Purchasing Specialist

Job Description

Position Summary

Obtains the best quality, service, and value for products and services through effective bidding, negotiation, and supplier management. Identifies manufacturing needs, selects suppliers, negotiates contracts, and arranges delivery. Purchases critical, complex and/or high-dollar parts, equipment, services, and materials.

• Identify and recommend suppliers by investigating potential suppliers, researching parts, equipment, machinery, services, and materials availability. Prepare statements of work for items proposed for procurement. Develop potential bidders lists and formal requests for quotation or proposal.
• Conduct supplier site visits and evaluate them for 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.
• Evaluate proposals from potential suppliers. Select suppliers for a variety of highly complex or technical materials, supplies or services and negotiate price, delivery, quality and service. Develop alternate sources of supply by identifying and researching prospective suppliers.
• Negotiate final terms and conditions of purchase, award and administer the procurement contract to conclusion. Maintain accurate lead times for assigned area. Issue 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.
• Monitor and evaluate supplier performance. Determine and implement corrective actions to resolve impending supplier failure to fulfill contractual agreements that may delay production or delivery. Resolve shipment quality discrepancies by mediating supplier/manufacturing issues. Facilitate inspections, substitutions, and standardization by arranging and participating in conferences between suppliers and company personnel.
• Negotiate and settle damage claims, rejections, losses, return of materials, over-shipments, cancellations and engineering changes with suppliers.
• Monitor and evaluate 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 in order to assure compliance.
• Prepare complex reports and analyses by collecting, analyzing, and summarizing information and trends.
• Apply continuous improvement techniques and methods to internal processes and systems. Develop, coordinate, and implement improvement initiatives with key suppliers. Recommend actions by analyzing and interpreting data and making comparative analyses. Analyze proposed changes in methods and materials. May lead or be assigned to a special project team.
• Maintain professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops, reviewing trade publications, establishing networks, and/or participating in professional associations.
• Comply with federal, state, and aerospace industry regulations; ensure adherence to requirements and advise management on needed actions. Comply with Government/Commercial Practices Manual (GPM/CPM) policies and procedures.
• May provide leadership to others in department. Act as prime contact on high level projects. Establish goals and objectives required to complete projects. Train and mentor less experienced employees.
• Share specialized knowledge with others. Represent company on high-level projects. Contribute to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed. Work assignments may include cross-functional or project team responsibilities (e.g. continuous improvement).

• Bachelor’s degree (BA) in Business Administration, or related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience which has provided both theoretical and practical knowledge in the field.
• Demonstrated ability to perform the essential functions of the job typically acquired through six or more years of increasingly responsible related experience.
• Certificate in Purchasing Management (CPM) or APICS desired.

• Thorough knowledge of…