Global Category Buyer - Contract Manufacturing, Merchandise and Tinplate

About the role

Surventis is hiring a Global Category Buyer for Contract Manufacturing, Merchandise Goods and Tinplate Packaging in North America, based in Southfield, Michigan. The role executes approved category strategies across North America and acts as the main commercial link between category leadership, suppliers, contract manufacturers, business stakeholders and manufacturing sites. It also manages supplier and contract-manufacturer relationships, leads negotiations, mitigates supply risks and runs sourcing initiatives.

Key responsibilities

• Negotiate pricing, tolling or service fees, rebates, lead times, warranties, capacity commitments and payment terms, and track awards and contractual obligations.
• Execute category strategies, build regional sourcing roadmaps and identify opportunities such as demand bundling, supplier consolidation and best-cost sourcing.
• Lead commercial management of North American contract manufacturers and tollers, including sourcing, RFx, supplier evaluation, negotiations, claims, renewals and capacity commitments.
• Manage the merchandise supplier portfolio, alternative sourcing, white-label and private-label initiatives, and challenge unmanaged spend.
• Lead North American tinplate sourcing, tender coordination, specification harmonization and monitoring of steel and tinplate market developments.
• Run supplier business reviews, support supplier development and diversification, and maintain contingency plans for critical operations.
• Identify supply, trade, tariff, quality and geopolitical risks, ensure compliance with procurement and sustainability requirements, and deliver validated savings and efficiency gains.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in Procurement, Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, Chemistry, Materials, Packaging, Manufacturing or a related field.
• Relevant experience in procurement, category management, strategic sourcing, supplier management, contract manufacturing or commercial negotiations.
• Experience with tolling, subcontracting, chemical manufacturing, merchandise goods, industrial packaging, tinplate, steel markets or private-label products is advantageous.
• Strong written and spoken English; additional regional languages are an advantage.
• Must be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.

Required skills

• Proficiency in SAP procurement processes, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Working knowledge of contracting, procurement governance, supplier risk, packaging specifications and qualification processes.