Sourcing Project Manager

Company Description Unirac is a national leader in the solar PV structural mounting industry. We enable our customers to power the world with clean, abundant energy by creating dependable, innovative mounting solutions. Unirac is a fast-paced work environment and is growing rapidly with many changes and new opportunities arising regularly.

Company Culture

High performing, ethical culture centered around an entrepreneurial spirit and challenging work.

Position Summary

Under limited direction, the Sourcing Project Manager primarily represents new product development initiatives. This role leads the development of sourcing strategies and facilitates negotiations related to new products, projects, and value engineering initiatives. The ideal candidate is highly motivated, seasoned, and drives decision-making, with extensive knowledge of roll forming, aluminum extrusion, metal stamping, die casting, cold forming, injection molding, fabrication, and assembly. The sourcing manager facilitates make/buy assessments using relevant costing.

Primary Responsibilities/Duties

• Identify potential suppliers, build business relationships, ensure suppliers meet the project’s technical requirements, and support supplier qualification activities.
• Develops, prepares, and maintains reporting, tracking, and analysis tools for the Gateway supply chain-related activities.
• Engage with other engineering teams to facilitate early supplier involvement during the introduction of a new product.
• Determines supplier capabilities, tooling, part costs, lead times, design guides, and samples. Identify supplier innovation and direct the engineering teams to support opportunities for lower total cost. Proactively seek new technologies and offer these technologies as solutions where appropriate.
• Quantifies and mitigates supplier risk by analyzing suppliers’ financial health, customer base, raw material supply chain, industry analysis, and geo-political and natural disaster exposure. Assesses total cost of ownership.
• Analyzes and implements inventory strategies that achieve the optimal balance between the need for operational flexibility and manufacturing flow, the minimization of working capital requirements, and the avoidance of write-offs due to obsolescence. Utilizing the plan for every part (PFEP) methodology, seeks structured routine input from and regularly coordinates with the supply chain team and subject matter experts.
• Take part in product concept reviews and down selection. Identify and recommend ideal manufacturing solutions, processes, techniques, and technologies.
• Takes part in detailed design reviews and leads the DFM process of top concept. Review supplier DFM feedback, analyze, summarize, and present to the extended team.
• Support design and quality lead in DFMEA completion; Lead & complete pilot build & PFMEA
• Identify tooling and overall production resources needed to meet design and volume requirements. Develop tooling and process qualification, ramp-up, maintenance, and replacement plans. TRA (Tooling Release Authorization) and PRA (Product Release Authorization). Lead and complete qualification via FA review and approval.
• Facilitate and lead Value Analysis and Value Engineering (VA/VE) processes. Facilitate and lead root cause problem investigation and resolution through design prevention.
• Develop and implement strategies to improve supplier productivity/quality and ensure supply chain continuity.
• Coordinates with suppliers and supply chain to set up MRP and POs, ensures timely completion of FAs and PPAPs, schedules pilot builds, and encourages advanced planning for the creation of standard work, tooling, fixtures, gauges, layout plans, training, and capacity to meet SQDC targets associated with product implementation and ramp plans.

Skill Requirements

• 7+ years of sourcing and project management experience required.
• Experience with Lean supply chain tools preferred.
• Ability to manage multiple projects concurrently.
• Proven presentation skills with the ability to garner buy-in.
• Three to five years of experience in fast-paced product development cycle and manufacturing.
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Excellent organizational skills – ability to multi-task.
• Self-starter with a desire to succeed; takes initiative.
• High analytical skills with the ability to quickly review information and identify solutions.
• Agility and willingness to work in a challenging, fast-paced work environment.
• Effectively problem-solve, prioritize, and follow through on assignments and projects.

Education Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree in supply management or business or equivalent experience is required.
• CPSM/CSM/CPM or APICS CPIM/CSCP certifications, preferred.

Benefits

• Competitive Compensation Package
• Alternative work schedules
• Affordable Healthcare Benefits Package (Medical, Dental, Vision, Disability & Life/AD&D insurance, 401K)

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.