Category Specialist – Procurement and Supply Chain

Job description

At ABB, we help industries run leaner and cleaner—and every person here makes that happen. You’ll be empowered to lead, supported to grow, and proud of the impact we create together. Join us and help run what runs the world. This Position reports to: Purchasing Manager ABB Canada is hiring a Procurement Category Specialist. This is a fast-paced, highly collaborative role focused on the strategic sourcing and procurement of mechanical commodities supporting ABB Canada's manufacturing operations. The Mechanical Commodity Buyer partners closely with Engineering, Manufacturing, Planning, Quality, Logistics, and suppliers to ensure the continuous supply of mechanical components while achieving cost, quality, delivery, and sustainability objectives. The successful candidate will be responsible for developing and executing commodity strategies for mechanical components such as machined parts, castings, forgings, sheet metal, fabricated assemblies, plastic molded components, enclosures, fasteners, and other mechanical products. The role requires a strong understanding of supplier capabilities, manufacturing processes, cost drivers, and market trends to optimize supplier performance and ensure supply continuity. Success in this position requires excellent analytical, negotiation, and project management skills, along with the ability to build strong supplier relationships and collaborate across multiple functions. The Mechanical Commodity Buyer will proactively identify supply risks, drive continuous improvement initiatives, negotiate commercial agreements, and support ABB's operational and strategic objectives. This position supports ABB Canada's Automation, Measurement & Analytics division and is based in Québec. The work model is hybrid, with three days per week on site. Responsibilities Commodity Strategy: develop and implement commodity strategies for mechanical components, castings, forgings, and plastics, ensuring that suppliers can meet current and future business requirements, as well as ensuring that all relevant parties grasp strategies and execute processes accordingly. Strategic Sourcing: lead RFQs, supplier evaluations, commercial negotiations, and contract management activities for mechanical components and assemblies. Conduct market research and analysis to identify trends, pricing fluctuations, and new supplier opportunities. Communicate market trends including market drivers, cost structures, supply outlooks and technical developments. Supplier Relationship Management: develop strong relationships with strategic suppliers while monitoring supplier performance through key performance indicators, including quality, on-time delivery, responsiveness, cost competitiveness, and capacity. Cost Optimization: identify and execute cost reduction opportunities through competitive sourcing, supplier negotiations, value engineering, productivity initiatives, and should-cost analysis. Supply Continuity & Risk Management: identify and mitigate supply chain risks related to supplier capacity, raw material availability, geopolitical events, long lead-time components, and single-source suppliers. Develop contingency plans to ensure business continuity. Continuous improvement – drive actions to increase category maturity including the use of digital tools to augment visibility to tier-N spend and proactively manage risks. Cross-Functional Collaboration: partner with Engineering, Manufacturing, Planning, Quality, Logistics, Operations & Global Counterpart to resolve supply issues, support manufacturing requirements, improve supplier performance, and implement sourcing initiatives. Engineering Change & Lifecycle Support: support Engineering Change Orders (ECOs), supplier changes, product transfers, and lifecycle management activities to ensure uninterrupted supply. Capacity & Demand Management: collaborate with suppliers and internal planning teams to ensure adequate production capacity and material availability to meet changing customer demand. Supplier Development: drive supplier development initiatives, corrective actions, continuous improvement projects, and performance reviews in collaboration with Supplier Quality. Defining and establishing local standard agreements with all major suppliers, while providing and maintaining standard terms in purchase contracts/terms and conditions in line with company directives and guidelines. Compliance & Reporting: ensure procurement activities comply with ABB policies, contractual requirements, and regulatory standards. Prepare and communicate reports on supplier performance, cost savings, sourcing initiatives, and supply chain risks. Qualifications A Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Engineering, Production/Operations management, Supply Chain or closely related field. Minimum 10 years of experience in strategic sourcing, procurement, or commodity management within a manufacturing or industrial environment. Strong experience sourcing mechanical commodities such as machined components, castings, forgings, sheet metal, plastics, fabricated assemblies, motors, fasteners, and custom mechanical parts. Experience developing commodity strategies, managing supplier relationships, and negotiating commercial agreements. Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, technical specifications, and Bills of Materials (BOMs). Strong understanding of mechanical manufacturing processes, including machining, fabrication, stamping, casting, injection molding, welding, and assembly. Proven experience leading supplier negotiations, cost reduction initiatives, and supplier performance improvement programs. Strong analytical, negotiation, project management, and stakeholder management skills. Experience with ERP systems (SAP preferred) and Microsoft Office, particularly Excel. Bilingual (French & English); English required to communicate with global suppliers and stakeholders outside Québec. Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Value Engineering, Supplier Development, and Continuous Improvement methodologies is considered an asset. This job posting is also available in French under the title "Spécialiste de catégorie - Achats et approvisionnement". Employment Equity & Inclusion Statement (Canada) ABB values the dedication, commitment, and expertise of all our employees. As an Employment Equity Employer, we are committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace. We actively support the principles of the Employment Equity Act and strive to build a workforce that reflects Canada’s diversity, including: • Women • Indigenous Peoples • Members of visible minorities • Persons with disabilities ABB is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you require accommodation during any stage of the recruitment process, we encourage you to let us know.