Global Procurement Director, Direct Materials

As the Global Director, Direct Materials, you will lead the global sourcing strategy for critical direct material categories supporting Molex’s Transportation Solutions Business Unit, driving supply continuity, cost competitiveness, supplier innovation, and successful product launches worldwide. Working closely with business, engineering, operations, quality, finance, and procurement leaders, you will develop and execute strategies that strengthen the supply base, create value, and support the business’s growth and technology objectives. This role serves as a key strategic partner to TSBU leadership, influencing decisions that impact performance across the product lifecycle.

The Transportation Solutions team develops innovative connectivity solutions that help power the future of automotive and transportation technologies. As part of a global, cross-functional organization, our procurement team works closely with category management, engineering, manufacturing, and commercial leaders to ensure reliable supply, accelerate innovation, and deliver value to customers around the world. Together, we foster a collaborative, principle-based culture focused on long-term success, continuous improvement, and meaningful contribution.

• Lead the global direct materials procurement strategy for TSBU, focused on connector-industry materials such as copper alloy strip, resins, and seals.
• Build, lead, and develop a high-performing global team responsible for sourcing strategy, supplier development, commercial execution, and new product launch support.
• Partner with TSBU leadership to align sourcing strategies with business growth, innovation roadmaps, customer requirements, and financial objectives.
• Develop and execute category and supply base strategies that improve cost competitiveness, supply continuity, quality, working capital, supplier innovation, and regional execution.
• Serve as the primary liaison between TSBU leadership and global Category Managers, translating business priorities into aligned sourcing strategies and actionable procurement plans.
• Lead supplier negotiations, commercial agreements, cost modeling, escalation management, and long-term supplier relationship development.
• Drive value creation through fact-based negotiations, should-cost analysis, total cost of ownership, VA/VE initiatives, payment term improvements, and waste elimination.
• Lead procurement involvement in new product development and launch programs, ensuring supplier engagement, material readiness, cost alignment, and flawless execution.
• Strengthen supply resiliency through supplier risk management, dual sourcing, capacity planning, inventory optimization, and market intelligence.
• Collaborate with engineering, quality, supply chain, operations, finance, and plant teams to deliver measurable business outcomes while resolving supplier-related quality, delivery, commercial, and technical issues.
• Establish performance metrics and governance for direct materials procurement, ensuring compliance, ethical sourcing, strong business controls, and continuous process improvement.
• Represent procurement in executive reviews, supplier business reviews, strategic planning, and customer-related discussions while promoting Molex’s Principle Based Management culture and leadership principles.

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, Engineering, Operations, or a related field
• Significant progressive leadership experience in global procurement, direct materials sourcing, supply chain, or category management; or equivalent demonstrated experience in a relevant leadership role.
• A successful candidate will bring executive presence, global business acumen, strong commercial capability, and the ability to lead through influence across a complex matrix organization.

• Direct materials leadership experience in the connector, automotive, transportation, electronics, or electrical component industry.
• Preferred category expertise in copper alloy strip, engineered resins, seals, stamping-related materials, and supplier ecosystems supporting connector manufacturing.
• Demonstrated ability to lead global teams and influence senior stakeholders across regions, functions, and business units.
• Strong commercial capability in negotiations, supplier agreements, commodity strategy, should-cost modeling, cost breakdown analysis, and total cost of ownership.
• Experience supporting new product development, launch readiness, supplier selection, and product lifecycle management from concept through end of life, including leadership of sourcing strategies across NPD sourcing teams.
• Proven track record delivering measurable value through cost improvement, supply assurance, risk mitigation, working capital improvement, and supplier performance management.
• Experience with SAP or comparable ERP/MRP systems, procurement analytics, market intelligence, and executive-level reporting.
• Strong understanding of supplier quality, capacity management, contract management, and global supply chain risk.