Belgium (EN) $58.94 -2.08 Home Contact Us NIR Belgium Home Company Careers Investors News Brands Industries SHINE WITH YOUR OWN LIGHT: AN INGERSOLL RAND EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT We’re featuring monthly interviews with IR employees across the globe that demonstrate Ingersoll Rand’s values at work. Like our previous spotlight employee, Johanna, Jennifer Butler is a strong, effective female leader in a manufacturing environment. A commodity manager within Ingersoll Rand’s Specialty Vehicle Technologies division, she manages global suppliers that provide materials and parts for Club Car vehicles. OUR CONVERSATION WITH JENNIFER BUTLER What is the most valuable strategy you use in your position at Ingersoll Rand? Relationship building: I work with internal teams to obtain requirements for developing and executing a commodity strategy. This includes negotiating and selecting and qualifying suppliers. Through important relationships I’ve built both internally and externally, I can deliver cost savings and enhance Club Car’s supply chain, protecting our business from risk. What do you enjoy most about your role? One of the most rewarding aspects of my role is addressing business-critical problems with solutions that add value to Club Car’s supply chain and bottom line. Tell us about your career path to this point. After graduating from Howard University, I started with Ingersoll Rand in the Operations Accelerated Development Program (ADP) as a production leader in the in one of the largest strategic business units for the company. Then, I moved on to IR’s corporate headquarters and spent my last year there as an operations ADP, then continued with IR as a commodity manager at Club Car. How has your time at Ingersoll Rand helped you grow, personally or professionally? Ingersoll Rand has consistently helped nurture my talents. In particular, my manager has been a great source of support, often identifying new opportunities for me, from offering me different roles with increasing levels of responsibility to leading cross-functional teams and an inclusion group. In your role as a commodity manager, what are you really proud of? I worked on a cross-functional Value Analysis/Value Engineering (VA/VE) project that allowed my team and me to reduce our product cost significantly while still maintaining quality. Also, through our inclusion groups, I have been able to share my experience and the various career opportunities at IR with diverse early talent and inspired the next generation of STEM and business leaders. What advice do you have for underrepresented groups and early talent? My first piece of advice for diverse and early talent is to take ownership of your career. Don’t sit back and wait for your career to unfold: Get involved and stay engaged. You are the only person driving your career. Secondly, ask for what you want. While some opportunities may come your way, others will only materialize if you ask for them. Do your research, talk to people in your network, and communicate your ask. My third piece of advice is this: Don’t be afraid to move. Your ideal career may only come to fruition if you move to another city, state, or country. Lastly, know your worth. Don’t expect to meet all of the qualifications for an opportunity. Some roles and assignments are designed to help you stretch and to develop you for the next level of your career. When those opportunities present themselves, negotiate. How would you describe the culture at Ingersoll Rand? I would describe the culture as committed to fostering inspired teams and putting people first. What is the best part of working at Ingersoll Rand? The people I work with on a daily basis. My department leader truly embodies what it means to be an authentic servant leader and continues to inspire me to strive for excellence. Additionally, I work with an amazing team of people who inspire progress and are committed to meeting the needs of our customers. Thank you. We want to thank Jennifer, for her time—and especially for her valuable contributions to Ingersoll Rand’s inclusive, team-centric culture. Company Careers Investors News Brands Industries Copyright 2021 © Ingersoll Rand Terms of Use Privacy Policy We use cookies to track usage and preferences. I Understand Privacy Policy