Also called: Strategic Sourcing Manager
Finds and manages factories and suppliers around the world, often traveling to Asia, Mexico or Europe.
You spend a week touring factories in Vietnam, checking quality and working conditions, then negotiate prices over dinner. Back home you compare tariffs to decide where to build next year's product.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 8 years after high school. Bachelor's in business or engineering; language skills are a plus.
Ways in: 4-year college, Certification. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: International Business, Supply Chain Management, Industrial Engineering.
Growing about average. Tariffs and reshoring keep this role busy.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. AI compares suppliers and tariffs; visiting factories abroad and negotiating face to face stays human.
Classes: Spanish, Mandarin or another language, AP World History, Business elective.
Official data: O*NET occupation 11-3061.
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