Procurement Specialist

Join the 125-year legacy of Potter Electric Signal Co. Potter has been a part of the St. Louis community since 1898 and we are very proud of our rich history in the fire and life safety industry. Potter's mission is to be the "Symbol of Protection" for fire and life safety solutions worldwide by combining the latest technology in fire protection with the dedicated manpower for which we have been known for over one hundred years. Our vision is to provide industry leading quality solutions, products and services for the protection of life, property and the environment. With unwavering dedication to our customers, Potter looks to continue as the industry standard in both product and service with increased focus on international expansion.

Each employee at Potter takes great pride in knowing that every product we assemble, service, and sell is for the purpose of saving lives around the world. We strive to provide employment opportunities to those individuals who are performance driven, team players, take pride in their work, and are enthusiastic and passionate about their job.

Potter Global Technologies and our private equity firm, KKR, value our employees and all that they do. KKR offers a unique benefit and opportunity for all employees to participate in an ownership program of Potter Global Technologies. Being a co-owner allows each employee to play a more direct role in the business itself and reap the financial benefits of the Companys success.

Overview:

The Procurement Specialist will be instrumental in the efficient and effective functioning of the Potter Global Technology Supply Chain. This role will be responsible for the timely execution of the purchasing and inventory of materials, parts, equipment, services, and supplies required by the organization to meet our customers needs.

Responsibilities:

• Coordinates all activities related to purchasing Beginning with intent to purchase through delivery.
• Analyzes the requirements, including preliminary specifications, preferred supplier, and date required.
• Solicits and evaluates bid proposals.
• Works with Strategic Sourcing to Investigate and/or interview potential suppliers to determine if they meet the specified requirements.
• Negotiates the lowest possible cost balanced against the optimum quality and schedule needs.
• Mitigates current and potential cost increases.
• Devises and implements creative material ordering methods to minimize inventory commitments and reduce lead times; to include pull systems, Kanban and vendor managed inventory.
• Ensures on-time delivery, at the agreed negotiated price with required quality standards.
• Maintains accurate and timely control of orders, amendments, shipping notices, and other documents to ensure accurate retention of records.
• Serve as a primary liaison between the company and select suppliers to establish, maintain, and enhance effective business relationships.
• Work with Strategic Sourcing to develop and implement Supply Chain strategies that achieve quality, cost, and delivery performance objectives.
• Manages necessary trade and logistics related requirements to ensure timely and accurate fulfillment.
• Support Purchasing, Materials, Production, Engineering, Quality, and Product Management as needed for the accurate and timely set up of parts and suppliers in support of new product introductions.
• Support Purchasing Department as needed to process Engineering Change Orders (ECOs) efficiently and accurately for both existing and new products.
• Support the data collection, analysis and implementation of critical sourcing and supply chain initiatives, including Kanban, supplier managed inventory programs and pull systems as defined.
• Support the Purchasing Department in setting and achieving overall department policy, KPIs, and objectives.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

General:

• Acquire a functional knowledge of company products and understand how the current role impacts and supports.
• Enhance organizational value by providing a positive, professional image.
• Professionally interact with other departments and suppliers in a timely, cooperative manner, promoting courtesy, objectivity, and fairness.
• Travel to domestic and international locations if required in order to enhance relations, improve operations, or analyze and reconcile issues.
• Enhance professional development by attending continuing education seminars, completing role related and reading related publications.

Qualifications:

• Associate / Bachelor's Degree in Purchasing, Operations Management, Supply Chain, Engineering, or a related business area.
• Two to five years experience in sourcing, purchasing, supplier management in a manufacturing environment, or similar.
• CPSM (Certified Professional in Supply Management), CPM (Certified Purchasing Manager) or related sourcing professional certification is desirable, but not mandatory.
• Demonstrated expertise in sourcing and supply chain tools, such as Kanban, VMI, project management.
• Functional knowledge of international and domestic purchasing and sourcing methods and concepts.
• Experience working within a multi-cultural and multi-location environment.
• Technical aptitude, including but not limited to the ability to read technical diagrams and drawings to determine product specifications.
• Able to work autonomously and make independent judgments relating to the quality and value of parts and products.
• Excellent verbal, written, and cross-cultural communication skills.
• Computer literate, emphasizing Microsoft Office Suite and MRP type systems. Ability to quickly learn and effectively use Potter software applications (Epicor, Tableau, IQR).