If you combine your automotive industry purchasing expertise with an entrepreneurial spirit and a results orientation, this position offers you some very compelling opportunities. You will:

• Make a visible impact across 10 locations (and growing) in the U.S. and Mexico in multiple ways, including:
  • Ensuring our purchasing program includes a strong team, great suppliers, discerning criteria, clear policies, and industry best practices
  • Optimizing the supply base to accommodate strong growth over the next few years
• Showcase your potential to advance; we are proactive about succession planning and hiring with an eye to the future
• Join at an exciting time -- we have a number of strategic initiatives under way, such as upgrading facilities, ramping up production of innovative new vehicles, and more

Utilimaster moves ahead of the competition when commercial trucks and upfit services require precision, planning, peerless people, and the perfect vehicle. Our vehicles deliver for well-respected global brands in the package delivery, ecommerce, food and beverage, linen and laundry, grocery and pharmaceutical markets. Utilimaster is a top-tier go-to-market brand of The Shyft Group (NASDAQ: SHYF), North America's leader in specialty vehicle manufacturing, assembly, and upfit for the commercial, retail, and service specialty vehicle markets. The Shyft Group rebranded in 2020 to reflect a new focus on high-growth end markets to help ensure long-term profitable growth.

Pictured: Utilimaster's Velocity F-Series offers big-truck interior space without requiring a commercial driver's license -- thus expanding the pool of potential drivers for fleet operators. You will see these vehicles on the road and be able to tell friends and family, "I'm part of the team that builds those."

To meet the basic qualification for this role, you will have legal authorization to work permanently in the United States for any employer. In addition, to be a good fit for the Purchasing Manager opportunity, you will have:

• A bachelor’s degree in Business, Materials Management, Finance, Engineering, or Operations
• 8 to 10 years of experience in a professional procurement role with exposure to a variety of manufacturing processes and commodities
• Purchasing/sourcing experience in specialty vehicle manufacturing (truck, bus, agriculture, construction, etc.)
• Experience in companies with revenues of at least $500 million
• Demonstrated people management skills, including coaching and training
• Experience developing and executing both short and long-term purchasing/sourcing strategy
• Knowledge of global commodity pricing
• Knowledge of auto industry standards such as ISO 9001, IATF, APQP, etc.
• Experience evaluating and auditing suppliers
• Extensive knowledge of all aspects of business operations, including finance, accounting, legal, materials management, engineering, quality, manufacturing, etc.
• Proven negotiation skills
• Initiative and the ability to assess processes and performance, identify opportunities to improve, and take action
• The ability to achieve individual goals independently and also contribute as a team player

Preferred but not required:

• Experience sourcing products overseas (globally)
• Certified Purchasing Manager (CPM)
• Bilingual skills in English and either Spanish or Mandarin
• Experience traveling internationally to evaluate/manage suppliers, ideally in Asia

As an essential business, we have strong protocols in place protecting our employees and safeguarding their health, across all of our campus operations. Initially, you will work from home and also come into the plant as needed. Once it is safe to do so, we'll expect you to be on site Monday through Friday. In addition, you will need to be willing and able to travel, domestically and internationally, 25% to 40% of the time.

You will be responsible for a team of supply chain professionals across all Fleet Vehicle & Services (FVS) locations while supporting the FVS leadership management team to achieve overall company goals and objectives. This will include:

• Identifying, developing, and implementing supplier and product value stream improvement initiatives with assigned suppliers
• Leading all strategic sourcing activities, cost targeting, supplier performance metrics, supplier development, and VA/VE initiatives across all FVS manufacturing facilities
• Ensuring that suppliers are meeting operational requirements, delivering quality products on-time or as required by the manufacturing operations manager
• Setting annual goals and also developing a 3- to 5-year roadmap for purchasing

The team you'll lead includes 8 direct reports and about 10 indirect reports. You'll also work with operations leaders and present regularly to corporate executives. Here's a sampling of your specific responsibilities:

• Supporting local plant managers, resolving local supply chain issues, and communicating solutions to FVS’ Leadership Management Team
• Implementing, practicing, and coaching local supply chain team members on supply chain best practices
• Identifying and qualifying suppliers to support local requirements and initiatives across all FVS locations
• Identifying opportunities for improvements with our supply base across all locations
• Reviewing and analyzing commodity spend and establishing strategic sources to reduce piece price, logistics costs, and lead times
• Identifying potential supplier risks by performing supplier assessments with respect to capacity, technical and manufacturing capabilities and implement mitigation strategies
• And more

Note: this description is intended to give you a general overview of the position and is not an exhaustive listing of duties and responsibilities.

Move the needle
We have solid supply chain structures in place, but in our continuous improvement culture, we believe a focused and driven leader can make a good thing even better. In addition, with many changes underway, it is an ideal time to ensure we optimize our operations.

Stability and growth
The Shyft Group is financially sound and will continue to be an aggressive market disrupter through strategic acquisitions, relevant product innovations, and aggressive growth models that serve strong and growing end markets. Be assured, our accelerated growth trajectory will create opportunities for strong performers.

Focused transformation
Utilimaster, alongside The Shyft Group's family of well-respected brands, continues to lead in every segment in which they compete. The Shyft name represents speed, efficiency, agility, and a high-intensity approach, which corresponds with the company's pivot in market focus and the forward momentum garnered in the work truck, specialty service, and delivery vehicle markets.

Driven to deliver
Ever evolving and advancing, The Shyft Group is driven to make an impactful difference in how effectively goods, people, and services are delivered in today's and tomorrow's marketplace. Through our unmatched industry knowledge, engineering expertise, and manufacturing reach, we continue to deliver job-enhancing, efficiency-driving, ever-reliable products and services made for the road ahead.

Excellent compensation
In addition to a competitive salary and bonus, we offer medical, dental, vision, and prescription insurance plans; a health savings account; a flexible savings account; wellness credits; a wellness program; a 401(k) plan with a corporate match; an employee stock purchase program and more.

If you are the professional we're looking for, you have "fire in the belly" when it comes to driving improvements. You take ownership of your big-picture goals and you don't need step-by-step direction. Instead, you see what needs to be done, develop a plan to accomplish it, and present the plan to executives for approval. You have the confidence and leadership skills to rally the necessary people and resources and make things happen. That makes you an excellent match for our environment, as your supervisor believes strongly in pay for performance.

We understand that there will be a learning curve, and we'll provide training and support. At the same time, we'll look to you to leverage your knowledge and experience to start making an impact from Day One. In our fast-paced environment, you will be versatile and flexible, and able to pivot quickly to manage constantly changing priorities effectively. Against this backdrop, you will need to maintain a commitment to excellence and uphold high standards.

As a change leader, you will need to influence people and help them get on board with improvements. On the whole, you should use a collaborative and motivating approach, but at times you will need to be assertive. In addition, in order to be an outstanding Purchasing Manager, you will:

• Set clear expectations, provide support, and hold people accountable
• Combine analytical skills with creativity in solving problems and conflicts
• Bring a strong sense of urgency, but also take the time necessary to ensure high-quality results
• Keep a constant eye out for opportunities to improve processes. and cut costs