Purchase Specialist

Obtains the best quality, service, and value for products and services through effective bidding, negotiation, and supplier management. Identifies manufacturing needs, identifies and selects suppliers, negotiates contracts, and arranges delivery. Purchases critical, complex and/or high dollar parts, equipment, services, and materials. Reviews key supplier metrics, hosts quarterly business reviews, travels to suppliers when needed, drives supplier improvement activities to improve the key metrics of quality, delivery, competitiveness, and customer service.

• Identifies and recommends suppliers by investigating potential suppliers, researching parts, equipment, machinery, services, and materials availability. Prepares statements of work for items proposed for procurement. Develops potential bidders lists and formal requests for quotation or proposal.
• Performs Supplier risk assessments for near and long-term capacity
• Conducts supplier site visits and evaluates them as to production capability, performance, delivery, and other key business criteria. May support or lead supplier certification surveys as part of a technical and/or quality team.
• Evaluates proposals from potential suppliers. Selects suppliers for a variety of highly complex or technical materials, supplies or services and negotiates price, delivery, quality and service. Develops alternate sources of supply by identifying and researching prospective suppliers.
• Negotiates final terms and conditions of purchase, awards and administers the procurement contract to conclusion. Maintains accurate lead times for assigned area. Issues purchase orders and agreements that accurately reflect price, schedule, terms, and conditions as negotiated with suppliers. May include orders with international suppliers and/or subcontractors involving import/export trade.
• Monitors and evaluates supplier performance. Determines and implements corrective actions to resolve impending supplier failure to fulfill contractual agreements that may delay production or delivery. Resolves shipment quality discrepancies by mediating supplier/manufacturing issues. Facilitates inspections, substitutions, and standardization by arranging and participating in conferences between suppliers and company personnel.
• Negotiates and settles damage claims, rejections, losses, return of materials, over-shipments, cancellations, and engineering changes with suppliers.
• Monitors and evaluates supplier's ability to meet all company and government or commercial procurement requirements and ensure that the pertinent technical and quality issues receive adequate attention to assure compliance.
• Prepares complex reports and analyses by collecting, analyzing, and summarizing information and trends.
• Applies continuous improvement techniques and methods to internal processes and systems. Develops, coordinates, and implements improvement initiatives with key suppliers. Recommends actions by analyzing and interpreting data and making comparative analyses. Analyzes proposed changes in methods and materials. May lead or be assigned to a special project team.
• Maintains professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops, reviewing trade publications, establishing networks, and/or participating in professional associations.
• Complies with federal, state, and aerospace industry regulations; ensures adherence to requirements and advises management on needed actions. Complies with Government/Commercial Practices Manual (GPM/CPM) policies and procedures.
• May provide leadership to others in department. Acts as prime contact on high level projects. Establishes goals and objectives required to complete projects. Trains and mentors less experienced employees.
• Shares…