Materials Engineer [Plastic Resins] Corporate Specialist

Senior Corporate Purchasing Specialist

 

This position is the Center of Competence for plastic engineering resins for our company in North America leading and coordinating programs and projects within Direct Material Corporate Purchasing with a focus on plastic engineering resins and a competent participant in a global network of Divisions, Plants and Corporate Functions. Support Engineering for the material selection of plastic resins

 

Requires a strong technical background in Polymer Science / Plastic Resin Engineering and an interest for commercial things within Corporate Purchasing [Plastic Resins].

 

1.  Corporate Purchasing Center of Competence for Plastic Resins for our company in North America.

 

2.  Develop strategies, drive that into the plants; must be a self starter, willing to drive initiatives and take the lead and be an advisor to the corporate resin buyers, engineering and to the plants. 

 

3.  Commercial side ? establish/negotiate annual contracts with BASF, Dupont, Tacoma, Chevron Phillips, etc.  Depending on whether they have a local presence [like BASF], or foreign base of operation, this person will coordinate with the German head and sometimes plant management to develop strategy.

 

4.  In North America, we have a resin team with representatives from the plants and divisions [one from each major plant and division], this person will lead this team [2 to 4 times a year they meet for 1 day].  The objective is to coordinate discussions about resin issues, suppliers, and strategies with suppliers, helping out with problems.  As the Center of Competence, it?s about leading the whole development of strategy in the right direction.

 

5.  In Europe, participate in a small, worldwide plastic resin team and then there are some satellites [this is one of them].  This individual is a technical source regarding plastic resin suppliers, technical details.

 

The position should support our North American plants and engineering here in Novi, Michigan, there is a large engineering community that will be asking ?what kind of material can we use here or which supplier should we use or can you help us get this material approvals, etc.  So, this person should be in close contact with the suppliers, get the quotes and support engineering from a commercial standpoint.

 

Requires an individual who is a good communicator and persistent.  Sometimes the job is frustrating because as a corporate position, [we have a matrix organization].  We have plants that ?belong? to global divisions [with HQ?s in Europe], and we are more of a regional organization so we don?t have direct control to tell them what to do but rather influence and motivate them while doing the best for the organization.

 

Travel ? once a month in N.A. [Mexico]; in the beginning, maybe once or twice to Europe to establish good contacts there and meet the right people.  It is also a ?network? position so it is important to know all those people.  All of these people are highly motivated.

 Career Path outcomes are endless ? R&D, Purchasing, Program Management.  Our company is very diversified and supports a lot of changes within the organization.