Position Summary:

• This procedure describes the basic functions, reporting relationships, authority, and responsibilities of the Purchasing Manager at S&P USA.
• The Job Description provides the performance criteria for the position. It also states the Job Requirements as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act.
• The person occupying the position of Purchasing Manager is responsible for supervising and coordinating activities of workers in the Purchasing Department of vendor services. This person is required to compile and analyze statistical data to determine feasibility of buying products and to establish price objectives for contract transactions.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Performs analysis of customer demand, sales forecasts and historical material usage to develop and execute build to order and build to forecast plans in a high mix, low volume environment.
• Prepares Processes and Procedures for use within the department.
• Establish and implement methods and best practices related to the systems and processes that support inventory forecasting and purchasing in a low volume/high mix environment.
• Develops and administers departmental budgets, and performs timely corrective action to limit financial exposure and return to original budget targets.
• Compiles information from periodicals, catalogs, and other sources to keep informed on price trends and manufacturing processes. Evaluates findings and makes recommendations of feasibility for manufacturing vs buying needed products.
• Works on special projects or coordinates activities of the Purchasing personnel, using lean and continuous improvement techniques.
• Develop and execute a sourcing strategy to meet the company’s business growth and sourcing requirements.
• Recruits and maintains suppliers that provide high quality products and services at better prices, while maintaining the highest code of ethics and conduct. Will also regularly contact suppliers to renegotiate prices as appropriate.
• Develops supplier relationships, and prepares and reviews purchase order claims, bids, proposals, and vendor agreements for legal correctness, price, lead time, and acceptability of items to specifications.
• Negotiates or supervises the negotiation of complex requests for equipment, supplies, and services from suppliers and subcontractors.
• Establish, implement, and manage systems to evaluate, monitor and report supplier scorecard performance reported on a monthly basis for critical vendors.
• Prepares a supplier quality manual for use by all productive part suppliers.
• Confers with vendors and analyzes vendor’s operations to determine factors that affect prices.
• Research, evaluate, and develop a supplier network to allow a more diverse set of procurement options.
• Initiates logistics studies, develops meaningful comparative analysis for logistics costs, risks, etc. Proposes, implements, and monitors costs, delivery lead times, damage assessment, and responsibility for damage.
• Determines chargeback costs for supplier or logistics company quality or delivery deficiencies. Develops, implements, and maintains a chargeback system to recover and track costs.
• Analyze inventory levels by reviewing MRP data to determine, confirm, and/or modify requirements to support forecast and demand planning. Ensure adequate supply is on-hand for existing and new product launches.
• Coordinate and work with quality, engineering, machining and assembly operations to ensure 100% on-time delivery by establishing and monitoring schedule to proactively identify and address any issues.
• Collaborate with Engineering, Manufacturing, and Manufacturing Engineering to achieve cost reduction targets.
• Work closely with the Accounting Department regarding invoicing issues.
• Must be a hands-on manager to resolve issues that may evolve, and cross departmental lines.
• Develops departmental goals, tracks progress, and installs check-points as well as corrective actions.
• Conducts hands-on cross-training of departmental employees.
• Prepares itemized list of slow moving parts which can be used as substitution.
• Negotiates blanket purchase orders when appropriate and monitors cost during the time period.
• Promotes and assists with best practices across the entire company.
• Assists other S&P subsidiaries with policies, practices, ideas, and procedures.
• Recommends contractors and vendors for notification to bid for repair or supply contracts.
• Administers on-line purchasing system.
• Arranges for disposal of surplus materials.
• Works to promote a safe working environment within and outside the Purchasing department.
• May require occasional travel as needed.
• Observe all company policies and procedures.
• Must be able to work additional hours to support the organization’s needs.
• Perform any other duties as may be assigned by the VP of Operations, or his/her designate.

Educational Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Procurement & Logistics, Supply Chain Management, Business Management, or similar, and at least seven (7) years of related experience is preferred. APICS, CPPM or CPP certifications are highly desirable.
• Proficiency in the Windows environment and Microsoft Office Suite is required. This includes a proficiency in Excel required, with a proficiency in Access preferred.
• Must have extensive experience in international procurement, and be able to communicate successfully with international suppliers.
• Formal lean manufacturing training and experience is required.
• Must have exposure to commodity indexes for use in negotiations.  
• Extensive MRP II/ERP experience and their use in a manufacturing environment, including BOM work, product costing, inventory valuation, and inventory turns calculations and demonstrated ability to reduce unnecessary inventory required. This position requires the ability to run queries from databases.
• Experience in lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, six sigma, or other similar environments.
• Maintain and provide current understanding of industry best practices and technology trends.
• Identify tools, processes and metrics to optimize supplier value.
• Ability to leverage metrics and other tools to drive supplier performance.
• Ability to write routine reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals.
• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations.
• Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public.
• Ability to read and interpret English documents, such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals.

Mental Requirements:

• Ability to communicate in English (read, write and speak) is required as the overwhelming majority of customers, vendors, co-workers, and suppliers communicate in this language.
• Reasoning ability is required to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Then to take the conclusions to develop adequate policies and/or procedures to ensure controls are in place, monitored, and enforced to satisfy inventory and reporting accuracy and timeliness, as directed by senior management.
• Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.
• Mathematical abilities to add, subtract, multiply, and/or divide numbers confidently with or without the assistance of a calculator. Statistical analysis and presentation of data is required.