Direct Material Buyer (Injection Molded Plastics)

Manufacturing & Production · Production & Assembly · Production Management · Manufacturing Engineering

In short

Volvo Cars seeks a Direct Material Buyer specializing in injection molded plastics for its Ridgeville, SC facility. This role involves purchasing materials for new and existing vehicle projects, managing supplier performance, and driving cost efficiency within a global purchasing framework. The ideal candidate has a Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience, 3+ years in manufacturing procurement, and strong knowledge of the automotive industry, particularly with plastics and injection molding.

Responsibilities

Purchasing materials for advanced and new vehicle projects, as well as ongoing production.
Owning the procurement of all localized parts and optimizing existing part and tooling setups for imported materials.
Ensuring supplier quality, cost, and delivery performance for new vehicle programs.
Driving cost efficiency, managing the supply base, and mitigating supply risk.
Supporting commodity strategies and collaborating with global stakeholders.
Establishing a U.S. supply base for relevant commodities in collaboration with European and China organizations.
Establishing supplier agreements and sourcing both local and global content.
Driving localization business case development, evaluation, and execution.
Leading supplier negotiations to achieve optimal cost, quality, and commercial terms.
Serving as the primary commercial point of contact for assigned suppliers.
Issuing RFQs, purchase orders, and managing ongoing commercial changes.
Supporting and acting on engineering and design changes within active projects.
Participating in global category meetings to align sourcing strategies.
Developing and maintaining a strong understanding of VCC sourcing processes and related IT systems.
Leading cost savings initiatives from idea generation through implementation.
Working knowledge with managing BOMs (Build of Material) down to raw material.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in relevant field or equivalent professional experience.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, with strong emphasis on Excel.
In-depth knowledge of the Automotive Industry, including Tier 1 & Tier 2 suppliers, systems and processes.
3+ years of experience in manufacturing procurement.
Purchasing / procurement experience with Plastics, Injection Molding and Painted Plastics highly preferred.
Strong negotiation skills with proactive focus on identifying and driving commercial opportunities.
Solid understanding of purchasing fundamentals and the ability to optimize business outcomes in the best interest of the company.
Strong collaboration and communication skills, with the ability to respectfully challenge and influence both internal and external stakeholders.
Structured, analytical thinker with the ability to manage multiple issues and projects in parallel.
Positive, solution-oriented mindset.
Ability to independently drive initiatives and see tasks through to completion.
Strategic thinking with the ability to understand long-term impacts and broader business objectives.
Results-oriented with strong analytical skills.
High level of integrity, honesty, and professionalism.
Strong understanding of cost drivers for assigned products and categories.
Solid knowledge or regional market dynamics for assigned products and categories.

Desired Qualifications

Experience with interior or platform automotive components is preferred.

Benefits

Advance safety, sustainability and electrification.

Skills

Microsoft ExcelMicrosoft Office

#Procurement#Professionals

About Volvo Cars

Everything we do starts with people. Our purpose is to provide freedom to move, in a personal, sustainable and safe way. We are committed to simplifying our customers’ lives by offering better technology solutions that improve their impact on the world and bringing the most advanced mobility innovations to protect them, their loved ones and the people around them. Volvo Cars’ continued success is the result of a collaborative, diverse, and inclusive working environment. The people of Volvo Cars are committed to making a difference in our world. Today, we are one of the most well-known and…

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