Supplier Relationship Management

About the Voith Group

The Voith Group is a global technology company. With its broad portfolio of systems, products, services and digital applications, Voith sets standards in the markets of energy, paper, raw materials and transport & automotive. Founded in 1867, the company today has around 20,700 employees, sales of € 4,8 billion and locations in over 60 countries worldwide and is thus one of the larger family-owned companies in Europe.

Voith Hydro is hiring for:
 

Supplier Relationship Management
York, PA

Position Summary

The Supplier Relationship Manager (SRM) is responsible for developing, managing, and continuously improving Voith Hydro North America's strategic supplier base to ensure reliable supply, on-time delivery, competitive performance, and long-term supplier partnerships.

This role combines strategic supplier relationship management with hands-on operational support, particularly for critical and long-lead-time components required for hydroelectric equipment manufacturing, modernization, upgrades, and service projects.

The SRM works closely with Operational Buyers, Project Management, Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, Logistics, and HyService teams to identify supply chain risks, resolve supplier performance issues, secure critical deliveries, and strengthen supplier capabilities. A key priority is the proactive management and escalation of delivery risks at strategic suppliers, including on-site supplier visits and recovery activities when required.

The role also supports the identification, qualification, and development of new suppliers, particularly in support of HyService, Upgrades, and Service projects where supplier availability and proximity to the customer or project site are important considerations.

The SRM will leverage Voith Hydro's SAP ERP system and Jaggaer (PureOne) vendor portal to maintain supplier data, support qualification and onboarding processes, monitor performance, and drive consistent supplier management practices across North America.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Supplier Management and Supplier Mapping

• Develop, maintain, and continuously improve the strategic supplier map for Voith Hydro North America.
• Identify and classify strategic, critical, and high-risk suppliers based on business impact, technical capabilities, capacity, delivery performance, quality, geographic location, financial stability, and supply chain risk.
• Establish supplier relationship strategies, including development plans, risk mitigation measures, capacity planning, and long-term sourcing approaches.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with key supplier management and executive contacts.
• Identify supplier dependencies, single-source risks, capacity constraints, and opportunities to diversify the supplier base.
• Support the development of regional and North American sourcing strategies in alignment with business and project requirements.
• Maintain an overview of supplier capabilities, manufacturing capacity, lead times, certifications, geographic coverage, and technical competencies.
• Identify opportunities for supplier consolidation, localization, and strategic partnerships where commercially and operationally beneficial.

2. Supplier Performance Management

• Establish and maintain a structured supplier performance management process for strategic suppliers.
• Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs), including on-time delivery, quality performance, responsiveness, lead-time adherence, and corrective action closure.
• Conduct regular supplier performance reviews and business reviews with key suppliers.
• Develop and maintain supplier scorecards, performance reports, and improvement plans.
• Lead or coordinate corrective and preventive action initiatives with suppliers in collaboration with Quality, Engineering, and Procurement.
• Address recurring delivery delays, quality issues, communication gaps, and capacity constraints.
• Escalate persistent underperformance to supplier management and relevant Voith Hydro leadership.
• Track supplier improvement commitments and verify that agreed actions deliver measurable results.

3. Supplier Qualification, Development, and Onboarding

• Identify, evaluate, qualify, and develop suppliers in alignment with Voith Hydro's technical, quality, commercial, and compliance requirements.
• Coordinate supplier qualification and onboarding activities with Procurement, Quality, Engineering, EHS, and other relevant functions.
• Manage and support supplier registration and onboarding through the Jaggaer (PureOne) vendor portal.
• Ensure that supplier documentation, certifications, company information, and required approvals are completed and maintained.
• Support supplier audits, capability assessments, and risk evaluations as needed.
• Develop improvement plans for suppliers that require additional support to meet Voith Hydro's expectations.
• Identify new suppliers for specialized manufacturing processes, critical components, and regional service requirements.
• Support the development of qualified alternatives for high-risk or single-source components.
• Maintain a structured record of qualified suppliers, capabilities, limitations, and approval status.

4. Supplier Agreements and Commercial Frameworks

• Support the development, negotiation, implementation, and maintenance of Master Supply Agreements (MSAs) and General Terms and Agreements (GTAs), in coordination with Strategic Procurement, Legal, and other relevant stakeholders.
• Help establish consistent commercial and contractual frameworks for strategic suppliers.
• Support the alignment of commercial terms, lead times, delivery commitments, escalation mechanisms, and supplier performance expectations.
• Coordinate with Operational Buyers and project teams to ensure that supplier commitments are understood and aligned with purchase orders and project schedules.
• Support contract reviews, renewals, and updates where required.
• Monitor supplier compliance with agreed contractual obligations and identify deviations requiring corrective action or escalation.
• Support the documentation and resolution of supplier-related commercial issues, including delivery failures and recovery commitments.

5. Securing Critical Deliveries and Operational Expediting

• Provide hands-on support to Operational Buyers in securing on-time delivery of critical and long-lead-time components from strategic suppliers.
• Proactively monitor supplier delivery commitments, production progress, capacity constraints, and potential schedule deviations.
• Identify delivery risks early and coordinate mitigation measures before they affect project milestones, manufacturing schedules, or customer commitments.
• Act as an escalation point for critical supplier delivery issues and coordinate cross-functional recovery actions.
• Conduct on-site supplier visits and expediting activities when necessary to verify production status, identify bottlenecks, and accelerate recovery plans.
• Work directly with supplier production, planning, quality, and management teams to resolve delivery constraints.
• Establish recovery plans with clear milestones, responsibilities, and follow-up mechanisms.
• Coordinate with Project Management, Manufacturing, Logistics, Quality, and Operational Buyers to prioritize deliveries based on business criticality.
• Support the resolution of material shortages, delayed manufacturing operations, capacity limitations, incomplete documentation, and transportation constraints.
• Maintain visibility of critical supplier deliveries and communicate risks, recovery status, and escalation requirements to internal stakeholders.
• Ensure that delivery recovery actions are documented and tracked through to closure.

Particular focus will be placed on strategic and technically complex suppliers , including:

• Forgings and castings.
• Large & Mid and complex machined components.
• Generators and generator-related equipment.
• Generator poles, stator and rotor components, and coils.
• Other long-lead-time or project-critical hydroelectric equipment and components.

The SRM is expected to take a proactive, fact-based approach to supplier escalation, combining data analysis, direct supplier engagement, and on-site intervention when required.

6. Supplier Risk Management and Business Continuity

• Identify and assess supplier risks related to capacity, delivery performance, financial stability, quality, manufacturing capability, logistics, and geopolitical or regional dependencies.
• Maintain a risk overview for strategic suppliers and critical components.
• Develop mitigation plans for suppliers with elevated delivery or business continuity risks.
• Identify alternative sourcing options and support contingency planning for critical components.
• Monitor supplier capacity and production constraints in relation to current and future Voith Hydro project requirements.
• Escalate risks with potential impacts on project execution, customer commitments, cost, or contractual obligations.
• Support cross-functional risk reviews and contribute to supplier-related business continuity planning.

7. Supplier Development and Continuous Improvement

• Work with suppliers to improve delivery reliability, production planning, capacity utilization, responsiveness, and overall performance.
• Facilitate structured problem-solving and root-cause analysis for recurring supplier issues.
• Encourage suppliers to improve planning transparency, milestone reporting, manufacturing readiness, and communication.
• Identify opportunities to reduce lead times, improve schedule adherence, and strengthen supply chain resilience.
• Promote a continuous improvement culture across the strategic supplier base.
• Share lessons learned and successful supplier development practices across Procurement and project teams.

8. Support for HyService, Upgrades, and Service Projects

• Support HyService and Upgrades/Service teams in identifying and developing new suppliers to meet project-specific and customer-specific requirements.
• Identify qualified suppliers located near customer facilities, project sites, or service locations where local sourcing can improve responsiveness, reduce logistics complexity, or support execution.
• Evaluate regional supplier capabilities for machining, fabrication, repair, refurbishment, field services, and other relevant manufacturing or service activities.
• Coordinate with Service Project Managers, Engineering, Quality, and Procurement to establish supplier qualification and approval requirements.
• Support the development of a regional supplier network that can respond to urgent service needs and modernization projects.
• Identify local sourcing opportunities for replacement parts, special components, and time-sensitive service requirements.
• Balance local availability with technical qualification, quality requirements, commercial competitiveness, and Voith Hydro standards.
• Maintain visibility of qualified regional suppliers and their capabilities for future service and upgrade opportunities.

9. SAP ERP and Jaggaer (PureOne) Vendor Portal

• Use Voith Hydro's SAP ERP system to review and analyze relevant purchasing, supplier, order, and delivery information.
• Work with Operational Buyers to identify overdue purchase orders, at-risk delivery dates, open commitments, and critical material requirements.
• Support the maintenance and accuracy of supplier-related information and relevant procurement data within established system responsibilities.
• Use Jaggaer (PureOne) to support supplier registration, qualification, onboarding, documentation, and supplier data management.
• Monitor completion of supplier onboarding requirements and coordinate resolution of missing or outdated documentation.
• Develop and maintain transparent supplier performance and delivery tracking reports using available ERP data and reporting tools.
• Promote consistent use of procurement systems and standardized supplier management processes.
• Identify opportunities to improve data quality, reporting, process transparency, and supplier management efficiency.

10. Cross-Functional Collaboration and Reporting

• Work closely with Operational Buyers and Strategic Procurement to align supplier priorities, sourcing strategies, and delivery recovery actions.
• Collaborate with Project Management, Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Logistics, HyService, and Upgrades teams to address supplier-related challenges.
• Provide regular updates to stakeholders on supplier performance, critical delivery risks, recovery plans, and supplier development activities.
• Prepare supplier performance reviews, risk assessments, escalation summaries, and management reports.
• Support procurement and project reviews by providing a consolidated view of supplier status and emerging risks.
• Contribute to standardization and continuous improvement of supplier relationship management processes across Voith Hydro North America.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Procurement, Business, Engineering, Operations Management, or a related field; equivalent relevant professional experience may be considered.
• 5 - 10 years of experience in supplier relationship management, strategic or operational procurement, supplier development, production planning, expediting, or supply chain management.
• Experience working with industrial manufacturing suppliers and complex, engineered-to-order products.
• Experience managing suppliers of forgings, castings, large machined components, electrical equipment, generators, poles, coils, or comparable heavy industrial components is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated ability to manage critical deliveries, coordinate supplier escalations, and drive recovery plans under time pressure.
• Experience with supplier qualification, performance management, audits, development plans, and commercial agreements.
• Familiarity with Master Supply Agreements (MSAs), General Terms and Agreements (GTAs), and supplier contractual frameworks.
• Experience with SAP ERP in a procurement or supply chain environment.
• Experience with Jaggaer (PureOne) or a comparable supplier management and onboarding portal is an advantage.
• Ability and willingness to travel regularly to supplier facilities and internal locations across North America.
• Experience supporting field service, modernization, aftermarket, or customer-specific project requirements is an advantage.

Skills and Competencies

• Strong supplier relationship management and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Excellent negotiation, communication, and escalation management capabilities.
• A proactive, hands-on approach to resolving supplier delivery and performance issues.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to translate ERP data into actionable priorities.
• Effective project coordination, risk assessment, and problem-solving capabilities.
• Ability to work across functional boundaries and influence internal and external stakeholders without relying solely on formal authority.
• Strong organizational skills, follow-up discipline, and attention to detail.
• Ability to manage competing priorities in a project-driven industrial environment.
• Willingness to challenge supplier commitments constructively and drive accountability.
• Comfortable working with international suppliers and diverse cultural and business environments.

Working Arrangements and Travel

• Office presence: Three days per week in the office, with flexibility for supplier visits and business requirements.
• Travel: Approximately 20–50%, depending on supplier performance, project demands, and business priorities.
• Travel scope: Supplier facilities and relevant Voith Hydro locations across North America, with occasional travel to customer or project locations as required.
• Work environment: A combination of office-based supplier management, cross-functional coordination, ERP-based analysis, and hands-on supplier engagement, including on-site expediting and escalation activities.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Performance will be evaluated against a combination of supplier performance, delivery assurance, risk reduction, and supplier development objectives, including:

• On-time delivery performance of strategic suppliers.
• Reduction in overdue purchase orders and critical delivery delays.
• Effectiveness and timeliness of supplier recovery plans.
• Improvement in supplier quality and corrective action closure.
• Completion and effectiveness of strategic supplier performance reviews.
• Progress in qualifying and onboarding new suppliers.
• Reduction of critical single-source dependencies and identified supply chain risks.
• Achievement of supplier development and continuous improvement objectives.
• Timely completion of supplier qualification and onboarding requirements.
• Successful identification of regional suppliers supporting HyService and Upgrades/Service projects.
• Accuracy, transparency, and usefulness of supplier performance and risk reporting.

Overall Objective

The Supplier Relationship Manager will strengthen Voith Hydro North America's supply chain by building reliable strategic supplier partnerships, improving supplier performance, and ensuring the timely availability of critical components.

Through a combination of strategic supplier management, hands-on expediting, supplier development, and regional sourcing support, the SRM will help reduce supply chain risk, protect project schedules, improve operational performance, and support the successful execution of Hydro, HyService, and Upgrades/Service projects.

Recommended additions to strengthen the role

I would emphasize the following five points when aligning the job description internally:

1. Clear ownership of critical supplier escalation. The SRM should be the coordination lead for strategic supplier delivery recovery, while Operational Buyers retain ownership of their purchase orders and routine procurement execution.

2. A formal strategic supplier map. Include supplier criticality, manufacturing capabilities, capacity, geographic footprint, delivery and quality performance, single-source exposure, and contingency options.

3. A risk-based supplier visit program. Prioritize on-site visits based on delivery risk, project criticality, supplier performance, and recovery requirements—not simply a fixed visit schedule.

4. Regional supplier development for Service and Upgrades. Build a qualified North American supplier network that can support customer-specific projects, urgent repairs, and modernization work close to the installation site.

5. Measurable performance targets. Establish baseline KPIs and agree on targets with Procurement leadership rather than inserting arbitrary percentages into the job description.

Voith US Inc. is an EEO/AA/VEVRAA compliant Federal Contractor and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, protected veteran status, or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local law. We welcome everyone to apply, especially those individuals who are underrepresented in the industry including people of color, LGBTQI+ community, women, individuals with disabilities (both seen and unseen), Veterans, people of any age or family status. We embrace the competitive advantage that diversity brings and we strive to create a working environment that is inclusive of thought and talent.