Sr. Project Buyer, NPD – NPD Sourcing

Job Description

Sr. Project Buyer- New Product Development | Koch Industries

The Tone:
This is a full-time role at Molex’s Transportation Solutions Business Unit (TSBU), a Koch Industries company, likely located in Michigan, USA, given Koch’s presence and the collaborative nature of the role with plant teams. Molex’s TSBU develops and manufactures transportation solutions that rely on direct raw materials like metals, resins, and seals. This role is critical for driving new product development by leading sourcing efforts, optimizing total cost, mitigating supply risk, and enhancing supplier performance for vital components.

The TL;DR
• Role: Full Time
• Type: Full-time
• Location: In-person – Michigan, USA
• Team: Molex’s Transportation Solutions Business Unit (TSBU), partnering with engineering, product development, operations, quality.
• Mission: Lead sourcing support for New Product Development and category strategy execution across direct raw materials for the TSBU.
• Tech Stack: Advanced Excel, spend analytics, procurement tools, business intelligence tools

What You’ll Actually Do
• Procurement & NPD Strategy: Execute NPD sourcing strategies that align with category plans, program timing, customer requirements, and business objectives.
• Cross-functional Leadership: Serve as the procurement point of contact for assigned programs, providing supplier, material, cost, risk, and opportunity insights to cross-functional project teams.
• Sourcing & Negotiation: Lead source selection activities using Molex sourcing processes, total landed cost analysis, RFQs, supplier capability assessments, and commercial negotiations.
• Value Analysis & Cost Reduction: Support cost reduction and value creation through leverage development, VAVE support, payment term improvement, and lifecycle cost management.
• Supplier & Quality Management: Collaborate with supplier quality, engineering, operations, and plant teams to improve quality, address material issues, and reduce disruption.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, or a related discipline, demonstrating senior-level capabilities.
• Experience: 3+ years in strategic sourcing, category management, procurement, supply chain, or related commercial/technical roles, including leading or supporting supplier negotiations, RFQs, cost analysis, TCO improvement initiatives, and VAVE or cost-reduction projects.
• Skills: Strong analytical capability, advanced Excel skills, experience using spend analytics, procurement, or business intelligence tools, ability to lead cross-functional work with influence, and capacity to assess supply risk and develop mitigation plans.
• Bonus: Experience applying financial, economic, and total landed cost analysis to sourcing decisions; technical knowledge of metals strip, resins, stampings, seals, connectors, or related manufacturing processes; experience in automotive, raw materials, electronics, or connector-related supply chains; proven track record delivering measurable cost savings, VAVE results, or supplier performance improvements.