Engineering Structures Journal Jobs in River Grove, IL

We are looking for a Strategic Sourcing Expert in Logistics to own the end-to-end sourcing and lifecycle management of Industrial Safety & PPE / Industrial Supplies industry, with a strong B2B distribution and manufacturing-adjacent profile.

The role focuses on transport and warehouse, covering the full lifecycle: sourcing, commercial structuring, transport and warehouse strategy, maintenance concepts, and cost optimization.

We are deliberately open to candidates from different backgrounds — including strategic sourcing, logistics procurement, transport management, or commercial/sales roles with equipment manufacturers or service providers — as long as you bring strong commercial judgment and a lifecycle mindset.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and implement end-to-end category strategies for logistics services, including:
• Transportation: FTL, LTL, parcel, intermodal (where applicable)
• Warehousing: ambient, value-added services, overflow and peak-capacity solutions
• Align logistics sourcing strategies with the business growth, network design, and customer service objectives.
• Deliver measurable value through cost savings, lane optimization, specification and service-level standardization, and supplier consolidation.
• Lead should-cost analyses, TCO modeling, and benchmarking across transport and warehousing categories.
• Analyze key cost drivers (fuel, labor, capacity, service levels, network configuration).
• Use data and market intelligence to anticipate risks, inflation exposure, and capacity constraints.
• Structure and negotiate commercial models (purchase, leasing, lease-to-own, service-inclusive models).
• Own the full asset lifecycle from specification to end-of-life.
• Optimize total cost of ownership (TCO) across capex, maintenance, servicing, and downtime.
• Work with engineering and operations to standardize specifications and reduce fleet complexity.
• Manage regional supplier relationships (OEMs, dealers, leasing companies, service providers).
• Partner closely with airport operations, engineering, safety, and finance teams.
• Ensure compliance with local regulations, airport standards, and safety requirements.
• Translate operational requirements into effective sourcing and contracting solutions.
• Identify, qualify, and manage strategic carriers, 3PLs, warehouse operators, and logistics service providers.
• Prepare, run strategic sourcing events (RFI, RFP, negotiations, eAuctions where applicable) and contract negotiations, including:
• Rate structures and indexation mechanisms
• SLAs, KPIs, and service performance standards
• Safety, compliance, and insurance requirements

Requirements:

• University degree (Bachelor's or Master's) or equivalent professional experience.
• 4–7+ years of experience in:
• Strategic sourcing or category management experience.
• Logistics sourcing, fleet sourcing, or heavy equipment categories.
• Experience with RFQs/RFPs, negotiations, and contract management.
• Experience managing or sourcing vehicle fleets or logistics assets.
• Strong understanding of maintenance, uptime, and operational requirements.
• Exposure to TCO-driven decision-making.
• Strong exposure to road transport and time-critical logistics; air freight experience is a plus.
• Experience in Industrial Safety & PPE / Industrial Supplies, food logistics, FMCG, or similarly operationally intensive environments is highly desirable.
• Solid understanding of transportation markets, pricing mechanisms, and cost drivers.
• Strong analytical and stakeholder communication skills.
• Comfortable working in international, matrix-driven organizations.
• Fluent in English or another language (e.g. Spanish, French, German) is an advantage.
• Execution-oriented with a strong operational mindset.
• Structured, pragmatic, and resilient in fast-paced environments.
• Curious and motivated to deepen transportation and logistics expertise in an aviation context.