Strategic Sourcing Specialist II

Strategic Sourcing Specialist Ii

Your Work Shapes the World at Caterpillar Inc.

When you join Caterpillar, you're joining a global team who cares not just about the work we do but also about each other. We are the makers, problem solvers, and future world builders who are creating stronger, more sustainable communities. We don't just talk about progress and innovation here we make it happen, with our customers, where we work and live. Together, we are building a better world, so we can all enjoy living in it.

This role functions as a Strategic Sourcing Specialist II within the newly formed Strategy, Risk, and Compliance organization of Solar's Global Supply Chain. The position serves as the subject matter expert for assigned commodity strategies and supplier sourcing activities. Additionally, the role is accountable for developing, documenting, and executing short and long-term strategic sourcing plans in close collaboration with assigned group-level Sourcing Specialist(s). These plans are designed to support key business initiatives across New Production, Balance of Plant (BOP), Construction Services, Customer Services, and New Product Introduction (NPI) programs.

Key responsibilities include :

• Strategic Sourcing & Commodity Strategy : Lead the creation and implementation of commodity strategies that align with global and regional business objectives. Ensure sourcing plans support scalability, innovation, and resilience across the supply base.
• Supplier Identification & Onboarding : Act as the sourcing focal point for identifying, evaluating, and onboarding suppliers that meet technical, commercial, and compliance requirements. Drive supplier qualification and readiness for new and existing programs.
• Global Supply Chain Alignment : Support the development and execution of global supply chain strategies that enhance performance across People, Quality, Velocity, and Cost. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure sourcing initiatives are integrated into broader supply chain goals.
• Risk Management & Business Continuity : Proactively identify and mitigate sourcing risks that could impact operational execution or strategic goals. Communicate risk scenarios and develop contingency plans to protect business continuity.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration : Partner with internal stakeholders including Engineering, Operations, Legal, and Finance to ensure sourcing strategies are aligned with technical requirements, cost targets, and project timelines.
• Project Management : Demonstrated ability to effectively manage multiple sourcing and strategic initiatives simultaneously, ensuring timely execution, stakeholder alignment, and measurable outcomes. This includes maintaining clear project documentation, proactively identifying risks and dependencies, and regularly reporting progress to leadership and cross-functional teams.

Skill Descriptors

Planning : Tactical, Strategic : Knowledge of effective planning techniques and ability to contribute to operational (short term), tactical (1-2 years) and strategic (3-5 years) planning in support of the overall business plan.

Level : Working Knowledge

Contributes to short-term operational plans.

Anticipates and adapts to plan changes.

Monitors progress of work against plan as required to meet objectives.

Reports variances and makes agreed-upon corrections.

Under guidance, develops tactical plan for own direct responsibility.

Decision Making and Critical Thinking : Knowledge of the decision-making process and associated tools and techniques; ability to accurately analyze situations and reach productive decisions based on informed judgment.

Level : Working Knowledge

Applies an assigned technique for critical thinking in a decision-making process.

Identifies, obtains, and organizes relevant data and ideas.

Participates in documenting data, ideas, players, stakeholders, and processes.

Recognizes, clarifies, and prioritizes concerns.

Assists in assessing risks, benefits and consideration of alternatives.

Negotiating : Knowledge of successful negotiation concepts and techniques; ability to negotiate successfully across the organization and with external vendors and clients in a constructive and collaborative manner.

Level : Working Knowledge

Works to achieve win-win in negotiations, rather than taking a win-lose approach.

Focuses on issues rather than personalities.

Uses active listening and probing techniques to surface problems, issues, and interests.

Demonstrates a willingness to examine own position.

Presents own position and listens attentively to position of others.

Leadership : Knowledge of leadership practices and processes; ability to use strategies and skills to enlist others in setting, embracing, and achieving objectives while having a long-term perspective of the future state of things and how to get there.

Level : Working Knowledge

Utilizes an appropriate style of leadership : autocratic, democratic, laissez-faire / free rein, etc.

Utilizes positive reinforcement to motivate & attain desired behaviors; increases productivity.

Demonstrates leadership qualities : intelligence, dominance, persistence, integrity, confidence.

Employs leadership theories, such as contingency and transactional, and associated techniques.

Manages own behaviors during interactions, such as feedback giving, to shape workplace events.

Project Management : Knowledge of effective project management strategies and tactics; ability to plan, organize, monitor, and control projects, ensuring efficient utilization of technical and administrative resources to achieve project objectives.

Level : Working Knowledge

Provides input for Gantt or PERT charts or their equivalent to track project progress and status.

Under guidance, plans and estimates simple projects.

Assists in detailed project plans including cost, schedule, and resource requirements.

Obtains information from stakeholders during the planning stage of a project.

Produces standard project status reports.

Supplier Management : Knowledge of processes and methods to effectively manage business relationships and transactions with suppliers of raw materials or product components; ability to apply related knowledge, experience and skills into real practice.

Level : Extensive Experience

Facilitates supplier partnering arrangements that share risk and reward.

Develops quality standards and controls for suppliers.

Builds and maintains partnerships with multiple and / or large suppliers.

Contracts Management and Administration : Knowledge of policies, standards and processes of how to manage and administer contracts; ability to use proper processes and practices for managing and administering a variety of contractual agreements.

Level : Working Knowledge

Administers locally relevant contracts for the department.

Implements organizational protocols and procedures for contracts management.

Explains the types of information required before a contract is signed.

Reviews contracts to ensure compliance with contract specifications and regulations.

Assists in creating files of relevant information for specific vendors, customers, or contracts.

Strategic Sourcing : Knowledge of strategic sourcing methods, technologies and processes; ability to analyze, improve and re-evaluate organizational procurement process continuously.

Level : Working Knowledge

Works with various basic components of strategic sourcing, such as data analysis, market research and purchasing budgets examination.

Participates in enhancing institutional sourcing process continuously including identifying improvement opportunities.

Conducts strategic sourcing activities.

Follows relevant standards, policies and practices regarding strategic sourcing.

Assists senior sourcing professionals with strategic sourcing in multiple environments.

Supply Chain Management : Knowledge of functions, principles and techniques used in supply chain management; ability to develop and implement strategies, practices and tools for controlling the whole processes.

Level : Extensive Experience

Quantifies and evaluates benefits and risks of various supply chain strategies and approaches.

Participates in joint planning, process design / redesign with clients and partners.

Monitors the complete supply chain management process.

Manages supply chain finance activities and measurements of effectiveness.

Consults on supply chain network design projects or processes.

Advises others on capacity issues at various points in the supply chain.

Desired Qualifications

Bachelor's degree with 10+ years or a Master's degree with 7+ years of experience in Supply Chain. Experience creating Sourcing & Commodity Strategies

Preferred Qualifications

Degree in Supply Chain

6-sigma Blackbelt

Partial relocation assistance may be offered.

Summary Pay Range : $125,925.00 - $188,887.00

Compensation and benefits offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, job level, market location, job-related knowledge, skills, individual performance and experience. Please note that salary is only one component of total compensation at Caterpillar.