Procurement Specialist

We are seeking an experienced, detail-oriented Procurement Specialist to manage tactical and operational purchasing activities for our manufacturing operations in West Chicago, IL. In this role, you will lead the end-to-end procurement of direct and indirect materials, manage supplier delivery and quality performance, negotiate favorable commercial terms, and collaborate closely with operations, planning, and engineering to maintain production continuity.

The ideal candidate brings a proven background in engineered manufacturing environments, strong MRP/ERP proficiency (SAP/Oracle), and sharp negotiation skills to optimize costs and minimize supply chain risks.

Key Responsibilities

• Purchase Order Execution & Management: Issue, confirm, and expedite purchase orders for raw materials, machined components, castings, hardware, and shop supplies based on MRP demands and project schedules.
• Supplier Performance & Relationship Management: Monitor supplier on-time delivery (OTD), lead times, and quality conformance (PPM). Resolve non-conformance reports (NCRs) and invoice discrepancies directly with vendors.
• Cost Optimization & Negotiation: Conduct RFQs/RFPs, benchmark supplier pricing, and negotiate price, payment terms, and delivery schedules to achieve annual purchase price variance (PPV) and cost-out targets.
• Supply Chain Continuity: Identify supply chain bottlenecks and single-source vulnerabilities. Source, evaluate, and qualify alternate suppliers in alignment with quality and engineering specifications.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with Production Planning, Inventory Control, and Engineering to support BOM updates, engineering change orders (ECOs), and inventory turn objectives.
• ERP Data Maintenance: Maintain accurate purchasing master data within the ERP system, including lead times, minimum order quantities (MOQs), safety stock levels, and vendor info records.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Operations, Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience).
• Experience: 3+ years of procurement, tactical purchasing, or buyer experience in a discrete manufacturing, industrial machinery, or engineered-to-order (ETO) facility.
• ERP Systems: Demonstrated proficiency executing purchasing transactions within major ERP platforms (e.g., SAP, Oracle, JD Edwards).
• Technical Acumen: Ability to interpret engineering drawings, bills of materials (BOMs), and technical specifications when sourcing mechanical or electrical components.
• Analytical Skills: Advanced Microsoft Excel skills (VLOOKUPs, Pivot Tables, data analysis) for spending analysis and inventory tracking.