Regional Commodity Manager

Overview

thyssenkrupp Presta North America is a global leader in automotive components technology and the leading steering systems supplier for the automotive industry. thyssenkrupp Presta North America provides high-quality manual and electric steering columns, rack and pinion steering gears, and electric power assisted steering gears. The company is part of the thyssenkrupp Presta AG group, headquartered in Eschen, Liechtenstein. The Terre Haute, Indiana facility was established in 2003 and has grown to over 450 employees with 224,000 square feet;

there is also an office in Indianapolis and a location in Troy, Michigan, supporting various functions including procurement, product engineering, sales engineering, and logistics.

Summary of the role:

The Regional Commodity Manager (RCM) Automotive deploys global commodity and sourcing strategies within the assigned region, aligning with automotive business requirements, production schedules, and quality standards. The RCM connects Global Commodity Management with regional manufacturing operations to ensure cost competitiveness, supplier performance, supply continuity, and regulatory compliance across automotive programs. The role manages tier1 and tier2 suppliers, responds to market volatility, and supports model launches, rampups, and lifecycle management in a fast-paced automotive environment.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

Commodity Strategy Deployment & Market Intelligence

• Implement global automotive commodity strategies at the regional level, ensuring alignment with vehicle platforms, product lifecycle milestones, and localization requirements.
• Provide regional market intelligence (raw materials, capacity constraints, lead times, index movements, and supplier financial health) to Global Commodity Managers.
• Identify and mitigate regional supply risks, including capacity shortages, tooling constraints, PPAP delays, and force majeure events.
• Support cost-down roadmaps aligned with annual productivity targets and long-term vehicle program planning.

• Manage and develop the regional automotive supplier base (Tier1/Tier2), ensuring alignment with global sourcing strategies, preferred suppliers, and dual-source concepts.
• Lead regional commercial negotiations, RFQs, nominations, and sourcing decisions for series production, new model launches, and engineering changes.
• Ensure effective local implementation of global contracts, long-term agreements, and pricing mechanisms (e.g., index-based, open-book).
• Monitor supplier performance across Quality, Cost, Delivery, and Sustainability (QCDS) metrics; drive corrective actions and continuous improvement initiatives.

• Support plants and regional operations in resolving supply disruptions, quality issues, and commercial disputes in accordance with defined escalation paths and cross-functional responsibilities.
• Collaborate with Quality, Logistics, Engineering, and Program Management teams on supplier readiness, PPAP approvals, SOP ramp-ups, and change management.
• Ensure compliance with automotive standards, customer-specific requirements, and Procurement & Supply Management (PSM) governance policies.
• Track, analyze, and report regional KPIs, including cost savings, supplier risk exposure, claims, and sourcing status.

• Act as the primary regional procurement contact for assigned automotive commodities, supporting plants, engineering, and program teams.
• Partner closely with Global Commodity Managers to ensure consistent strategy execution and feedback from the regional operational level.
• Share best practices, lessons learned, and supplier performance insights across regions to support standardization and continuous improvement.
• Participate in global and regional sourcing councils, supplier reviews, and program milestones as required.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Strong negotiation skills and commercial acumen in automotive sourcing environments.
• In-depth understanding of automotive supply chains, raw materials, tooling, and series production economics.
• Solid analytical, problem-solving, and cost breakdown capabilities.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills across engineering, quality, and operations.
• Ability to manage complexity, time pressure, and supply risk in a fast-moving automotive environment.
• Familiarity with automotive standards and requirements (e.g., IATF 16949, PPAP, APQP).

Education and/or Experience:

• Bachelor's degree (B.S.) in Engineering or equivalent; or four to ten years related technical experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Computer and Technology Skills:

Knowledge of common MS-Office applications and SAP or similar systems. Product Data Management software and Lotus Notes experience is a plus.

The above is intended to describe the general content of and requirements for the performance of this job. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities, or…