About this role
Job title: Global Category Lead
About the Role The Global Category Lead is an individual contributor responsible for Bearings, Transmission Belts, and Couplings, serving as the Sourcing Specialist for North America assigned commodities and Global Cluster Leader for Bearings. The role requires strong communication, organization, and cross-functional collaboration to lead negotiations, support budgets and sourcing targets, and align global and North American objectives.
What You'll Do
- Own and deploy the global bearings commodity strategy across all regions and drive alignment with key suppliers, including negotiation and governance.
- Partner with regional teams to ensure consistent execution while addressing local market dynamics.
- Lead supplier evaluation, selection, and sourcing for bearings, transmission belts, and related components across North America; support global initiatives.
- Develop North American and global supply base strategies to optimize total value across cost, quality, and delivery; lead price negotiations and risk mitigation.
- Manage supplier performance through strategic reviews and build long-term relationships with key suppliers.
- Support cross-functional initiatives including tariff mitigation, new program launches, and cross-regional sourcing with Engineering, Operations, Quality, Finance, and Program Management.
What We're Looking For
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain or related field.
- Minimum 8 years of purchasing experience.
- Experience sourcing bearings and rotating components in high-volume manufacturing.
- Experience collaborating with Engineering on standardization, VA/VE, and platform strategies.
- Understanding of bearing cost drivers (steel, heat treatment, precision classes, capacity).
- Excellent verbal and written communication, negotiation, analytical and problem-solving skills; intermediate Excel proficiency.
- Proven ability to develop and execute commodity strategies and to analyze, select, and audit suppliers for regional/global manufacturing environments.
- Strong negotiation skills and a track record of fostering relationships with senior supplier management.
- Experience mitigating supplier delivery, cost, and relationship issues with positive outcomes.
Nice to Have
- Experience sourcing bearings and rotating components in high-volume manufacturing.
- Experience working with Engineering on standardization, VA/VE, and platform strategies.
- Understanding of bearing cost drivers (steel, heat treatment, precision classes, capacity).
Compensation & Benefits
- Salary: $107,000 - $164,000 per year, plus applicable bonus.
- Benefits include: Hybrid work arrangements; Savings & Retirement benefits; Tuition reimbursement; Parental leave; Adoption assistance; Fertility & Family building support; Employee Assistance Programs; Charitable contribution matching; Volunteer Time Off.