Procurement Specialist

The Procurement Specialist is responsible for sourcing and procuring production materials, major components, and essential services to support manufacturing operations. Leverages MRP reports to manage procurement activities and conducts weekly supplier follow-ups to ensure timely delivery aligned with production schedules. Evaluates supplier quotes and capabilities to ensure compliance with quality standards, delivery timelines, and quantity requirements. Actively seeks opportunities to reduce material costs through strategic negotiations, competitive sourcing, and long-term agreements. Collaborates closely with Engineering to develop specifications that optimize cost-efficiency while meeting quality and performance standards.
Key Responsibilities:
Review daily MRP reports; place new Purchase Orders (PO’s) and adjust the schedule of existing PO’s to meet the requirements of the master production schedule.
Working with other technical disciplines as necessary to obtain competitive quotations for production materials; select supplier based on subjective evaluation of minimum cost, maximum quality, and best on-time delivery.
Justify any excessive material price increases as needed or requested.
Verify all item numbers, descriptions, revisions, specifications, etc. when placing PO’s.
Expedite critical materials and late deliveries as required.
Support Scheduling department and notify when materials will not be available to meet MPS.
Assist Design department as necessary with the initial entry and maintenance of item data, such as price, lead-time, supplier part numbers, etc. in ERP system.
Seek out and qualify new suppliers through referrals, trade publications, internet searches, etc.
Select suppliers based on subjective evaluation of minimum cost, maximum quality, and best on-time delivery.
Establish credit terms and negotiate contracts with new suppliers.
Enter and maintain supplier data, contact information, account numbers, etc. in ERP system.
Visit supplier facilities as required to review processes and capabilities.
Participate in semi-annual supplier evaluation meeting; maintain acceptable supplier rating for quality and on-time performance; consult with substandard suppliers to improve performance.
Mediate between Quality department and suppliers to resolve discrepancies; obtain return authorization for production materials to be returned to supplier for rework, repair, or correction.
Assist Customer Service department; obtain return authorization and place PO’s for the repair and calibration of third-party products and accessories.
Place special orders based on Engineering Projects or manually generated requisitions (e.g. shop tools, office supplies, etc.); send a copy of PO’s to department originating request.
Aid accounts payable to resolve billing, payment, and credit disputes.
Reconcile monthly company credit card statement.
Prioritize and manage diverse projects and variable daily demand.
Other duties may be assigned.
Minimum Qualifications:
Bachelors degree or equivalent from two-year college or technical school; or at least three years of related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Strong communication skills in English
Ability and willingness to use AI tools to improve productivity, decision-making, work quality
Ability to identify appropriate AI use cases and critically evaluate AI-generated outputs
Desired Qualifications:
Be able to understand MRP, Technical Drawings, Specifications and Bills of Material documents.
Read and understand Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) required for this position.
Be operationally proficient in MS-Office programs, Outlook, Excel & Word in support of both internal and external communications.