Purchasing Specialist

Job Description Summary

Manage the buying process for a given set of goods. Apply sourcing policy, interface between supplier and entity with respect to specifications and budgets. Developing conceptual knowledge of professional discipline. May include support roles with specialized expertise or technical knowledge in broad area.

Job Description

What impact you'll make:

In the position of Purchasing Specialist, as a member of the Supply Chain team, your role will be to ensure the on-time availability of all goods and services necessary for the manufacturing process with the required quality, as well as opportunities of cost reduction and participation in audit processes with the values of Safety, Quality, Delivery, and Cost.

• Analyze the demands converted into purchasing requisitions for all projects, classify purchasing requisitions by categories and suppliers through technical analysis of purchasing drawings.
• Request technical and commercial proposals and define suppliers according to purchasing policies.
• Technically analyze the proposals received together with the Engineering team, if necessary, to ensure compliance with the specifications and standards described in the purchasing drawings.
• Monitor and guarantee the issuance of purchase orders by buyers after completing all prior steps.
• Negotiate prices, delivery lead times and payment conditions, always aiming to meet project deadlines, deflation targets defined by Sourcing and cost reduction targets defined by the Business.
• Apply purchasing methodologies to support and guarantee cost reduction processes through the utilization of negotiation techniques and tools such as frame agreements and single source elimination.
• Carry out remote and in-person due diligence and expediting on suppliers to monitor and guarantee each phase of suppliers' manufacturing process and on-time delivery of goods and services according to projects' deadlines.
• Work together with the Planning Leader to ensure deliveries within established deadlines, create recovery plans for delayed items, seek immediate solutions for new demands and anticipate current demands whenever necessary.
• Carry out market research with the goal of developing new solutions in materials, tools and services. Carry out visits to suppliers to firm partnerships and in alignment with the other obligations and objectives of the position. Develop similar products with better prices and purchasing conditions in alignment with the Engineering and Sourcing teams.
• Support the Sourcing team in relation to suppliers and products during the proposals and sales phases of new projects.
• Support the Sourcing team during all new suppliers' qualification processes.
• Participate in weekly meetings with Project Managers in order to provide material delivery status and check deadlines and critical points throughout the project.
• Ensure that the dates established for Supply Chain in the project are met, maintaining frequent communication with those responsible for the sectors involved.
• Communicate assertively and proactively with different departments, seeking alignment of parties, solving problems and meeting projects' needs.
• Work together with the Purchasing Leader to constantly implement improvements and lean manufacturing processes.
• Suggest, create and maintain monthly, quarterly and annual indicators for the purchasing area together with the Purchasing Leader and Supply Chain Leader.
• Monitor suppliers' payment processes in the system and work together with the Finance/Tax/Payments teams to immediately resolve payment issues, ensuring that the supply flow is not impacted.
• Monitor, support and guarantee, together with buyers, the immediate and assertive solution of non-compliance reports.
• Ensure that all processes and procedures in the purchasing area, in alignment with Quality and Compliance, are followed and maintained.
• Participate and provide data during internal and external audit processes.
• Check, control and guarantee in the ERP system (SAP®) the updating of purchase orders dates according to revised delivery dates and in accordance with purchasing policies.
• Evaluate the performance of suppliers through the scoring process (scorecard) and work with the Sourcing and Quality team, whenever necessary, to implement recovery plans and/or replacement of suppliers with reduced scores.
• Lead and/or participate in continuous improvement projects related to purchasing area.

• Bachelor's degree and/or associate degree in Engineering, Administration and/or related courses
• Significant experience within purchasing and/or Supply Chain areas
• Proven experience working with products, services and suppliers for manufacturing and assembling control panels
• Proved experience with international and intercompany purchases
• Advanced and proved experience with ERP System - SAP®
• Knowledge on technical drawings reading and interpretation
• Experience in managing suppliers' portfolios
• Advanced and proved experience with Office including MS Project.
• Advanced English required
• Good written and oral communication skills
• Negotiation skills

• Previous experience with market analysis, strategy development and negotiation with suppliers
• Proven record of conducting successful complex negotiations and managing contracts
• SRG Certification
• Ability to negotiate with suppliers and internal customers
• Intermediate Spanish
• Critical and analytical skills