Director of Procurement

Founded in Japan in 1887, Kao is passionate about making a difference in people's lives with our high quality products and services to create a Kirei Life for all - a beautiful life that respects the needs of our consumers and customers as well as the planet. We never compromise on quality and craft our products with care for the consumer and the environment.

As a company driven by purpose and strong corporate values we pride ourselves to be listed among the World's Most Ethical Companies since 16 consecutive years. Our corporate philosophy, the Kao Way, guides us in everything we do - acting with integrity, courageously driving innovation and treating each other with trust and respect.

Washing Systems, LLC (WSI), now part of the Kao family of companies, seeks a highly self-motivated Director of Procurement to join our thriving team.  WSI is the largest supplier of laundry chemicals to the commercial laundry industry in North America.  WSI provides high quality chemical products for both uniform and linen rental companies.  The Director of Procurement is responsible for the strategic leadership and development of sources for product manufacturing and distribution.

Reporting to the Vice President of Operations, the Director of Procurement will be responsible for a wide range of procurement functions including vendor management and relationships, purchasing, cost control, negotiation, and inventory control.  In addition, the Director of Procurement will be responsible for cost management, control, and reporting. 

Science-based. Performance-focused.  WSI is the leading provider of innovative products and services to the commercial laundry processing industry.  Driven by comprehensive technological innovations, WSI delivers powerful advancements in the cleaning, processing, and the disinfection of textiles.  Culturally progressive, WSI consistently maximizes plant efficiencies, while increasing productivity and reducing the environmental footprint for our manufacturing sites and customer sites.  While serving North America and Europe, WSI’s global headquarters reside in Ohio.  Additional offices are located across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.  Please visit our website for more information: www.washingsystems.com.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBLITIES AND TASKS:

Responsibilities and tasks are written as follows:

1. Overall responsibility for supply chain and product manufacturing which includes the selection of outside toll blenders, strategic locations, and final product pricing.
2. Lead and direct a team of procurement specialists.
3. Set policies and procedures on all matters concerning the distribution of finished products.
4. Overall responsibility for order processing via partnership with WSI’s Customer Service Manager.
5. Participate in vendor negotiations to ensure product relevance and cost-efficiency.
6. Develops and maintains relationships with key suppliers.
7. Responsible for new vendor set-up for production vendors.
8. Maintains master list of approved suppliers and subcontractors ensuring ISO certifications.
9. Manages, monitors and documents vendor quality and delivery performance for critical suppliers.
10. Performs ongoing market analysis and reporting of cost and other trends for raw materials.
11. Attend industry meetings as needed to develop and maintain strong supplier relationships and to monitor market conditions.
12. Verification of raw material and packaging setup and procedures.
13. Responsible for providing procurement forecasts.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. May perform other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.  The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals to perform the essential functions. 

• Bachelor’s degree required with 10+ years of procurement experience.
• Engineering, Chemistry, or other Technical training is preferred.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills as well as interpersonal, analytical, and presentation skills.
• Prior experience in purchasing and negotiations a must with knowledge of transportation and logistics preferred.
• High level of detail accuracy. Excellent organization skills.  Ability to handle multiple tasks efficiently and productively.
• Excellent customer service attitude is a must. Excellent computer and data manipulation skills.  Excellent vendor management skills.
• Ability to travel 30% of the time or more as necessary including international travel several times per year.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those an employee should possess to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Specific vision abilities required include close vision, distance vision and ability to adjust focus.
• Frequently required to sit, use hands to handle, or feel, and talk or hear.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Corporate working environment.
• Noise level in the Corporate working environment is usually moderate.