Program Buyer

Forvia, a sustainable mobility technology leader

We pioneer technology for mobility experience that matter to people.

Your mission, roles and responsibilities

Position Summary:

The Program Buyer is to participate in the program team during the offer conception phase and involve expert suppliers in the Pre-RFQ phase. This includes supervising RFQ processes, coordinating supplier negotiations, managing purchasing activities within the program, and ensuring compliance with quality, cost, and delivery objectives.

Responsibilities:

• Supervise organizing and administering the RFQ process in accordance with delegation principles of the Purchasing Organization
• Coordinate negotiations and supplier selection together with Commodity Buyers and/or Lead Buyers in association with the Program Team via vendor selection form and procedure
• Contribute to contractual agreements with suppliers at the request of Commodity Buyers and/or Lead Buyers
• Oversee organizing quality, cost, and delivery aspects of technical modifications involving Commodity Buyers and/or Lead Buyers where appropriate
• Supervise APQP and PPAP related procedures with suppliers
• Assure regular reporting of purchasing activities within the program to management including:
  • Cost tracking
  • Respect of lead times (design prototypes, FMEA, PPAP)
  • Respect of quality objectives (approval, acceptance, reliability)
  • Program Buyer Quarterly Report
• Contribute to financial and operational reporting procedures
• Define budget objectives for the team and report performance according to relevant Group or local procedures
• Participate in operational purchasing actions for important contracts at own discretion according to delegation rules or upon request of Purchasing Director
• Ensure application and respect of relevant Group or local Purchasing procedures
• Monitor global performance of suppliers in coordination with country SQA team
• Define purchasing policy for commodities within authority in coordination with Lead Buyers
• Manage suppliers and follow up on supplier performance
• Ensure transfer of program to plant buyer
• Propose continuous improvement ideas in business efficiency and cost reduction
• Capitalizes on knowledge and shares best practices / lessons learned across organization and within the site

Your profile and competencies to succeed

Position Specifications:

Authorities:

• Negotiate and manage purchase orders for prototype, production part pricing, and production tools
• Validate purchasing solutions (supplier and price/quality/timing conditions) in conjunction with Commodity Buyers

Knowledge / Skills:

• Effective time management
• Ability to meet deadlines
• Supervisory and management skills
• Negotiation and analysis skills
• Knowledge of computers and purchasing programs
• Good communication skills

Education / Experience:

• Minimum education level of a Bachelor’s degree in Business or related field
• 2 years in purchasing functions (automotive preferred)

What we can do for you

• At Forvia, you will find an engaging and dynamic environment where you can contribute to the development of sustainable mobility leading technologies.  
• We are the seventh-largest global automotive supplier, employing more than 157,000 people in more than 40 countries which makes a lot of opportunity for career development. 
• We welcome energetic and agile people who can thrive in a fast-changing environment. People who share our strong values. Team players with a collaborative mindset and a passion to deliver high standards for our clients. Lifelong learners. High performers. Globally minded people who aspire to work in a transforming industry, where excellence, speed, and quality count. 
• We cultivate a learning environment, dedicating tools and resources to ensure we remain at the forefront of mobility.  Our people enjoy an average of more than 22 hours of online and in-person training within FORVIA University (five campuses around the world) 
• We offer a multicultural environment that values diversity and international collaboration. We believe that diversity is a strength. To create an inclusive culture where all forms of diversity create real value for the company, we have adopted gender diversity targets and inclusion action plans. 
• Achieving CO2 Net Zero as a pioneer of the automotive industry is a priority: In June 2022, Forvia became the first global automotive group to be certified with the new SBTI Net-Zero Standard (the most ambitious standard of SBTi), aligned with the ambition of the 2015 Paris Agreement of limiting global warming to 1.5°C. Three principles guide our action: use less, use better and use longer, with a focus on recyclability and circular economy. 

Why join us

FORVIA is an automotive technology group at the heart of smarter and more sustainable mobility. We bring together expertise in electronics, clean mobility, lighting, interiors, seating, and lifecycle solutions to drive change in the automotive industry.

With a history stretching back more than a century, we are the 7th largest global automotive supplier, employing more than 157,000 people in 43 countries. You'll find our technology in around 1 out of 2 vehicles produced anywhere in the world.

In June 2022, we became the 1st global automotive group to be certified with the SBTI Net-Zero Standard. We have committed to reach CO2 Net Zero by no later than 2045.

As technological innovation and the need for sustainability transform the automotive industry, we are ideally positioned to deliver solutions that will enhance the lives of road-users everywhere.