Manager, EU Casting Commodity

Job Purpose

Responsible for leading a team of professionals for a specific commodity or multiple commodities for Dana Light Vehicle plants in Europe. The person is required to define the strategy of the commodity and guide his or her team towards the set objectives with moderate supervision. The person needs to prioritize the tasks of the team to enable the company to achieve its goals. The goals will need to be divided into longer- and short-term objectives like identifying and implementing annual savings plans, longer-term Commodity Strategy and Supplier Relationship & Contract Management, supplier consolidation strategy, Free Cash Flow activities and positioning the commodity costing structure in a way that the company can compete with any of its competitors. The position will require someone that is able to switch easily between strategic and tactical activities while having the right people skill to enhance team performance.

Responsibilities

• “Go to” person for the Advanced Purchasing & Program Management organization to actively steer the commodity towards the desired New Program milestones, on time, on cost and on budget.
• Actively map team skills and behaviors to be able to grow overall team competencies
• Define SMART objectives for the team members and monitors the status throughout the year(s).
• Compile longer term vision on global supplier mapping considering Total Cost of Ownership and risk management.
• Leveraging and managing the global purchasing offices to drive value for the company
• Uses acquired knowledge to perform part cost estimation analysis for new business quotations to achieve Value for Money objectives and maintain process cost models to identify opportunities on running business.
• Manages and negotiates supply agreements that require improvements in suppliers' cost, delivery, quality, order lead time, payment cycles, technology, and/or risk mitigation.
• Defining supplier selection criteria with the “Buy in” of the cross functional teams and selecting qualified suppliers in line with companies’ expectations.

Responsibilities

• Ability to clearly understand the financial and strategic impacts of “musts, wants, needs” actions in negotiations to optimize the value to Dana and negotiate complex supplier issues with little to no supervision. Understands tactics to position Dana with the most leverage possible.
• Present regional sourcing strategy to higher management based on facts and figures.
• Ability to oversee multiple projects and guide the team to meet timing by anticipating and resolving 'roadblocks’ for successful part launches or critical issues.
• Holds regular performance review meetings with key stakeholders and measures compliance to agreements
• Holds regular Business Reviews with main strategic suppliers.
• Governs and steers savings tracker database to achieve targets.
• Presents proposal to the purchasing leadership to optimize processes and or procedure to drive efficiency and accountability.

Minimum Requirements

• Three-year degree in Business (Supply Chain Management or Purchasing is preferred) or four-year degree in Engineering (Product or Manufacturing)
• Professional Supply chain certification preferred
• At least 10 years of experience in direct material procurement
• Strong team player, able to work effectively within cross-functional teams.
• Excellent communication skills, verbal and written.

Required Skills

• Ability to work on tasks along with prioritizing work and managing deadlines for him or her and the associated team.
• Understands interactions that affect outcomes for problem solving.  Uses analytical abilities to distill complex issues into workable parts for themselves and ability to transfer knowledge to the team members. Anticipates consequences of alternative options.
• Possesses and uses appropriate levels of intellectual ability to achieve objectives and maximize results.   Demonstrates determined, engaged, thoughtful approach to complete day-to-day activities. Applies knowledge of global organizational issues to his/her own work.
• Works independently to achieve team objectives with little supervision
• Can identify areas of deficiency in processes and employ resources to optimize.
• Can support and personalize the needed change within the group/dept./organization.
• Develops relationships across the corporation to facilitate inter-divisional cooperation and cross functional asset utilization
• Provides prompt, courteous, and attentive service to both internal and external customers.
• Accomplishes tasks and makes effective decisions without guidance, even outside the framework of their direct work responsibility.

Required Skills

• Recognizes the talents, skills, and behaviors that the organization needs.  Demonstrates self-awareness and takes action to improve individual performance/capabilities.
• Inspires others in setting and achieving standards of excellence. Can get others on board, engaged and committed to objectives; can overcome resistance. Effectively get things done through others by delegating, motivating, focusing and leveraging the appropriate resources to meet objectives.
• Establishes open, candid and trusting relationships. Treats others fairly and consistently. Effectively handles conflicts and issues impacting working relationships.
• Actively supports the implementation and maintenance of lean value and the related value stream.
• Demonstrates a high level of cooperation and collaboration with internal and external relationships.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to work with people at all levels within and outside Dana in a professional manner. 
• Familiarity with Procurement and Quality Supplier Metrics with flow-down to supplier contracts and performance reviews. 
• Must have an understanding of blueprints and technical specifications. 
• Strong personal computer skills required, including experience with MS Office Software.