Buyer
Role Purpose
Results-driven Procurement and Sourcing Analyst role responsible for delivering data-driven purchasing and sourcing outcomes across direct and indirect categories within an automotive manufacturing environment. The role focuses on optimizing total cost of ownership, ensuring supply continuity, and maintaining quality and compliance standards through structured sourcing, supplier performance analysis, and system-based procurement execution. Supports category strategies through spend analytics, market intelligence, supplier evaluation, and commercial comparisons, while collaborating cross-functionally with engineering, operations, finance, and supply chain teams. Acts as a procurement systems SME to enhance process efficiency, reporting accuracy, and governance, while contributing to continuous improvement and cost-reduction initiatives.
Key Tasks include.
· Drive data-led sourcing and purchasing activities for direct materials, indirect categories, MRO, logistics, and services within an automotive manufacturing environment, ensuring optimal total cost of ownership (TCO), quality compliance, and on-time supply.
· Perform detailed spend and demand trend analysis, cost benchmarking, and develop should-cost and scenario-based models to support negotiations and cost control initiatives.
· Lead and support low-to-medium complexity sourcing events including RFQs, bid tabulations, commercial evaluations, and technical compliance checks aligned with engineering and production requirements.
· Manage and optimize end to end procure to Pay (P2P) lifecycle including requisition validation, sourcing, PO creation, invoice reconciliation and payment resolution.
· Analyse supplier price increase/decrease submissions through structured business case modelling, including steel index and commodity index movement analysis, volume forecasts, and financial impact assessment before approval or negotiation.
· Monitor procurement transaction data and ERP signals to support stock replenishment timing, reorder triggers, and supply continuity planning through procurement dashboards
· Operate and optimize ERP and procurement platforms (e.g., Sap, Oracle, QAD etc.) for sourcing events, pricing updates, catalog enablement, supplier onboarding, workflow automation, and transaction tracking; acts as systems SME for user support and trouble shooting.
· Analyse inbound and outbound freight pricing structures, lane costs, and logistics charges, identifying optimization and consolidation opportunities to deliver transport cost savings.
· Evaluate supplier performance using KPIs covering price adherence, delivery reliability, quality metrics, and service levels, performance reports for monthly and quarterly business reviews and drive corrective actions where required.
· Conduct supplier capability, compliance, and risk assessments including financial risk, operational capacity, safety standards, and modern slavery compliance (CSR Compliance) across the supply chain.
· Support supplier onboarding processes including qualification reviews, code of conduct compliance, risk screening, and long-term agreement (LTA) documentation.
· Collaborate with engineering teams to validate specifications, BOM alignment and part number creation through Engineering Change Requests (ECR/ECO processes) prior to material receipt and ERP activation.
· Identify indirect procurement opportunities across contracts, auxiliaries, utilities, and consumables, and develop structured sourcing roadmaps and execution plans for cost reduction projects.
· Liaise cross-functionally with engineering, production planning, supply chain, quality, logistics, and finance teams to align procurement execution with manufacturing schedules and customer delivery requirements.
· Support supplier diversification and dual-sourcing strategies to strengthen sourcing resilience and reduce supply risk exposure.
· Provide analytical and operational procurement support to the internal stakeholders and team members, demonstrating ownership across assigned sourcing portfolios.
Financial Performance:
- Review and resolve pricing discrepancies by validating against negotiated contracts, coordinating corrections with suppliers, and driving savings across the indirect spend portfolio.
- Conduct financial impact assessments—including PPV, trend analysis, and non‑indexed price reviews—to ensure changes align with margin targets and identify cost risks or savings opportunities.
- Evaluate total landed cost models (material, freight, duties, and ancillary charges) to support financially optimal sourcing decisions.
- Analyses forecast vs actual spends and volume consumption to proactively adjust sourcing and purchasing strategies to protect budget targets.
- Conduct working capital impact analysis by reviewing payment terms, inventory exposure, and order quantities to support cash flow optimization.
Education/Certifications
· Qualifications in Business, Engineering or Relevant Industry Experience
· Sound understanding of basic purchasing principles
· Manufacturing or automotive background.
· Experience of ERP systems (MfgPRO preferred)
· Project Management skills to initiate procurement projects and execute them ontime
Required Skills & Knowledge
· Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with advanced Excel/QAD/MRP system capability.
· Strong analytical, organisational and communication skills (written & verbal).
· Ability to work in a cross-functional team environment
· Assertive with a “can do” attitude
· Ability to work unsupervised
· Ability to lead and chair cross functional meetings on a regular basis
OHSE Requirements
· Always follow all Occupational Health & Safety and Environmental policies and procedures
· Look for safety improvements in all aspects of their work
· Always work with a ‘safety mind’ and will not carry out any activity unless
· confident that they have sufficient knowledge to do it safely. If the incumbent is in any doubt as to the safety of the activity and or process, he/she will stop and seek guidance form a qualified person
· Report any safety hazards or incidents to the relevant supervisor/manager
Employee Rights & Responsibilities
· Everyone at Cummins shall treat each other with mutual trust & respect
· All employees shall have the right to be treated equally & fairly
· All employees should feel confident that they are working in an environment free of harassment
Pay: $80,000.00 – $95,000.00 per year
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Sunshine North VIC 3020
