Senior Manager, Strategic Outsourcing & Vendor Management - Strategic Sourcing and Vendor Management

Strategic Outsourcing & Supplier Strategy

• Develop and execute the foundry's outsourcing strategy to support operational goals, production requirements, and capacity needs.
• Identify opportunities to leverage external partners for machining, maintenance, tooling, engineering services, temporary labor, environmental services, transportation, and capital projects.
• Evaluate make-versus-buy decisions and provide recommendations based on cost, quality, capacity, and operational risk.
• Lead sourcing initiatives to improve service levels, reduce costs, and increase operational flexibility.
• Develop business cases and ROI analyses for outsourced services and strategic supplier partnerships.
• Benchmark supplier strategies and industry best practices to identify opportunities for improvement.

Vendor & Contractor Management

• Manage relationships with key foundry suppliers, contractors, and outsourced service providers.
• Establish performance expectations, service level agreements (SLAs), and key performance indicators (KPIs) for vendors.
• Conduct regular vendor reviews focused on quality, delivery, responsiveness, safety performance, and cost management.
• Develop vendor scorecards and performance reporting to drive accountability and continuous improvement.
• Partner with suppliers to identify process improvements, cost reduction opportunities, and operational efficiencies.

Operations & Plant Support

• Collaborate with plant leadership to ensure vendors support production schedules, maintenance activities, and operational priorities.
• Manage outsourced maintenance, repair, and reliability services to maximize equipment uptime and plant performance.
• Coordinate vendor support for capital projects, facility improvements, equipment installations, and operational expansions.
• Ensure contractor resources are available to support planned shutdowns, preventative maintenance programs, and production demands.
• Partner with Engineering and Operations teams to identify external resources needed to address technical and capacity challenges.

Contract & Commercial Management

• Lead contract negotiations, renewals, pricing discussions, and service agreements with suppliers and contractors.
• Monitor vendor spend and identify opportunities for cost savings and value creation.
• Ensure contractual compliance and adherence to service expectations.
• Work closely with Procurement, Finance, and Legal teams to manage supplier agreements and mitigate commercial risks.
• Support annual budgeting and forecasting processes related to outsourced services and contractor spend.

Safety, Quality & Compliance

• Ensure all vendors and contractors comply with company safety standards, environmental requirements, and operational procedures.
• Partner with EHS leadership to oversee contractor onboarding, training, and safety performance.
• Monitor supplier quality metrics and work with vendors to address performance issues and corrective actions.
• Conduct vendor risk assessments focused on operational continuity, financial stability, safety, and regulatory compliance.
• Support audits and compliance initiatives involving third-party service providers.

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Engineering, Operations Management, Business Administration, Manufacturing, or a related field required. 
• 8+ years of experience in manufacturing operations, strategic sourcing, supplier management, procurement, plant operations, maintenance management, or related disciplines.
• Experience working within a foundry, metals manufacturing, heavy industrial, casting, forging, machining, or industrial production environment strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated success managing contractor relationships, outsourced services, and supplier performance.
• Experience negotiating complex service agreements and delivering measurable cost savings.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing operations, maintenance practices, capital projects, and supplier management.