Commodity Manager in Ipswich

Crane Building Services and Utilities (BS&U) is part of the Fluid Handling Division of Crane Co., founded in 1855, which is a global, multi-industry, New York Stock Exchange quoted company. We design, manufacture, package and market engineered flow control solutions for the HVAC and Utility sectors, with strong sales into key growth export markets.

The name Crane speaks of who we are, what we stand for and how our customers perceive us: A company with history and tradition, but also a company that is innovative, quality minded and one which acts with integrity and still holds to the resolution of its founder.

Crane Co. was founded on 4th July 1855 by Richard Teller Crane who made the following resolution:

"I am resolved to conduct my business in the strictest honesty and fairness; to avoid all deception and trickery; to deal fairly with both customers and competitors; to be liberal and just towards employees; and to put my whole mind upon the business."

The essence of this resolution is the business policy of Crane Co. today. We believe that embracing inclusion and diversity is key to our success and as such we are seeking applications from candidates who will contribute their different backgrounds, cultures and experiences to our business.

Position Summary: Reporting to the Group Strategic Sourcing Manager, the Commodity Manager is responsible for developing, executing and continually refining global supply chain strategies for all assigned commodities to deliver industry-leading supplier quality, product/service delivery, customer service levels, total cost and cash-flow performance.

Principle Responsibilities:

• For assigned commodities, lead the execution of a global supply chain strategy that supports Crane objectives for cost reduction, supplier OTD and lead-times, supplier Quality and inventory reduction. This would include actions to rationalize the supply base, drive increased sourcing from low-cost sources, leveraging indirect material/services spend with other Crane business units, and negotiating & implementing Long-Term Supplier Agreements.
• Obtain competitive bids, analyze costs and negotiate contracts with vendors on the basis of total costs to the company commensurate with financial risks, quality standards, and delivery capabilities.
• Upload and maintain integrity of data within Zycus.
• Monitor ongoing supplier performance, support functions / Business Units in resolving chronic supplier performance problems, revise supplier strategies and, if necessary, lead projects to exit poor performing suppliers.
• Lead periodic Business Reviews with key suppliers to review quality, delivery, cost and service performance, progress on strategic initiatives and ensure ongoing strategic alignment between Crane and the Supplier.
• Consistent with CRANE Business System, participates, facilitates, and leads Kaizen events that will eliminate waste, improve pull and one-piece flow, and deliver breakthrough results in growth, safety, quality, delivery, and cost throughout the Supply Chain.
• Engender a spirit of cooperation throughout the supply chain to ensure responsiveness to the customer.

Applicants for this position must be educated to degree level (or equivalent) in an engineering, technical or business management discipline. With a minimum of 5 years’ experience in a global Supply Chain related role, you must be able to demonstrate experience of using supplier performance management best practices to drive continuous improvement across the supplier base. Excellent analytical, problem solving/decision making skills in combination with the ability to make timely, effective, fact-based decisions are essential for this role.

The successful candidate will have a passion for delivering goals and objectives with high quality outcomes through the efficient management of multiple tasks combined with the setting and achievement of clear priorities and have a track record of driving their own self-improvement and professional growth, actively seeking new knowledge and skills.