Purchasing Director – Automotive Tier‑1

I am cyrille, an Executive Consultant, with over 20 years of experience in executive recruitment and consulting for top-tier companies. Projekts is proud to collaborate with international clients, including (Fortune 500 companies), operating in more than 20 countries worldwide.Purchasing Director – Automotive Tier‑1Local role based in Puebla – Perimeter of 4 plantsWhat if you decided to take the lead of a purchasing organization where the decisions you make every day have a direct, visible and immediate impact on four production sites, on their performance and on their ability to keep customer commitments in a Tier‑1 environment where speed, reliability and trust with OEMs are non‑negotiable, and where the company culture still feels like a “family business” that values people, long‑term relationships and collective success more than rigid procedures and politics?Reporting to the regional leadership team and working in very close connection with plant managers and the global purchasing organization, you will take full ownership of purchasing strategy and operations for a perimeter of four plants in the Puebla area, in a context where industrial footprint, customer ramp‑ups, cost pressure and supply‑chain resilience require a strong mix of strategic vision, hands‑on leadership and the ability to create a genuine partnership mindset with both internal stakeholders and external suppliers.In this role, you are not simply here to “negotiate prices”: you build a robust supplier ecosystem, you secure the flows that keep the plants running, you challenge and support your teams, and you become a key voice at the table when it comes to investments, make‑or‑buy decisions, localization strategies and overall competitiveness of the business.Your missionAs Purchasing Director, you lead a team and a perimeter that truly matter for the industrial and financial performance of the group, with a scope that runs from strategy to execution and from the supplier’s shop floor to the customer’s expectations.Define and deploy the purchasing strategy for four plants, aligning it with customer roadmaps, industrial constraints, cost‑reduction targets and risk management, while keeping a long‑term view on supplier partnerships, localization and sustainability.Lead, coach and grow a local purchasing team (buyers, tactical sourcing, supplier development) by setting clear expectations, giving autonomy, developing skills and creating a culture of accountability, collaboration and open feedback.Secure day‑to‑day operations for direct and indirect materials: ensure supplier performance on quality, cost and delivery; anticipate bottlenecks; manage crises with calm and transparency; and make sure plants can always deliver to customers.Drive negotiations with key suppliers, combining strong analytical skills (TCO, cost breakdowns, benchmarks) with excellent relationship‑building capabilities, so that you obtain competitive conditions while preserving trust and a true win‑win mindset.Work hand in hand with plant management, operations, quality, logistics and finance to align purchasing decisions with industrial realities, cash and inventory objectives and to support major projects such as new product launches, transfers or footprint optimization.Contribute to regional and global purchasing initiatives, bringing your local market knowledge, your understanding of the supplier base in Mexico and North America and your ability to translate group strategies into concrete, implementable actions on your plants.Your profileBeyond your experience in automotive purchasing, we are looking for a leader who inspires confidence, who communicates clearly, who leads by example and who truly enjoys developing people and building strong, trust‑based relationships with both internal stakeholders and suppliers.You have a solid background in purchasing within the automotive industry (Tier‑1 or Tier‑2), with responsibility for plant or multi‑plant scopes, and you understand what it means to support demanding OEM customers in terms of quality, reactivity and cost competitiveness.You are recognized for your leadership style: accessible, fair, demanding but supportive, able to make tough decisions while remaining respectful, and capable of creating a climate where your team feels empowered, listened to and engaged.Your soft skills are one of your strongest assets: you know how to listen actively, read the room, adapt your communication to operators, buyers, plant managers or corporate executives, de‑escalate tensions and build bridges between people and functions that do not always see the world the same way.You are a strong negotiator not only because you master numbers and contracts, but because you prepare thoroughly, you understand what is at stake for the other party and you know how to find creative solutions that protect both competitiveness and relationship.You feel comfortable working in a fast‑moving, multicultural environment, you are hands‑on and close to the shop floor when needed, and at the same time perfectly at ease in steering committees where you defend your strategy, your choices and your results.You are fluent in Spanish and English, and you see yourself as a connector between local teams in Puebla and international stakeholders, able to translate expectations, constraints and opportunities on both sides.What you will findJoining this Tier‑1 automotive supplier in Puebla means stepping into a role where you have real influence on the business, where your decisions shape the daily life of four plants and where you are expected to bring ideas, challenge the status quo and build something for the long term rather than just “running the process”.You will find a company that combines the strength of an industrial group with an agile, human‑scale culture: short decision lines, direct access to top management, real recognition for your contribution and a genuine attention to the development and well‑being of the people behind the numbers.If you recognize yourself in this description – a purchasing leader who is both strategic and hands‑on, tough on facts but respectful with people, ambitious for the business and truly team‑oriented – and if you want to write the next chapter of your career in Puebla in a role that really counts, we would be happy to hear your story.Why choose Projekts to promote your career?Strong Partnerships: Projekts maintains strong partnerships with companies in over 20 countries, offering a unique global perspective for you.Global Expertise: With a global presence, Projekts connects you to best practices and exceptional talents worldwide.Personalized Approach: We commit to understanding the specific needs of each client and candidate, offering tailored solutions to achieve their goals.