3351 - Senior Commodity Manager, PV - Richmond or San Jose, CA

The Senior Commodity Manager : PV (Photovoltaic Modules) will be responsible for the development and execution of sourcing strategies capable of delivering high quality, cost-effective materials that meet standard and custom project requirements. This position is responsible for cost, quality, and delivery of 3rd-Party PV modules supporting utility-scale solar photo-voltaic power plants and large commercial solar installations.

This position will also be responsible for all commercial and strategic supplier management for relevant commodities, developing and maintaining supplier relationships, and managing supplier performance and capability development.

This role will be responsible for monitoring all relevant trends in commodity markets, advise the business on impact of those trends, and develop strategies to maintain SunPower’s leading market position in designing and building utility scale photovoltaic power plants.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

•Develop and execute Commodity Strategies for electrical products, including transformers, switch-gear, motors, actuators, and other electrical components.
•Achieve cost, quality, and delivery goals and objectives for standard and custom products.
•Influence technical design decisions in the interest of achieving optimal cost, quality, and delivery.
•Strive to achieve competitive sourcing tension among multiple qualified suppliers through development and execution of commodity strategies.
•Develop and negotiate supply contracts
•Work closely with Systems Project Electrical Engineers and R&D to define standard and custom product requirements
•Interface w/ Planning, Marketing Program Management, R&D, Sales and Construction Management to assess current and future sourcing requirements
•Hold quarterly executive review of strategic sourcing plan that defines, among other things, the market environment, capable suppliers, and annual / quarterly strategic objectives
•Develop and manage overall supplier relationships
•Manage supplier performance and capability development
•Maintain personal knowledge of market trends including rigorous analysis of market drivers, cost structures, technical improvements and competitive landscape.
•Periodic travel to supplier’s manufacturing sites.

Education and Experience:

•10-15 Years experience in operations, manufacturing, sourcing.
•7-10 years supplier / supply chain management
•3-5 years electrical utility experience in engineering or supply chain function.
•5-7 years experience w/ direct accountability for quality/yield and capacity/throughput in manufacturing environment.
•BS degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent.
•MBA or MS Operations Engineering or Industrial Engineering Degree preferred.

Qualifications

•Global supply chain experience procuring “direct” material in a “hardware” product company or utility provider.
•Familiarity with world-class sourcing methods and tools.
•Proven track record in cost reduction.
•Extensive negotiation experience of large or multi-year contracts with global suppliers
•Expert knowledge in quality principles as applied to manufacturing /sourcing environment
•Knowledge of the following manufacturing processes: surface mount pcba, semiconductor fab processes, casting, extrusion, stamping, forming, bending, machining, galvanizing, injection molding, motor/transformer winding
•Knowledge and experience with Continuous Improvement and Six Sigma methodologies.
•Knowledge of NEC, UL, IEC requirements
•Experience with electrical specifications for power distribution equipment
•Experience with and understanding of general switchboard and transformer construction, including bus ampacity, voltage ratings, and circuit breaker and fuse terminology
•Knowledge and experience with ISO9000 requirements and their deployment.
•Excellent written and verbal communications skills. Fluent in English.
•Exceptional ability to solve problems and coordinate with global team members.
•Ability to work in a rapid pace, very dynamic and changing environment.
•Ability to successfully interact and positively influence at several levels within the organization to adopt and execute the sourcing strategy.
•Ability to provide innovative leadership in issues related to strategic sourcing, operating discipline, vendor relations, quality assurance and the associated measurement systems.
•Superior communication skills including executive management, staff, operating line employees, vendors, sales and external customers.
•Strong analytical skills (i.e. cost modeling, quotation analysis, supplier selection)
•Knowledge and experience in the use of ERP systems desired.
•Excellent written and verbal communications skills.
•Highly adaptable in a very dynamic and changing environment.
•Expertise in the use of Microsoft Excel required.

Please send resume to David.Sneed@sunpowercorp.com.