Procurement Specialist

Our client is looking for a Procurement Specialist to join their team. The core purpose of a procurement specialist is to manage the acquisition of goods and services necessary for an organization to operate efficiently. Their primary responsibilities include identifying suppliers,  negotiating contracts, managing vendor relationships, ensuring quality and timely delivery of goods and  services, and optimizing procurement processes to minimize costs while maximizing value. Procurement  specialists play a vital role in strategic sourcing, cost reduction initiatives, and overall supply chain  management within an organization. The Procurement Specialist tasked with analysing market trends,  assessing supplier capabilities, and implementing best practices to streamline procurement operations and  support the organization's goals and objectives. 

Responsibilities:

• Procurement 

• Understanding Product Requirements, Demand Planning, Inventory Management  1. Thoroughly analyse the products needed by the organization, considering factors such as  quantity, specifications, innovation, quality standards, and delivery timelines. 

• Work closely with various departments, including production and sales to understand current  needs and forecast future requirements. 

• Through demand planning, ensure that the organization maintains adequate inventory levels  to meet customer demands while avoiding stockouts or overstock situations. 

• Anticipate future requirements by engaging with stakeholders, analysing historical data, and  collaborating with suppliers to ensure a seamless supply chain that can adapt to changes in demand patterns or market dynamics. 

• Responsible for optimizing inventory levels to minimize carrying costs while ensuring product  availability. This includes monitoring stock levels, replenishment cycles, business peak/off peak cycles and lead times to maintain an efficient and responsive supply chain. 

• Implement strategies to manage (reduce and eliminate) aged or obsolete stock. 7. Raised and Expedite Supplier Purchase Orders as required. 

• Supplier Management: 

• Ensure signed agreements in place with current and new suppliers, managing termination  dates, renewal options, price adjustment intervals, rebates.

• Evaluate and manage current and potential suppliers based on multiple criteria, including  price competitiveness, quality of products or services, compliance with BBBEE (Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment) requirements, service levels (lead time, OTIF, stock holding,  non-conformances), payment terms and available rebates or discounts. 

• Conduct thorough supplier assessments, through supplier visits and audits, considering  factors as such quality assurance systems, production capacity, reputation, past  performance, supply and business continuity risk. Feedback to business.  

• Engage with suppliers to drive improvement aligned with business requirements and  objectives. 

• Engage with suppliers to build mutually beneficial relationships. 

• Benchmarking: 

• Regularly compare the pricing, terms, and performance of current suppliers against industry  benchmarks and competitors, to identify opportunities for cost savings, efficiency improvements, or product enhancements. 

• Challenge current suppliers to remain competitive, to ensure that the organization receives  the most favourable pricing and terms possible. 

• Exploration of Alternatives: 

• Proactively seek out alternative products or suppliers to diversify the supply chain, mitigate  risks, and drive innovation. 

• Conduct market research and engage in supplier scouting activities to identify potential  alternatives. 

• Conduct trials to evaluate the suitability and performance of alternative products or suppliers  before making sourcing decisions. 

• • Negotiation for Cost Savings: 

• Leverage negotiation skills and market knowledge to secure favourable pricing, discounts, or  rebates from suppliers. 

• Analyse cost structures, identify areas for savings, and develop negotiation strategies to  achieve cost reductions in line with business targets. 

• Requests for Proposals (RFPs): 

• Initiate and manage the RFP process for sourcing products or services. 

• Define requirements, solicit proposals from potential suppliers, evaluate responses against  predetermined criteria, and select the best-suited vendor based on a fair and transparent evaluation process.

• Understanding Cost Drivers: 

• Analyse the factors that influence the cost of the products or services managed, including raw  material prices, labour costs, transportation expenses, and market dynamics,  

• Monitor market trends, supplier cost analyses, and assess the impact of external factors on  pricing. 

• Anticipate price adjustments, negotiate effectively with suppliers, make informed decisions to  mitigate cost fluctuations, establish business strategy to manage selling prices for estimating purposes.  

• House keeping 

• Review open purchase orders, follow-up and resolve with supplier, on BC and mitigate any  supply risks to Production. 

• Obtain credit notes from suppliers for stock returns. 

• Obtain credit notes from suppliers relating to claims. 

• Maintain Vendor and Item cards on BC. 

• Maintain Vendor pricing on BC. 

• Reports and reviews 

• Report on individual KPI’s. 

• Report on developments with suppliers, materials, and impact on business. 

• Report on costive saving initiatives. 

• Key performance indicators:

• System Maintenance 

• Inventory Management  

• Supplier Management  

• Negotiations 

• Benchmarking  

• Alternative sourcing of product and services

Key Skills:

• Technical understanding of raw materials, substrates/ media.

• Demonstrates strong ability to understand new material, substrates/ media.

• Proven track record to drive competitive quality sourcing and cost saving.

• High level business acumen

• Experience with imports.

• Strong customer focus and understanding: Actively seeks to understand the needs and  requirements of internal stakeholders and end-users.

• Commercially Strategic: Effectively establishes, discusses, and executes procurement  strategies that achieve and align with organizational strategy.

• KPI and Business Objective focused: Consistently works towards achieving key  performance indicators (KPIs) and business objectives.

• Solutions Orientated: Actively seeks innovative solutions to procurement challenges.

• Ability to Build Relationships and Establish Networks: Ability to build and maintain  relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders, including suppliers, industry peers, and  internal partners, to facilitate collaboration and to achieve mutual and business goals.

• Financial administration skills: Possesses strong financial acumen and can effectively  manage budgets and financial resources.

• Cost savings focused: Consistently seeks and identifies opportunities for cost savings and  implements strategies to achieve them.

• Commercial Market awareness: Stays informed about market trends, supplier capabilities,  and industry developments. 

• Strong negotiation skills: Effectively negotiates with suppliers to achieve favourable  commercial and operations terms and conditions. 

• Strong analytical skills: Can analyse complex data and information to make informed  procurement decisions. 

• Strong critical thinking skills: Can assess situations objectively, identify key issues, and  develop effective solutions. 

• Ability to Work Independently: Can work autonomously and think critically to solve  problems. 

• Logic-Based Decision Making: Ability to make decisions based on rational analysis and  logical reasoning.

• Ethical Conduct: Adheres to ethical standards and conducts all activities with integrity and  transparency. 

• Effective Communication: Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both internally with  stakeholders and externally with suppliers. 

• Risk Management: Ability to assess risk and execute mitigation strategies to minimize  potential disruptions or adverse outcomes. 

• Continuous Improvement: Strives for continuous improvement by soliciting feedback,  evaluating performance, and implementing enhancements to procurement practices and  processes. Continuously seeks to learn and improve their understanding of procurement  practices and industry trends. 

• Adaptability: Is flexible and adaptable in response to changing business needs, market  conditions, and regulatory requirements. 

• Ability to work in under pressure, in a fast-paced environment.  

• Team Player 

• Computer ability: 

• Extensive experience of working with software packages  

• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills 

• High level of skills with the Business Central (or equivalent) system 

Qualifications:

• A bachelor’s degree in business, Economics & Supply Chain Management

• At least 5 years’ experience in a similar role within the print, packaging, manufacturing industry.