Role Summary:

Leads Raw Materials & Fuels categories of UNACEM North America, covering limestone, additives, supplementary cementitious materials, gypsum, bauxite, coal, petcoke, gas and alternative fuels. Maintains the category profile and supplier market map, runs the sourcing events of the category, administers its contracts and monitors supplier performance, applying the category strategy set by the National Categories Manager and keeping the plants supplied with the materials and fuels required.

Purpose:

Keep the Raw Materials & Fuels categories competitive, well documented and reliably supplied by managing it day to day, executing its sourcing calendar, administering its contracts and supplier base, and maintaining the spend, cost, reliability and market information on which category decisions are made.

Key Responsibilities:

Maintain the categories profiles for Raw Materials & Fuels, keeping spend, volumes, specifications, suppliers, contracts and price history current and complete.
Build and update the supplier market map of the category, identifying available sources, capacity, logistics position and the competitive dynamics of each material and fuel.
Execute the sourcing calendar of the category, planning and running requests for quotation and keeping each event on schedule through to award.
Prepare bid process that result in comparisons and award recommendations, evaluating price, specification, logistics cost, service and supply reliability for the category.
Prepare the negotiation packs for the category, including cost breakdowns, price benchmarks, index references and supplier positioning.
Participate in negotiations for assigned materials and fuels, securing competitive conditions and documenting the terms agreed.
Administer the contracts and framework agreements of the category, tracking volumes, prices, expiry dates, renewals and compliance with agreed terms.
Monitor supplier performance within the category on delivery, quality, service and claims, and conduct supplier reviews with the plants.
Manage supplier qualification and onboarding for the category, keeping alternative sources qualified for critical materials and fuels.
Monitor commodity prices, indices and freight conditions affecting the category, and report movements and their effect on category cost.
Track and document the savings delivered within the category, supporting their validation with Finance.
Coordinate category demand with plant operations, maintenance, quality and process, aligning specifications, consumption and coverage requirements.
Coordinate with the Sourcing & Inventory team on replenishment, purchase order execution and inventory coverage for category materials.
Support the qualification of alternative fuels and supplementary cementitious materials, contributing to the substitution targets of the business.
Maintain the category records and master data in the procurement systems, keeping documentation accurate, complete and auditable.
Support the annual review of the category strategy, contributing spend analysis, market information and plant requirements.

Requirements:

Knowledge:

Category management practice, including category profiling, spend segmentation, sourcing leverages and supplier positioning.
Sourcing event execution, including request for quotation preparation, bid comparison, cost evaluation and award documentation.
Raw materials and fuels used in cement production, including limestone, clay, iron ore, gypsum, pozzolans, slag, fly ash, coal, petcoke, natural gas, diesel and alternative fuels.
Specifications and quality parameters of cement raw materials and fuels, including calorific value, moisture, ash and chemical composition.
Commodity price indices, cost drivers and freight conditions affecting raw materials and fuels.
Spend analysis, cost breakdown and total cost of ownership applied at category level.
Contract administration and the management of framework agreements and supply contracts.
Supplier qualification, performance measurement, supplier reviews and claims management.
Procurement systems and spend analytics, including SAP or equivalent platforms, and advanced proficiency in Excel.
Procurement controls, ethics and compliance frameworks that govern purchasing.

Problem Solving:

Compares supply alternatives within the category across price, specification, logistics cost and reliability to recommend the best option.
Reads price and index movements in the category and advises on purchase timing and contract structure.
Resolves day to day supply, quality and service matters with suppliers and plants, keeping material availability on track.
Reconciles the specification requirements of the plants with the sources and conditions available in the market.
Prioritizes the workload of the category across sourcing events, contract renewals and plant requirements.

Interaction & Influence:

Reports to the National Categories Manager and manages the Raw Materials & Fuels category within the strategy and targets defined for it.
Interacts daily with suppliers of raw materials and fuels on quotations, orders, performance, claims and the resolution of commercial matters.
Partners with plant operations, maintenance, quality and process on specifications, consumption, material performance and coverage.
Coordinates with the Sourcing & Inventory team and the Buyers on replenishment, purchase order execution and inventory levels for the category.
Works with Logistics on freight conditions, delivery performance and the distribution cost of category materials.
Collaborates with Finance on savings validation and budget assumptions, and with Legal on contract terms.
Shares category information with the corporate procurement teams of Grupo UNACEM and supports Group sourcing initiatives.

Impact:

Direct: Delivers competitive conditions, well-administered contracts and reliable supply within the Raw Materials & Fuels category, and maintains the category information on which sourcing decisions are based.

Indirect: Supports production cost, plant reliability, inventory coverage, and the alternative fuels and sustainability objectives of the business.

Experience & Education:

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business Administration, Engineering, Economics, or related fields. A professional certification such as CPSM or CIPS is desirable.
Three to five years of experience in procurement, category management, strategic sourcing or supply chain, preferably within cement, building materials, mining, manufacturing, or industrial environments.
Demonstrated experience running sourcing events and preparing bid comparisons and award recommendations.

Raw Materials & Fuels Category Advisor

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