Commodity Manager

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Job Summary

The Manager, Commodity is a mid-level management role responsible for leading commodity management strategy and execution to support cost competitiveness, supply continuity, quality, and risk mitigation. This role manages commodity professionals and/or supplier portfolios and serves as the strategic owner for assigned commodities across sourcing, contracting, and supplier performance. The Manager, Commodity has a direct impact on cost structure, supply assurance, and alignment between Procurement and broader business objectives.

Job Description

Role Overview
The Manager, Commodity oversees sourcing strategy, supplier relationships, and commercial performance for one or more commodity categories (e.g., raw materials, components, services, or indirect spend). The role balances strategic planning, execution, and people leadership while partnering closely with Engineering, Operations, Quality, Finance, and Supply Chain.
This position acts as the escalation point for supplier, cost, or capacity issues and ensures commodities are managed in alignment with business needs and market conditions.
The role typically reports to a Director of Procurement, Supply Chain Leader, or Strategic Sourcing Leader, depending on organizational structure.

Key Responsibilities
People Leadership & Team Management

Lead, coach, and develop Commodity Managers, Buyers, or Sourcing Specialists
Set performance expectations tied to cost, quality, delivery, and risk objectives
Conduct performance reviews, coaching, and development planning
Support hiring, onboarding, and capability development

Commodity Strategy & Sourcing Leadership

Develop and execute commodity strategies aligned with business and supply chain objectives
Analyze market trends, capacity, cost drivers, and supply risks
Define sourcing approaches, supplier segmentation, and make‑buy strategies
Drive competitive sourcing, negotiation, and contracting activities

Supplier Relationship & Performance Management

Own strategic supplier relationships within assigned commodities
Monitor supplier performance related to cost, quality, delivery, and innovation
Lead business reviews and corrective action plans for underperforming suppliers
Serve as escalation point for supplier issues or disputes

Cost, Risk & Commercial Management

Drive cost reduction, cost avoidance, and value‑creation initiatives
Lead negotiations for pricing, terms, and commercial agreements
Identify and mitigate supply, geopolitical, and market risks
Partner with Finance to ensure alignment with budgets and forecasts

Cross‑Functional Collaboration

Collaborate with Engineering and Product teams on design‑to‑cost and standardization
Partner with Operations, Quality, and Planning to ensure supply continuity
Support new product introductions and change management activities
Align procurement decisions with operational and customer requirements

Process, Governance & Continuous Improvement

Ensure compliance with procurement policies, ethical standards, and controls
Standardize sourcing processes, tools, and documentation
Track KPIs related to cost, performance, and supply risk
Identify opportunities to improve sourcing efficiency and effectiveness


Scope & Impact

Manages a team and/or strategic supplier portfolio within defined commodity categories
Impact is at the functional or multi‑site level
Decisions influence cost structure, supply resilience, and operational performance
Poor commodity decisions may result in cost overruns, supply disruptions, or quality risk


Qualifications
Education & Experience

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, Finance, or related field required
Prior experience in procurement, strategic sourcing, or commodity management required
Previous people‑management experience preferred

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

Strong understanding of commodity markets, supplier economics, and sourcing strategies
Proven people‑leadership and performance‑management skills
Strong negotiation, analytical, and decision‑making capability
Ability to manage supplier relationships and cross‑functional stakeholders
Excellent written, verbal, and executive‑level communication skills
Ability to balance short‑term execution with long‑term strategy

Additional Job Details

Management – M2

Organizational Impact
• Works to achieve operational, functional, and/or business targets within team with direct impact on departmental or job family results
• Delivers operational results that have impact on the immediate or short-term results (e.g., less than 1 year) for the department and/or job family group
• Plans and establishes goals and objectives for a team typically comprising of intermediate-level professionals and entry level professionals
Communication & Influence
• Communicates with parties within and occasionally outside of own department or job family, which may include external clients or partners depending upon the job area
• Requires ability to influence others outside of own job area on policies, practices and procedures
Innovation & Complexity
• Responsible for making moderate improvements of processes, systems, or products to enhance performance of the job area
• Problems are difficult and moderately complex and typically impact multiple departments or job family
• Problems are typically solved through drawing from prior experience and analysis of issues
Leadership & Talent Management
• Manages a team typically comprising of intermediate-level professionals and entry level professionals
• Leads, directs and reviews the work of team members in order to accomplish operational plans and results
• Typically has hiring, firing, promotion, and reward authority within own area, in accordance with manager review and approval
Knowledge & Experience
• Requires practical knowledge in leading and managing the execution of processes, projects and tactics within one job area
• Typically has advanced knowledge and skills within a specific technical or professional discipline with understanding of the impact of work on other areas of the organization
• Typically has a bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional certification and 5 years of prior relevant experience

Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action at Nidec
Nidec is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Affirmative Action Employer encouraging diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to their age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, genetic information, religious creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. For more information regarding your (EEO) rights as an applicant, please visit the following website: http://www1.eeoc.gov/employers/upload/eeoc_self_print_poster.pdf

Work Shift Schedule

No Soliciting

Nidec will not accept unsolicited resumes from individual recruiters or third party recruiting agencies in response to Nidec job postings. No fee will be paid to third parties who submit unsolicited candidates directly to our hiring managers. Pre-approval from the Nidec Talent Acquisition team is required before any external candidate can be submitted and such candidate must be submitted to the Nidec Talent Acquisition team.