Commodity Manager II Global USA

First Solar reserves the right to offer you a role most applicable to your experience and skillset.

Basic Job Functions:

Lead procurement cross-functional teams for Tier 2 categories resulting in procurement decisions delivering the highest quality, reliability, and value to meet First Solar requirements.  Develop strong business relationships and strategic alliances supporting First Solar’s growth plan.

Education/Experience:

• BS/BA degree plus 5 or more years of experience in a related technical or business field or 8 years of experience in a related technical or business field.
• Strong knowledge of operational purchasing processes & concepts.
• ISM and APICS Certification preferred.

Required Skills/Competencies:

• Decision Making:
• Participates with executives to establish strategic plans and objectives.
• Select, evaluate, and develop category plan objectives in areas of technology, quality, cost, flexibility, and service. 
• Execute projects consistent with achieving overall supply management organizational goals. 
• Implement sourcing decisions based on team consensus to weighted scorecard. 
• Problem Solving:
• Assess, define, and resolve complex supply chain and procurement issues without supervision. 
• Apply root cause analysis and derive corrective actions and assess adequacy of the analyses and plans proposed by suppliers managed.
• Apply appropriate competitive cost benchmarks, financial analysis, and risk management techniques to solve issues. 
• Able to influence internal customers and executive to achieve mutually beneficial solutions. 
• Project Management:
• Understands and demonstrates advanced project management skills. 
• Demonstrated ability to successfully manage multiple projects at the same time, and to close projects on time. 
• Effectively manages relationships and peer deliverables to successful project completion.
• Interaction: 
• Highly effective communicator, including oral, written and presentation preparation
• Interacts primarily with peers, senior managers, and executives within First Solar.
•  Interaction requires the ability to influence others, frequently associates with higher position, to achieve organizational goals. 
• Often acts as team leader of cross-functional group for ad-hoc or standing projects.
• Routine interaction with directors, VPs or “C” level executives of suppliers managed.
• Builds deep industry relationships and category subject matter expertise.
• Negotiation: 
• Performs market and cost analysis.
• Issues RFIs/RFQs/RFPs.
• Develops and executes negotiation plan.
• Conducts negotiation within approved negotiation parameters and authority.
• Documents commercial terms and drafts contract agreements and amendments.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Act as global supply management leader for assigned categories.  
• Develop and implement a global sourcing with specific negotiation strategies to achieve cost, supply assurance and risk mitigation objectives.   
• Lead commercial negotiations with managed supply partners. 
• Coordinate aggregation of all sites demand for supplier forecasting and leveraging for cost reduction. 
• Proactively manage supplier base ensuring supply with no adverse impact on factory ramp plans. 
• Utilize formal benchmarking methods to determine best in class processes and drive improvement. 
• Develop and implement cost-reduction programs through the use of Cost- of-Ownership (COO) analysis, cost build-up analysis and supplier competition. 
• Measure and track supply performance within spend category. 
• Implement inventory optimization programs to optimize inventory turns, inventory investment and service level performance.
• Effectively communicate with appropriate management levels both internally and externally. 
• Lead cross functional team and manage supply chain to goals for quality, technology, cost, flexibility and service. 
• Demonstrate project management skills in leading cross functional teams. 
• Conduct business dealings with the highest level of integrity and regard for legal and environmental issues.
• Other duties as assigned.
• Job description subject to change at any time

Reporting Relationships:

• Reports to Commodity Leader or Director, Global Supply Chain.
• This position may have direct reports.

Travel:

• Up to 20%.

Estimated Salary Range:

• $80,000-$114,000 annually.

US Physical Requirements:

Office Physical Requirements:

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