Director of Purchasing

The company invests in leadership development and continuous improvement, and this role sits on the North American leadership team with direct visibility into strategic decision-making. This role owns cost savings, on-time delivery, supplier quality, and productivity KPIs while serving as a member of the North American leadership team.

Location: Appleton, WI (on-site)

Salary: $160,000 + bonus

Introduction
Our client, a global leader in the pulp and paper industry, is seeking a Director of Purchasing to lead strategic and operational procurement execution across North America. This role owns cost savings, on-time delivery, supplier quality, and productivity KPIs while serving as a member of the North American leadership team.

Required Qualifications

• Proven procurement experience, including a leadership role
• Bachelor's degree with a technical or business major
• Strong coaching, developing, mentoring, and leadership skills
• Strategic mindset with ability to develop and execute differentiated plans that deliver financial results
• Strong customer centricity and communication skills
• Action-oriented with strong attention to detail
• Familiarity with MRP/ERP systems and data analytics tools, including SAP and Power BI
• Ability to run queries and compile data for data-driven decisions

Preferred Qualifications

• Pulp and paper industry experience

Day-to-Day Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a regional procurement strategy aligned with overall group strategy for cost-effective, timely, high-quality sourcing
• Oversee the NA procurement team, ensuring focus on safety, cost competitiveness, OTD, supplier quality, and productivity KPIs
• Lead and manage tough purchasing negotiations, including frame agreements, major purchase order releases, and quality/back-charge negotiations
• Implement an effective regional Supply Chain Management program in partnership with the NA Logistics/GBS group
• Drive alignment of procurement activities within NA and across divisions for consistent sourcing strategies
• Lead and mentor procurement team members to improve individual and team performance
• Promote a culture of ownership, teamwork, respect, and customer centricity; drive continuous improvement
• Ensure compliance with People & Culture policies and support an engaging work environment
• Partner with sales, applications, operations, product, and project management to align on customer needs
• Lead major transformation initiatives, including automation, digitalization, and process redesign
• Champion safety in all activities
• Stand, walk, and sit frequently throughout the day; occasionally reach, lift, stoop, or crouch
• Occasional domestic and international travel required

Company Benefits and Culture
Our client operates as part of a global organization with a strong emphasis on ownership, teamwork, respect, and customer centricity. The company invests in leadership development and continuous improvement, and this role sits on the North American leadership team with direct visibility into strategic decision-making.

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