Paper Converting Jobs in Chicago, IL (NOW HIRING)

About Us:

 

Barry-Wehmiller is a diversified global supplier of engineering consulting and manufacturing technology for the packaging, corrugating, sheeting and paper-converting industries. By blending people-centric leadership with disciplined operational strategies and purpose-driven growth, Barry-Wehmiller has become a $3 billion organization with nearly 12,000 team members united by a common belief: to use the power of business to build a better world.

 

Job Description:

Barry-Wehmiller is recruiting for our Indirect & MRO Commodity Leader. As part of our transformational Supply Chain journey, we are establishing a global, centralized supply chain that supports the entire Barry-Wehmiller Enterprise. This role owns enterprise category strategy for indirect materials, MRO, expensed items, and tail spend across our network of manufacturing facilities; drives distributor and integrated-supplier consolidation; partners with our Supplier Quality & Development function on supplier performance; and stands up MRO Excellence as a discipline across BWG. We are looking for a forward-thinking leader, both strategic and operational, who will partner with supply chain, finance, facilities, EHS, and operations teams to unlock the power of our scale. This is a unique opportunity to help establish a world-class supply chain organization within a $3 billion privately held business with the freedom to adhere to a long-term strategy.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities (Essential Functions):

Responsibilities

• Own savings generation and execution for the category. Build the annual savings pipeline, commit to gross and net savings targets, and deliver them. Surface risks early, rebuild pipeline as needed to close gaps, and report progress to leadership on a regular cadence.
• Apply disciplined savings governance: every initiative has a documented baseline, calculation, and finance validation before it counts. Use the enterprise methodology and tools (Sievo) to keep pipeline, commit, and actuals accurate and auditable.
• Develop and implement the enterprise procurement strategy for Indirect, MRO, expensed items, and tail spend across BWG, identifying and driving cost reductions, supplier consolidation, and synergies across business units.
• Lead the MRO Excellence program across BWG sites, standardizing inventory, replenishment, stocking, and tool-crib practices to reduce working capital and unplanned downtime.
• Drive distributor and integrated-supplier consolidation in partnership with the Distribution Commodity Leader to bring tail spend under preferred and contracted suppliers.
• Own strategic supplier relationships and long-term agreements for the category. Negotiate, implement, and monitor contracts; partner with legal on contract language; hold suppliers accountable for cost, quality, delivery, and continuous improvement.
• Partner with the Supplier Quality & Development (SQD) function on scorecards, audits, and supplier development plans; lead resolution of escalated supplier issues.
• Own commodity financials: cost baselines, inflation forecasts, pricing, discounts, and rebate capture. Provide analysis of cost changes and pricing implications.
• Rationalize the supply base, balancing cost and risk. Leverage global volume on families of like items to consolidate spend; implement pull systems, VMI, and integrated supplier programs where they reduce TCO.
• Set the menu of preferred suppliers for BWG site projects, plant expansions, and engineering change management; partner with site leaders, facilities, and EHS to drive adoption.
• Drive ERP and spend-analytics enablement (Sievo, Jaggaer, ePro) for the indirect category; improve visibility, contract compliance, and supplier-level performance reporting.
• Collaborate with global BWG Supply Chain Leadership and the BWG platform supply chain teams (Packaging, Paper, Converting, Affinitas, and others) to identify regional, LCC, and BCC sourcing opportunities.

Tasks

• Analyze specifications, quality, quantity, and delivery requirements for assigned indirect categories; determine best supply source; survey markets for new sources; recommend substitutes when needed.
• Develop and execute sourcing strategies; prepare, analyze, and issue quotations; negotiate and create supplier contracts; complete purchase transactions ensuring deliverables are met locally and divisionally.
• Support site inventory levels for MRO and indirect items; track stock-outs, obsolescence, and chargebacks; partner with sites on stocking and replenishment programs.
• Evaluate suppliers against quarterly scorecards in partnership with SQD; perform site visits; require compliance with all performance parameters.
• Monitor commodity market and economic conditions; anticipate risk and recommend mitigation plans; consult with senior leadership on decisions.
• Lead and participate in cross-functional initiatives including MRO Excellence, distributor consolidation, tail-spend rationalization, and ePro deployment.
• Lead, coach, and guide less experienced team members; prepare and teach standard work procedures.
• Other duties as assigned.

Required Skills, Education and Experience:

Skills

• 8+ years sourcing/purchasing experience in a manufacturing environment, with strong working knowledge of domestic and international supply chain principles, MRP, inventory replenishment, financial analysis, and effective business processes.
• Hands-on experience in Indirect, MRO, and expensed-items categories (facility services, packaging consumables, safety, lubricants, tooling, fasteners, electrical consumables, office/IT supplies, freight/logistics). Ability to influence facility and product standards and drive quality systems.
• Demonstrated experience with integrated supplier programs, distributor consolidation, VMI, and tail-spend rationalization at scale.
• Familiarity with spend-analytics, contract-management, and ePro platforms (Sievo, Jaggaer, or equivalent) strongly preferred. Lean / Six Sigma desired.
• Experience in a global, matrixed manufacturing organization; comfortable working across business units and partnering with facilities, EHS, and operations.
• Strong project management, communication, negotiating, and analytical skills. Demonstrated ability to influence at all levels of leadership and drive collaborative decisions.
• Demonstrated track record of building and delivering committed annual savings pipelines on a TCO basis, with disciplined, auditable tracking. High ethical standards. Ability to read technical drawings and facility schematics.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally as needed.

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent. Focus in Supply Chain or related field.
• 8+ years of relevant work experience.

Supervisory/Responsibility:

• None

Work Environment:

This is an office position associated with a manufacturing facility. The employee will spend a portion of his/her time in the office area and a portion in the manufacturing area, and must be able to correctly wear and use any Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) required by the employer when on the manufacturing floor.

Position Type:

This is a regular, full-time position with the understanding that a regular workweek will require extended days and hours as needed to meet business needs.

Travel:

Regular domestic and occasional global travel is required to support site visits, supplier audits, and platform engagement.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those performed in the job duties. The employee sits at a desk and uses a computer for prolonged periods. The role frequently uses close vision, speech, hearing, and dexterity to operate office equipment. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 15 pounds.

Disclaimer:

The above information has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of employees assigned to this job. This job description is subject to change at any time.

The approximate pay range for this position is$110,000 - $160,000 annually. Please note that the pay range is a good-faith estimate at the time of posting and may vary based on factors such as experience, skills, and geographic location. Our complete benefits package includes: medical, dental, and vision insurance; paid time off; 401k plan with company match.

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At Barry-Wehmiller we recognize that people come with a wealth of experience and talent beyond just the technical requirements of a job. If your experience is close to what you see listed here, please still consider applying. We know that our differences often can bring about innovation, excellence and meaningful work-therefore, people from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply to our positions. Please let us know if you require reasonable accommodations during the interview process.

Barry-Wehmiller is an equal opportunity employer. M/F/D/V This organization uses E-Verify.

 

Applicants may be subject to pre-employment screening which may include drug screening, reference checks, employment verifications, background screening and/or skills assessments.

Company:

BW Corporate US