George J. Esther, Jr
BJ's Wholesale Club
North Kingstown,RI
1
Certification
16
years of professional experience
Experienced and strategic Category Manager with 20+ years of expertise in strategic sourcing, procurement, and supply chain management. Experienced in driving cost savings and optimizing supply chain operations. Skilled in leading cross-functional teams, negotiating contracts, and analyzing market trends. Experienced with supplier negotiations and contract management. Utilizes strategic sourcing techniques to optimize procurement processes and reduce costs. Track record of building and maintaining strong supplier relationships to ensure consistent supply and quality.
Work History
Indirect Sourcing Manager (Contract)
5 Months- Provide category expertise to internal stakeholders and serve as a liaison to operational functions for assigned categories.
- Led US global team to $1.6 M cost savings project for their Temp Labor.
- Identification of opportunities for cost reduction by partnering with stakeholders and using spend by Keelvar analytics tool
- Developed and executed strategic sourcing initiatives to optimize supplier relationships and reduce costs.
- Analyzed market trends to identify new sourcing opportunities and improve product offerings.
Senior Buyer
2 Years 3 Months- Managed collaborate with cross-functional teams, such as production, quality assurance, and finance, to ensure product specifications are met and to resolve any supply issues.
- Led all negotiate contracts with suppliers to secure advantageous terms, including pricing, delivery schedules, and quality specifications.
- Managed Analyze market trends and supplier performance to identify opportunities for cost savings and supply chain optimization.
- Negotiate contracts with suppliers to secure advantageous terms, including pricing, delivery schedules, and quality specifications.
- Negotiated contracts with suppliers to optimize purchasing terms and conditions.
- Analyzed market trends to identify cost-saving opportunities and improve sourcing strategies.
Procurement Specialist (Contract)
1 Year- Manage daily planning and purchasing activities of all POP materials, packaging, and non-strategic components.
- Manage the timely and cost-effective delivery of product.
- Develop and implement purchasing policies, procedures and objectives to procure products at the lowest total costs, consistent with approved quality and delivery standards
Material Manager
1 Year 2 Months- Led inventory control measures, ensuring inventories were at optimal level.
- Managed the materials team to identify and implement opportunities for improvement.
- Responsible for continuing exploration programs for new material suppliers for reliable delivery.
- Developed and implemented processes to enhance material flow and minimize waste.
- Coordinated with suppliers to ensure timely delivery of high-quality materials.
- Managed inventory levels to optimize supply chain efficiency and reduce costs.
Strategic Sourcing Specialist III (Contract, Project Manager)
8 Months- Led US global team to $1.2M cost savings project for their travel program.
- Used Ariba for bidding, RFI, RFP and RFQ process.
- Negotiate pricing, terms and commercial conditions of agreements and manage through the contract lifecycle
- Negotiated contracts resulting in improved terms and cost savings for procurement processes.
Senior Indirect Category Manager (Project Manager)
2 Years 7 Months- Led cost savings of $150K annually for plant security at East and West coast facilities.
- Used Ariba for bidding, RFI, RFP and RFQ process.
- Implemented cost savings of $120K annually with cleaning company at East coast facility.
- Created cost savings of $40K annually securing a vendor for wood pallet disposal.
- Reduced cost with Aluminum Oxide and Ceramics Buff wheel from supplier, achieving a $50K savings annually.
- Developed and implemented category strategies to optimize product assortment and enhance customer satisfaction.
Senior Indirect Buyer (Strategic Sourcing, Project Manager)
3 Years 10 Months- Championed commodity for indirect materials and services amounting to $1M annually- results drove efficiencies up and maximized leverage throughout the organization.
- Used Ariba for bidding, RFI, RFP and RFQ process.
- Effectively negotiated with the uniform vendor reducing company costs by $50K annually.
- Reduced cost with electronic supplier for MRO repairs resulting in a $24K savings annually.
- Delivered cost savings with snow contractors to reduce costs of $150k a year, using flat rate.
- Launched team to develop a new travel accommodation plan for WNA, with estimated $100K savings.
- Championed negotiations to help reduce security costs, saving $200K.
- (acquired by Post; facility closed)
- Analyzed market trends to inform purchasing decisions and inventory management.
- Managed vendor relationships to optimize product selection and pricing strategies.
- Implemented cost-saving initiatives resulting in improved budget adherence and efficiency.
Senior Buyer (Strategic Sourcing)
1 Year 10 Months- Championed commodity for Packaging and MRO and services amounting to $500K annually; results drove efficiencies up and maximized leverage throughout the organization.
- Lead packaging project to consolidate vendor to two main vendors with lead to saving of $250K save per years.
- Reduced cost for MRO project by having one vendor company to help us source and indirect Materials and services, saving $250K.
- Negotiated contracts with suppliers to optimize cost and quality of raw materials.
- Developed and implemented strategic sourcing strategies to enhance supply chain efficiency.
- Mentored junior buyers, enhancing their negotiation skills and understanding of market dynamics.
Education
Master of Science Management - Management
Bachelor of Science - Economics
Skills
Supplier relationship management
Material planning
Strategic sourcing
Procurement strategy
Category management
Cost analysis
Global sourcing
Strategic business relationships
Data analytics
Demand forecasting
Supply chain optimization
Raw material purchasing
Negotiation strategies
Cost reduction strategies
Problem-solving
Procurement expertise
Affiliations
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt - Naperville Green Belt Group
- CPPC - Certified Professional Purchasing Consultant
- Member, ISM Boston Chapter of Supply Chain Management
- Purchasing & Supply Management, University of Wisconsin
Certification
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt - Naperville Green Belt Group
Certified Supply Chain Analyst CSCA
Extensive seminars, courses, and workshops in Logistics, JIT,Lean Manufacturing, Inventory Control and Project Management
Timeline
Indirect Sourcing Manager (Contract)
BJ's Wholesale Club
06.2025 - 11.2025Read More
Senior Buyer
KPM North America
08.2022 - 11.2024Read More
Procurement Specialist (Contract)
PERKIN ELMER
01.2021 - 01.2022Read More
Material Manager
BLOUNT FINE FOODS
08.2019 - 10.2020Read More
Strategic Sourcing Specialist III (Contract, Project Manager)
NATIONAL GRID
10.2018 - 06.2019Read More
Senior Indirect Category Manager (Project Manager)
ACUSHNET COMPANY
03.2016 - 10.2018Read More
Senior Indirect Buyer (Strategic Sourcing, Project Manager)
WEETABIX, NORTH AMERICA
01.2012 - 11.2015Read More
Senior Buyer (Strategic Sourcing)
WEETABIX, NORTH AMERICA
03.2010 - 01.2012Read More
Marion College
Bachelor of Science from Economics
Read More
Indiana Wesleyan University
Master of Science Management from Management
Read More