Procurement Manager

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in United States.

📋 Description

• Act as the main day-to-day liaison for key component suppliers and contract manufacturers at ThermalWorks, fostering and sustaining productive working relationships that align with the company's commercial and operational goals.

• Create and uphold regular communication schedules with strategic suppliers, which include weekly or biweekly vendor calls, supplier scorecard assessments, and recurring supplier business reviews.

• Facilitate the onboarding of new vendors by gathering vendor master data, payment terms, certifications, and compliance documentation; collaborate with Finance and Compliance on vendor approval processes.

• Address daily supplier challenges that emerge throughout the order lifecycle, such as pricing discrepancies, quantity disputes, changes in delivery schedules, and quality holds; escalate to leadership when executive intervention is necessary.

• Cultivate professional, accountable relationships with suppliers, especially in high-pressure commercial situations; represent ThermalWorks with integrity during negotiations, escalations, and partnership discussions.

• Keep a current and precise overview of pricing for all essential components, including base prices, freight, tariffs, and volume-related adjustments; alert leadership to pricing changes before they impact quotes or customer contracts.

• Maintain an updated and accurate understanding of lead times for all critical components, taking into account supplier capacity limitations, seasonal trends, and any supplier-related occurrences that could alter delivery timelines.

• Develop and preserve historical records of pricing and lead times for use in quote formulation, contract negotiations, force majeure and cost-recovery situations, and annual budgeting activities.

• Identify alternative sources for components when current supply is limited, single-sourced, or poses significant risk; establish and qualify backup suppliers as part of enhancing supply chain resilience.

• Assist in quote formulation and customer pricing decisions by supplying accurate, up-to-date cost and lead time information to commercial and engineering teams.

• Maintain oversight of all open purchase orders related to critical components and contract manufacturing partnerships, with a clear understanding of expected and actual ship dates, as well as any delays in between.

• Implement a structured shipment tracking process with documented escalation procedures; identify late or potentially at-risk shipments early enough to allow for corrective measures before manufacturing schedules are impacted.

• Collaborate with manufacturing partners, customs brokers, and freight forwarders to expedite shipments when production schedules necessitate, including air freight decisions, partial shipment arrangements, and routing modifications.

• Proactively communicate with manufacturing, service, and customer-facing teams regarding supply chain events that may influence downstream commitments, ensuring that downstream stakeholders receive sufficient lead time to adjust their plans accordingly.

• Perform post-event analyses on significant supply chain disruptions to uncover root causes and implement process enhancements that lower the chances of recurrence.

• Oversee the daily purchase order lifecycle across the company's procurement systems, which includes PO creation, updates, pricing reconciliation, and resolving receiving and invoicing issues.

• Ensure accurate vendor master data, item master data, and purchase order records in the company's enterprise resource planning and product lifecycle management systems.

• Contribute to the company's enterprise systems landscape transition by providing procurement insights and preparing data for the rollout and maturation of enterprise resource planning, product lifecycle management, and service management platforms.

• Reconcile purchase order discrepancies with contract manufacturers, handling bill of materials cost differences, change order pricing, and reconciling credit notes and adjustment POs.

• Collaborate with the Senior Operations Manager, the Chief Operating Officer, Engineering, Quality, Compliance, and Finance on initiatives that span procurement and related functions.

• Engage in the company's daily and weekly operational review cycles; add procurement insights to discussions regarding project status, customer commitments, and operational risks.

• Assist in engineering change request and engineering change notice processes where procurement insights are necessary, including component substitution decisions, implementation of supplier changes, and updates to bills of materials.

• Travel up to 20% of the time to facilitate vendor management activities at ThermalWorks sites, manufacturing partner locations, supplier facilities, and industry events as needed.

• Exercise professional discretion when managing confidential commercial information, which includes supplier pricing, contract terms, internal cost data, and customer-facing pricing strategies.

⛳️ Requirements

• A bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Operations Management, Industrial Engineering, or a closely related field; equivalent professional experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.

• Five to ten years of progressive experience in procurement, purchasing, or supply chain management within a manufacturing setting. Experience supporting multi-site or multi-country operations is highly preferred.

• Proven experience managing the complete purchase order lifecycle, which includes PO creation, updates, pricing reconciliation, and resolution of supplier issues.

• Demonstrated ability to manage vendor and supplier relationships, maintaining a structured communication cadence, performance reviews, and escalation procedures.

• Experience working with materials planning and inventory management methodologies such as Just-In-Time (JIT) and Material Requirements Planning (MRP).

• Professional certification in supply chain management or procurement, such as Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP), Certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM), Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM), or equivalent.

• Direct experience with Epicor, particularly in a manufacturing context where Epicor serves as the primary system for procurement and inventory management.

• Hands-on experience with international sourcing, including suppliers located in Europe and Asia; familiarity with import logistics, tariffs, customs documentation, and Incoterms.

• Experience with cost reduction initiatives that have yielded measurable improvements in expedited costs, freight expenses, purchase price variance, or supplier-driven obsolescence.

• Familiarity with supporting a manufacturing firm through the implementation or migration of enterprise resource planning systems.

• Experience in supervising or mentoring junior procurement staff, materials planners, or buyers.

• Knowledge of the HVAC, data center cooling, industrial equipment, or related manufacturing industries.

• Proficiency in one or more European languages, given the company's active operations in Europe.

🏝️ Benefits

• A dynamic, entrepreneurial culture centered on innovation.

• A flexible and autonomous work environment.

• A culture that emphasizes respect, learning, and excellence.

• Collaboration with experienced, highly skilled professionals as team peers.

• Opportunities for growth and travel.

• Be part of a team of change-makers that significantly impacts people and the planet.