Senior Group Manager, Direct Procurement

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

📋 Description

• Lead, build, and nurture a high-performing team comprising procurement managers, category leads, and sourcing specialists.

• Create departmental operating rhythms, performance benchmarks, KPIs, workload distribution, and professional development pathways.

• Define and oversee departmental budgets, resource allocation, and operational priorities.

• Develop and implement mid- to long-term direct procurement strategies, commodity roadmaps, and sourcing policies across BESS subsystems.

• Convert business objectives into category plans, localization strategies, and multi-year cost-reduction strategies.

• Establish and enhance procurement procedures, governance frameworks, and supplier risk-management protocols.

• Assume commercial responsibility and financial oversight for direct procurement expenditures.

• Lead negotiations for supply contracts, master service agreements, tooling commitments, capacity reservations, and intellectual property agreements.

• Create standards for should-cost modeling and financial business cases.

• Conduct analyses on stakeholders, market conditions, and supply chain risks.

• Supervise supplier industrialization, launch readiness, and ramp execution in collaboration with Manufacturing and Supplier Technical Assistance.

• Address and resolve critical supplier disputes, commercial claims, and supply continuity issues.

• Collaborate with Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Program Management, Finance, Legal, and Logistics on design-to-value assessments, make-vs.-buy analyses, and technology roadmaps.

• Prepare briefings and recommendations for executive leadership.

• Represent Ford Energy in high-level external engagements with supplier executives.

⛳️ Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Purchasing, Business Administration, or Engineering.

• Over 10 years of direct procurement, strategic sourcing, category management, or supplier commercial experience.

• At least 3 years of formal leadership experience in managing, mentoring, and developing procurement teams.

• A minimum of 3 years of experience in the automotive, battery energy storage systems (BESS), power electronics, industrial equipment, or high-volume manufacturing sectors.

• More than 3 years of commercial experience with complex commodities, including power electronics, inverters, thermal management, lithium-ion battery cells/modules, fabricated structural enclosures, or high-voltage electrical distribution.

• Willingness to travel 25% domestically and internationally.

• Proven ability to lead a functional department, establish strategic direction, manage performance, and cultivate a collaborative, high-accountability team environment.

• Demonstrated experience in structuring and negotiating multi-million-dollar complex supply agreements covering commercial terms, warranties, tooling, capacity, and risk allocation mechanisms.

• Strong understanding of should-cost modeling, total cost of ownership factors, design-to-cost principles, capital budgeting, and manufacturing cost structures.

• Capability to diagnose complex supply chain challenges, perform risk assessments, and implement mitigation strategies under tight timelines.

• Exceptional communication abilities and capacity to influence peer managers, cross-functional partners, executive leadership, and senior external stakeholders.

• Must have legal authorization to work in the United States.

• Visa sponsorship is not available.

🏝️ Benefits

• Performance-based bonuses.

• Discounts on Ford vehicles.

• Immediate coverage for medical, dental, vision, and prescription drugs.

• Flexible family care days.

• Paid parental leave.

• Programs to assist new parents in ramping up.

• Subsidized backup childcare.

• Reimbursement for adoption and surrogacy expenses.

• Coverage for fertility treatments.

• Vehicle discount program for employees and family members, along with management leases.

• Tuition assistance.

• Active employee resource groups.

• Paid time off for individual and team community service.

• Generous schedule of paid holidays, including the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day.

• Paid time off.

• Option to purchase additional vacation time.