Category Buyer Iii

**Career Area**:Purchasing & Procurement**At Caterpillar, the right materials matter.**It takes hundreds of thousands of different types of goods to build the products that build a better world: the raw materials that go into our equipment, the software we use to design it, the tooling we use to build it, even the office supplies we use to run our business. Acquiring those products—in the right place, at the right time, for the right cost and using the latest e-sourcing techniques—is the responsibility of our procurement team. This role could be a fit for you, if you're:- Motivated to achieve challenging goals- Accountable for delivering results- Skilled at negotiating with suppliers**Job Duties:**To serve as the primary contact between Caterpillar and the supply base for global/regional initiatives, including filling the functional seat for commercial discussions/negotiations with suppliers, being the recognized expert for his or her assigned portion of the global category, supports development and execution of global category strategies, and drives performance excellence in Quality, Cost, Logistics, Development, and Management (QCLDM) through direct leverage with the supply base partnering with Supplier Development Professional (SDP) personnel and Product/Facility Procurement organizations. Buyer may also be a Supplier Lead for suppliers with multiple source buyers. This role is responsible and accountable for the development, and/or communication and implementation of a, regional, or worldwide sourcing strategy. Responsible for development, management and execution of the global category strategy, managing policies, agreements, source catalogs, and special procurement programs. Accountable for the liaison with the corresponding source buyers.Leadership - Provide leadership for strategic sourcing - qualified supply network, business continuity, supplier risk management - capacity & financial, contract management, supplier commercial negotiations, cost/spend management - TCA assurance, supplier on boarding/off boarding, lead/response time optimization and resource management decisions. Lead continuous improvement initiatives and purchasing new product introduction activities within Purchasing. Demonstrate leadership in recognizing the potential for cost and inventory reductions, and quality improvement; as well as responsibility for soundness of business proposals and risk assessment. Mentor and develop other Buyers, SQEs, and Purchasing Analysts (where assigned). Promote the highest level of professionalism and business ethics.Strategy- Tools and Techniques of 6 Sigma will be required and may be attained by Black Belt, Green Belt, Project Sponsor, or other 6 Sigma related training programs. The incumbent will lead 6 Sigma Strategic Sourcing teams to fully understand the current performance of the supply network, evaluate strategic options, decide a course of action, and begin implementation. The incumbent must also have strong knowledge of the product, NPI, Facility, Manufacturing, Supply Chain and Category Strategies.Supplier Development: - Collaborate with Supplier Development Engineers, to ensure continuous improvement in QCLDM with key suppliers. Build and foster mutually beneficial supplier relationships at all organizational levels.Travel: The position may require frequent travel.**Basic Requirements**:- University degree y- A minimum of four years of progressively responsible job-related experience.- Well-developed interpersonal skills are required in dealing with sensitive issues and reaching consensus on specific actions- Self-starter, able to multi-task and work in a fast-paced environment- Basic understanding of business and strategy planning and overall understanding of category management- Maintain knowledge of indirect category trends, supplier capabilities and changes within the category landscape for traditional and emerging solutions- Manage and optimizing supplier performance including contract compliance, continuous improvement, innovations, and reduction in total cost of ownership- Fluent in the English language and Spanish- Effective communicator, in written and oral form; ability to develop and communicate executive summaries to leaders- Strong project management skills - familiar with scope definition, task tracking, stakeholder updates, etc.- Functional leadership - capable of leading teams, suppliers, and internal partners to effective solution - Finely honed negotiation skills, and able to interpret, analyze and negotiated contractual elements- Demonstrated experience as a strong negotiator; able to interpret, analyze, and negotiate contractual cost/commercial elements- Experience with working with external suppliers- Demonstrated problem solving skills- Analytical and problem-solving skills- Strong process excellence focus- Spend analytics experience- Proficient with LogNet and SAP software, Cost Analytics, Price Change Management, CIC