Senior Buyer

At a Glance

Legrand has an exciting opportunity for a Senior Buyer to join the Focal Point Team in Chicago, IL. The Senior Buyer is responsible for all the purchasing, planning and acquisition activities related to their assigned commodities and is expected to exercise a greater degree of initiative, creativity, pro-activity, and self-direction.  He/she must devise strategies for their assigned commodities and anticipate opportunities and threats in relation to the marketplace and current or future economic conditions.  The Senior Buyer works with planning, engineering, accounting, manufacturing, sales, and customer service to improve “Purchasing Value Added Services” to expand the purchasing sphere of influence into all activities that affect the purchasing function.  This position reports to the Procurement Manager.

What Will You Do?

• Develop and maintain long term supplier relationships that will provide competitive advantages with lowest total cost, high quality products, and superior customer service
• Assure that all system generated planning tasks are executed, and purchase orders are issued and updated in a timely manner
• Assure that all system data is maintained, for assigned materials and suppliers
• Determine ordering, lot size, inventory type (consignment, VMI, Kanban, blanket, etc.) policies and strategies for assigned commodities
• Assure that all inventory control tasks are executed
• Manage sourcing/procurement activities, including RFQ’s, delivery management, etc. for assigned commodities
• Develop strategies to mitigate unfavorable purchase price variances
• Engage in cost reduction activities developing strategies to generate cost reductions and meet savings targets
• Manage supplier quality/certification activities, including new supplier creation and set-up
• Monitor supplier performance measurements and targets – implement corrective actions when needed
• Support the continuous rationalization and optimization of the supplier base
• Participate and/or lead negotiation activities
• Manage the organization’s minority spend policies
• Continuously monitor and report on market trends for assigned commodities
• Support compliance and sustainability activities, i.e. RoHS, Conflict Minerals, etc.
• Manage efforts to develop, implement and monitor supply chain risks – measure risk level and act to conform to the organization’s policies
• Assist in engineering development activities as purchasing representative, as needed
• Other duties as assigned

Required Skills

Competencies:

• Ethical and professional behavior of a purchasing professional
• Effective oral and written communication skills
• Strong negotiating skills
• Ability to work in stressful situations and obtain win-win solutions
• Self-starter, motivated by a passion for detail and follow up
• Analytical prowess, problem-solving ability

Qualifications:

• Five (5) plus years’ experience in a relevant purchasing/materials management position in a manufacturing environment. A broad base of experience in various OEM backgrounds preferred
• Institute of Supply Management (ISM) certification and/or APICS certification preferred
• Proficient in Microsoft office software (Excel, Word, Power Point, etc.) and ERP systems (JD Edwards preferred).
• Lean experience is a plus
• International procurement experience is desirable
• Bachelor’s degree in a related field such as Management, Engineering, Supply Chain and/or relevant work experience. MBA is a plus.

The Company:

For more than 25 years, Focal Point, a brand of Legrand, has brought it all to light with beautiful, efficient luminaires and acoustic solutions that stand the test of time, human-centric technology, and a commitment to being easy to do business with. We are vertically integrated, Chicago-based architectural lighting and integrated acoustical systems manufacturer and pride ourselves on delivering exceptional products and services to those who specify and install them. Because we’re separated by hallways and not highways, we control the process from conceptual design, to engineering, to manufacturing, through to shipping. As a result, we provide superior quality, customization capabilities, and quick answers, all from right here, in the middle of America.

About Legrand

Representing more than 150 years of innovation, Legrand is the global specialist in electrical and digital building infrastructures. Our purpose is improving lives by transforming the spaces where people live, work and meet with electrical and digital infrastructures and connected solutions that are simple, innovative and sustainable. Every day, over 39,000 Legrand employees work hard to enhance the buildings of tomorrow. Legrand is a global, publicly traded company listed on the Euronext (Legrand SA EPA: LR) with revenue of €7 billion, and products sold in 180 countries. For more information, visit www.legrandgroup.com/en

About Legrand North and Central America

Legrand North and Central America (LNCA) employs over 6,500 associates in 50 locations, working across six divisions/sector: Audio Visual, Building Controls Systems, Data Power and Controls, Electrical Wiring Systems, and Lighting.  We hold a leading position in every North American market we serve and focus on exceeding our customers’ needs within the commercial, residential, and industrial industries. LNCA offers comprehensive medical, dental and vision coverage, as well as distinctive benefits like a high employer 401K match, above-benchmark paid maternity and parental leave, paid time off to volunteer, and an active/growing Employee Resource Group network.  LNCA is an employee-centered, growing company with tremendous opportunity.  For more information, visit legrand.us

About Legrand’s Lighting Sector

Legrand’s Lighting Sector consists of five lighting brands; Pinnacle, Finelite, Focal Point, and OCL which focus on architectural, decorative, and downlighting and Kenall which focuses on lighting for demanding environments.  We employ a talented group of employees that love lighting to design and manufacture high performance, energy efficient LED lighting solutions for applications in commercial, educational, healthcare, as well as challenging environments such as tunnels and correctional facilities.  With an eye toward sustainable design, our focus is on specification-oriented products and solutions that meet the functional needs of spaces while working in harmony with the designer’s vision for those spaces. We work with architects, engineers, and contractors to supply lighting built specifically for their client’s projects.   

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Equal Opportunity Employer