Procurement Specialist

San Diego, CA

$125,000 to $165,000

Job DescriptionJoin our dynamic team in the Forging and Machining Supply Chain as a Procurement Specialist! In this critical role, you will work directly with a dedicated group of suppliers and collaborate daily with cross-functional clients to ensure the continuous availability of materials to our worldwide locations, directly supporting our customers' needs. As a Procurement Specialist, you will have a significant impact on improving and sustaining supplier performance, influencing quality, cost, delivery, and ultimately contributing to customer commitments and satisfaction.Responsibilities

• Purchase Order Management: Placement, diligent follow-up, and efficient issue resolution.
• Demand and Forecasting Communication: Clearly communicating demand requirements and forecasts to suppliers.
• Contract Management: Preparing, negotiating terms, and managing contracts.
• Problem Solving: Providing timely and effective solutions to a wide range of issues.
• Supplier Relationship Management: Building and maintaining strong, collaborative relationships with suppliers.
• Performance Monitoring: Managing and reporting on key supplier performance metrics.
• Facilitation and Risk Mitigation: Facilitating effective communication and proactively mitigating risks that could impact Solar's ability to meet customer commitments or business plans.
• Urgency and Diligence: Acting with a strong sense of urgency and providing timely support to internal clients and external customers.
• Policy Compliance: Operating in full compliance with corporate and Supply Chain policies and procedures.
• Safety and Values: Continuously practicing and demonstrating Safety and acting in adherence to Our Values in Action.
• Supplier Portfolio Management: Managing relationships with some non-strategic suppliers, with a primary focus on overseeing strategic or complex suppliers.
• Team Collaboration: Working effectively within a team structure that typically includes a Sourcing Specialist, Supply Chain Coordinator/Planner, and Supplier Technical Engineer, reporting directly to a Supply Chain Manager.
• Project Leadership: Actively participating in and leading projects from initial concept through to successful implementation, directly supporting organizational objectives.
• Travel: Occasional visits to internal production areas and external supplier sites, potentially involving domestic and/or international travel.

Qualifications

• Supply Chain Management:
• Ensures procurement processes meet all audit, regulatory, and legal standards.
• Develops and maintains strong relationships with internal clients and supplier executives.
• Applies advanced Supply Chain knowledge to effectively manage processes, establish robust policies, and develop value-adding strategies.
• Monitors and manages ownership of risk from financial, business continuation, and compliance perspectives.
• Supplier Management:
• Manages each relationship of moderately complex suppliers effectively.
• Drives cost management by identifying and implementing cost reduction opportunities.
• Utilizes cost modeling techniques and analyzes Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) to ensure the best overall value for Solar.
• Manages and maintains supplier relationships at both a day-to-day operational level and a strategic level.
• Executes day-to-day activities including purchase order issuance and maintenance, efficient grief resolution, and conducting productive business review meetings.
• Supplier Selection:
• Collaborates strategically with Supply Chain Leadership and/or Sourcing Specialists to define the desired buyer-supplier relationship and strategic direction (Hold, Grow, Consolidate, Exit).
• Provides crucial support for New Product Introduction (NPI), global strategic sourcing initiatives, and supplier selection processes to ensure flexible capacity and consistent supply from qualified suppliers in support of business objectives.
• Contract Management:
• Develops agreements that are aligned with sourcing strategies and utilizes appropriate standard Solar contracts with legal review as necessary.
• Identifies and effectively balances key risks at all stages of the contract lifecycle.
• Plays an integral role in tracking contract execution, leading contract teams, ensuring timely contract closure, and enforcing any applicable rights beyond contract completion.
• Works closely with internal stakeholders to define clear supplier performance measurements and reporting frameworks.
• Leads commercial negotiations and is fully accountable for contract execution and ongoing maintenance (NDA’s, GP’s, PSAs, JDAs, etc.).
• Negotiation:
• Develops comprehensive negotiation strategies based on a thorough understanding of business requirements.
• Clearly communicates negotiation strategies and parameters to the negotiating team, defining individual roles and responsibilities.
• Ethically executes negotiation strategies for moderately critical and complex items, skillfully employing varied negotiation techniques to achieve optimal results.
• Proactively identifies and resolves potential areas of risk during negotiations.
• Cost Management:
• Applies sound business strategies to daily activities, actively contributes to make-buy decisions, and identifies emerging market opportunities, potential gaps, and relevant industry trends.
• Understands, applies, and effectively coaches others in building and analyzing comprehensive Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) models.
• Purchasing Execution:
• Manages purchase orders (POs) efficiently from initial issuance through to invoice processing, and actively supports key Supply Chain initiatives.
• Resolves highly complex purchasing-related issues with minimal guidance.
• Possesses a strong understanding of financial markets and demonstrates the ability to analyze various cost/pricing models.
• Risk Management:
• Proactively identifies and effectively mitigates potential risks to the business.
• Executes well-defined risk mitigation strategies to prevent disruptions to the Supply Chain.
• Initiates and promotes cross-functional collaboration in supplier development, problem resolution efforts, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with 5-7 years of progressive purchasing experience or equivalent experience in a similar business role.
• Alternatively, a Master’s Degree in Business, Engineering, Supply Chain, or a related field with 3-5 years of purchasing experience or equivalent experience in a similar business role.
• Demonstrated experience with ERP software.
• Proficient in MS Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Visio).
• Fluent in Business English, both written and oral.

Preferred Qualifications

• Supply Chain Certification from a recognized professional institution (ASCM, APICS, IIPMR, ISCEA, ISM, or comparable International Certification).
• Affiliation(s) with ISM, ASCM/APICS, or comparable professional purchasing organizations.
• Demonstrated background(s) in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, Manufacturing, or a related field.
• Demonstrates Individual Contributor Behaviors including strong customer commitment, effective priority setting, proactiveness, accountability, and a commitment to professional growth.
• 6-Sigma certification as a Blackbelt or Greenbelt with proven project and team leadership experience.
• Understanding and practical application of Lean Manufacturing principles.
• Strong Communication and Analytical Skill Sets.
• Proven Influencing and Interpersonal Skill Sets.