Location: Chonburi, Thailand (with high travel frequency, ~50%)

Team Size: 3 direct reports 

Job Overview

The Regional Purchasing Manager will lead the procurement team across the Southeast Asia & Pacific (SEAP) region to drive business growth and optimize supply chain efficiency. This role focuses on the direct procurement of finished products and complete components (specifically within the automotive aftermarket or high-mix, low-volume segments) rather than plant CAPEX or raw materials. The successful candidate will be responsible for managing a large portfolio of SKUs, developing a robust local supplier base to support export businesses to North America and EMEA, and ensuring seamless delivery to distribution centers and end customers.

Key Responsibilities

• Supplier Base & Commodity Strategy Development: Formulate and execute regional commodity strategies, with a strong focus on developing and migrating high-quality suppliers from Europe/other regions into low-cost Asian markets (including Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia).

• Cost Optimization & Financial Management: Drive continuous material cost savings, lead supplier negotiation initiatives, and improve overall cash flow through the strategic optimization of payment terms, inventory levels, and lead times.

• Sourcing & Supply Chain Operations: Oversee the end-to-end procurement of finished goods from third-party suppliers, manage cross-border supply chains, and support specific plant purchasing activities within the broader regional network (including Australia).

• New Product Introduction (NPI): Partner with cross-functional teams to manage project lifecycles for NPIs, ensuring time-to-market and quality standards are met.

• Performance & Market Intelligence: Monitor and elevate supplier delivery and quality performance while continuously gathering market intelligence regarding material trends, cost drivers, and regional capabilities.

• Team Leadership: Remotely and locally manage a team of mature, experienced procurement professionals across multiple locations, fostering accountability and professional growth.

Job Requirements (Qualifications & Competencies)

Education & Language Proficiency

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Engineering, Business Administration, Supply Chain, or a related discipline.

• Excellent English communication skills (written and spoken): This is critical for remote team management and extensive export-related interactions with global teams, particularly in North America.

Experience

• Minimum 8–10 years of global sourcing and procurement experience within a multinational environment.

• At least 3–5 years of solid people management experience, with a proven track record of managing both local and remote sub-teams.

• Strong background in the multinational automotive industry, with a strong preference for candidates specializing in aftermarket sourcing or high-mix, low-volume products.

• Proven track record in Large-Scale Budget Management: Experience managing or holding responsibility for a substantial annual purchasing spend (ideally managing an annual budget of USD 35–40 Million+).

• Deep expertise in global supplier migration, specifically moving supply bases into Southeast Asian hubs.

Technical Skills & Product Expertise

• Product Focus: Strong technical familiarity with metal automotive components (e.g., steering, suspension, brakes, bearings, engine/chassis components). Experience with automotive plastics, seating, or security products is also highly acceptable. 

• Proficiency in automotive quality core tools (such as PPAP, APQP, FMEA, SPC, 8D).

• Advanced proficiency in SAP and Microsoft Office tools.

Soft Skills & Personal Attributes

• Exceptional project management, leadership, and high stakeholder influence.

• Self-motivated, proactive, and capable of operating independently in a highly dynamic, matrixed environment.

• High mobility: Willingness and flexibility to travel frequently (~50% of the time) across the region.

Contact: Annie [an.le@peopleprofilers.com | +84369178150 (WhatsApp/Wechat)]