Category Buyer - Cowling

Are you ready for what’s next?   Come explore opportunities within Brunswick, a global marine leader committed to challenging conventions and innovating next-generation technologies that transform experiences on the water and beyond.  Brunswick believes “Next Never Rests™,” and we offer a variety of exciting careers and growth opportunities within united teams defining the future of marine recreation.  Location: Fond du Lac, WI Workplace Category: Hybrid; 3+ days in office per week Travel Required: 20% Direct Reports: Yes Pay Range:  $73,600 – $106,200 Visa Sponsorship: Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States.  This position is not eligible for employment visa sponsorship now or in the future.   Relocation: Yes Innovation is the heart of Brunswick.  See how your contributions will help transform vision into reality The Category Buyer is a key individual contributor in Mercury’s global direct material procurement organization, focused on highly engineered and complex cowl systems.  Reporting to the Category Manager, the Category Buyer helps develop and execute sourcing and supplier management strategies to continuously improve cost competitiveness, quality, delivery, and innovation to support Mercury’s global manufacturing operations and product development efforts. At Brunswick, we have passion for our work and a distinct ability to deliver.  Essential Functions: Supplier Management Proactively build and maintain constructive business relationships with suppliers and internal customers to understand needs and facilitate collaboration across all stakeholders to deliver expected results. Demonstrated behaviors should include the ability to effectively: Proactively support the Category Team in strategy development, execution, and communication while providing supplier and market intelligence to support decision making. Visit current and potential suppliers to evaluate capabilities, assess risk, develop category expertise, and maintain visibility to supplier operations, capacity, industries, and markets Conduct in-person business reviews with suppliers to drive accountability and continuous improvement in quality, delivery, cost, and capacity performance. Facilitate Requests for Quote, analyze quotations, and build supplier selection recommendations based on total landed cost, capabilities, risk, capacity, and business requirements. For new or changing component designs, obtain supplier quotations and feasibility assessments to ensure manufacturability, cost, timing, and capacity requirements are fully understood prior to sourcing decisions. Execute purchase orders, requisitions, and appropriation requests for the purchasing of tooling, components, and services as required Identify supplier risks and develop mitigation plans to support business continuity and uninterrupted supply. Drive supplier performance improvement activities utilizing Mercury's Supplier Progress Review process and related continuous improvement tools. Monitor supplier capacity and readiness to support current and future production requirements. Project Management Manage projects in a collaborative, thorough, and detail-oriented manner to ensure quality, cost, and timing objectives are achieved. Demonstrated behaviors should include the ability to effectively: Utilize effective project management tools to ensure timely completion of sourcing, supplier development, and new product launch activities. Manage supplier-driven and Mercury-driven changes through established change management processes. Develop, align, monitor, and communicate project schedules with suppliers and internal stakeholders to manage risk and ensure successful execution. Coordinate supplier readiness activities supporting new product launches, engineering changes, and production transitions. Lead supplier action plans and recovery activities when performance gaps or project risks are identified. Ensure supplier deliverables and milestones are completed in alignment with program timing requirements. Cost Management Drive cost optimization for Mercury in all sourcing and supplier management activities. Demonstrated behaviors should include the ability to effectively: Conduct detailed analysis of supplier quotations and commercial proposals utilizing industry benchmarks, market data, and should-cost methodologies. Develop cost reduction opportunities through supplier collaboration, value analysis, process improvements, and sourcing initiatives. Manage tooling lifecycle activities with suppliers, including monitoring condition, capacity, maintenance requirements, and replacement planning. Support processes to quantify and recover costs associated with supplier performance issues. Negotiate commercial agreements, pricing adjustments, tooling investments, and other supplier-related activities to obtain the best possible outcome for Mercury. Support accurate reporting of financials with timely and accurate forecasting of potential future cost changes and diligent use of Mercury’s processes for managing orders and changes Collaboration   Proactively engage all internal and external stakeholders with a positive attitude, effective communication, and a drive that builds mutually beneficial outcomes aligned with Mercury’s strategic needs.  Demonstrated behaviors should include the ability to effectively:  Demonstrate a high level of personal integrity, procurement/category credibility, and focus on common goals that builds trust with stakeholders  Support and actively participate in cross-functional discussions with suppliers  Participate in the decisions being made as part of the team and ensure procurement objectives are understood and aligned cross-functionally  Drive proactive communication of current concerns and emerging issues across all stakeholders, facilitate plans to resolve  Collaborate with the category leader to develop, align, communicate, and champion s