Purchasing Specialist

Position Summary

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. This role will work directly with source-controlled suppliers in the areas of valves, generators, heat exchangers, rotors, motors, and/or stators.

• Manage suppliers in a source-controlled setting to ensure the organization realizes the most effective cost with the best delivery and lead times.
• 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.
• 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 in order 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 specialized knowledge with others. Represents company on high-level projects. Contributes to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed. Work assignments may include cross-functional or project team responsibilities (e.g. continuous improvement).

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor's degree (BA) in Business Administration, or related field, 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.

Knowledge,

Skills and Abilities

• Experience managing source-controlled suppliers in an aerospace environment.
• Thorough knowledge of purchasing and negotiating methods, principles and concepts.
• Knowledge of industry practices, general business operations, and policies.
• Knowledge of legal and regulatory requirements related to procurement.
• Ability to effectively assess and implement continuous improvement principles and techniques.
• Proficient with standard business application software and specialized purchasing and/or materials systems (e.g. electronic data…