally and externally.
• Develop accurate material cost forecasts based on market/industry/economic factors and suppliers’ pricing strategies.
• Initiate and implement cost improvement projects with input from relevant stakeholders.
• Lead and/or support supplier improvement initiatives and supplier quality assessments/audits.
• Develop material and component cost models within commodity responsibilities to accurately predict future material costs for the organization.
• Select and qualify suppliers based on Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) incorporating customer needs, organizational goals, and market conditions.
• Ability to work with technical personnel both internally and externally in early stages of design to drive down costs and ensure adherence to specifications that support company’s strategic vision.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Supply Chain Management or a related field
• Some travel (10%+) will be required. Potential for international travel
• 5+ years of purchasing experience in manufacturing
• Excellent customer service and computer skills
• Ability to read Engineering prints/CAD
• High level of interpersonal and organizational savvy
• Demonstrates creativity, technical skills, and problem-solving attributes.
• Exudes leadership qualities
• Intermediate knowledge of materials and manufacturing methods/processes.

Preferred Qualifications

• 5+ years of negotiating experience
• Prior experience working with New Product Development
• CPSM/CPM
• SAP experience

We value our employees by providing:

• Competitive compensation based on skills
• Industry leading health, dental, and vision plans
• Generous 401 (K) savings and profit sharing
• On-site UW Health clinic, fitness center, and walking paths
• Education assistance and internal training programs
• Electric vehicle charging
• Maternity & paternity leave
• Interested in learning more on our robust benefits package we offer? Click here!

This position requires a pre-employment drug/alcohol test and background check, which will be administered after a conditional job offer is extended. A negative drug/alcohol test result is required for employment. Refusal to take the test or a positive result may disqualify a candidate from further consideration.  All drug testing will be conducted in accordance with federal and state laws.