Manager- Strategic Capital Equipment Sourcing II USA

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

Basic Job Functions:

Leads strategic capital equipment sourcing and procurement cross-functional teams for Tier 2 categories resulting in sourcing and procurement decisions delivering the highest quality, reliability, and value to meet First Solar requirements. Develop strong business relationships and strategic alliances with key OEMs to support First Solar’s growth plan.

Education/Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in business or supply chain management and 5+ more years of experience in a related technical or business field, or 8 years of experience in a related technical or business field. 
• In-depth knowledge of OEM vendors management, sourcing, purchasing processes & systems. 
• ISM and APICS Certification preferred. 
• Experience with MRP concepts and one or more ERP systems (SAP & Oracle preferred).

Required Skills/Competencies:

• Establishes and gains approval for operational objectives and work plans which support overall corporate goals.
• Works independently on issues of broad scope and complexity where analysis of situation is highly complicated and requires evaluation of data to support decisions or unique circumstances for which methods are not established.
• Acts independently within established guidelines to determine appropriate action. Many issues require the creation of new approaches with lack of precedent.
• Ability to effectively manage diverse categories of spending.
• Develops and administers project plan schedules and performance requirements for highly complex and visible categories.
• Erroneous decisions or failure to achieve objectives will add costs and may jeopardize the long-term goals of the organization. or overall business activities. 
• Decision Making:
  • Determines most effective methods, develops, and executes supporting programs and projects to achieve goals.
  • Selects, evaluates, and develops category plan objectives in areas of technology, quality, cost, flexibility, and service. 
  • Executes projects consistent with achieving overall supply management organizational goals. 
  • Implement sourcing decisions based on team consensus to weighted scorecard and senior executive guidance. 
• Problem Solving:
  • Assess, define, and resolve highly complex supply chain and procurement issues. 
  • Apply root cause analysis and derive corrective actions and assess adequacy of the analyses and plans proposed by vendors managed.
• Apply appropriate competitive cost benchmarks, financial analysis, and risk management techniques to solve issues. 
• Able to influence internal customers and executives to achieve mutually beneficial solutions. 
• Project Management:
  • Understands and demonstrates advanced project management skills. 
  • Possesses demonstrated ability to successfully manage multiple large, complex 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 senior managers, directors, and senior executives within First Solar.
  • Interaction requires the ability to influence or change the thinking of others, frequently interact with higher position, to achieve organizational goals in sensitive situations without damaging relationships. 
  • Acts as team leader of cross-functional group for ad-hoc or standing projects of high complexity and visibility.
  • Routine interaction with VPs or “C” level executives of OEM vendors managed.
  • Builds deep industry relationships and is widely recognized as a category subject matter expertise internally and externally.
• 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 strategic capital equipment sourcing leader for assigned categories and cross-functional team. 
• Develop and implement a global capital equipment sourcing process & system with spe