Corporate Indirect Buyer

Summary 

This position is responsible for all procurement activities related to the purchasing of materials, approved goods and services for the assigned location, including sourcing, evaluating, and purchasing information technology hardware, software, and related services for the Company to ensure technical requirements are met while optimizing cost and quality by negotiating with vendors and managing supplier relationships. The ideal candidate is a highly analytical, self-motivated, thoughtful and detailed communicator with knowledge and application of purchasing cost reduction methods and the ability to apply them in order to succeed.

Responsibilities 

• Works with IT team to identify technology needs, including hardware, software, and services, based on business requirements. 
• Assesses procurement needs and developing clear strategy for purchasing goods and services.
• Conducts market research to identify potential suppliers and evaluates their offerings in terms of quality, price, reliability, integration capabilities, etc.
• Maintains approved vendor contact lists and approved hardware/software/services lists.
• Sources, selects, negotiates with suppliers to obtain the best terms of purchase, including discounts, service, updates, maintenance etc. 
• Maintains the negotiation process and approves the contract award for most commodity purchases or services.
• Provides information to internal customers for pricing proposals.  
• Resolves specification issues prior to quoting process.  
• Achieves cost savings goals and delivers lowest cost alternatives for sourcing of products and services to meet business demands.
• Maintains a robust relationship with suppliers and managing vendor performance to ensure compliance with contractual obligations and performance metrics.
• Coordinates with internal stakeholders such as IT, finance, logistics, legal departments to ensure alignment of procurement activities with business goals. 
• Determines the need for expediting, follows up on late orders and monitors delivery performance taking corrective action as needed.
• Reports activities to include monthly savings and weekly status of upcoming renewals/new projects, amongst others. 
• Completes corporate program compliance review and reconciliation of P-Card expenditures for corporate charges.
• Maintains comprehensive records of all purchasing activities.
• Resolves accounting discrepancies.
• May lead or supervise temporary personal purchasing assistants or interns.
• Handles administrative tasks related to purchase orders and agreements, including controlling the signing process.
• Ensure adherence to legal and regulatory requirements in the purchasing process.
• Works onsite to ensure efficiency with internal business partners.
• Other duties as assigned.

Desired Experience 

• Working knowledge of assigned commodity items
• Professional phone etiquette is a must
• Self-motivated and possesses the ability to complete tasks on-time and with little supervision
• General negotiation skills 
• Intermediate analytical and mathematical skills
• Strong knowledge and experience of Microsoft Excel and Word, Microsoft Access a plus
• General office equipment, e.g., copier, fax
• Knowledge and application of purchasing cost reduction methods
• Material requirements planning (MRP) system and ERP purchasing system proficiency
• Thorough knowledge of purchasing terminology and practices
• Leadership and supervisory skills 
• Hands-on experience with purchasing software and tools is beneficial
• Knowledge of the specific regulatory and compliance requirements of the manufacturing industry
• 1-3 years purchasing work experience in manufacturing environment preferred
• Proficient in Microsoft suite (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint)
• Preferred CPM/CPIM (Certified Purchasing Manager/Certified Production Inventory Manager

Education 

• A bachelor’s degree in business, supply chain management, information technology, or a related field is typically require