Purchasing Assistant - Part Time

Job Title:                    Purchasing Assistant

Department:              Materials

Reports To:               Purchasing Manager

Shift/Schedule:          Office Hours

SUMMARY OF POSITION 

This part-time position is responsible for collaborating with purchasing department personnel to support various procurement and supply chain requirements. The primary focus of this position includes: adjudicating problematic supplier invoices, setting up and approving new suppliers and updating existing ones,  sending out comprehensive Request for Quotes (RFQs), coordinating Expedite, Defers and Cancels, coordinating and receiving required paperwork such as FAIRs, Certs and COCs, assisting the Purchasing Manager in all areas of supply chain management, and filling in for commodity managers in their specific duties as required.  Operating with a high degree of autonomy, this position requires strong administrative and organizational skills, finance acumen, understanding of the RFQ – Quote – PO – Invoice process, strong interpersonal and communication skills, computing skills including Microsoft Word and Excel, and the confidence to proactively interact with suppliers via phone call, email and Microsoft teams. 

LEADERSHIP ATTRIBUTES

• Think and Act Like an Owner: Take responsibility for requisite procurement and materials management functions for assigned commodities, ensuring alignment with company objectives.
• Foster a Collective Sense of Purpose: Promote a shared vision within the supply chain team to drive efficiency and effectiveness.
• High-Performance Expectations: Set and meet procurement targets to ensure optimal material flow and cost control.
• Sense of Urgency: Ensure the timely procurement and availability of materials to support production schedules and customer commitments.
• Deal Openly and Fairly with People: Build and maintain transparent relationships with suppliers and internal stakeholders.
• Accountability: Own key procurement and supplier management responsibilities, ensuring timely and quality deliveries.
• Empowerment: Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, providing insights and recommendations to drive supply chain improvements.
• Bias for Action: Identify and mitigate supply risks, resolve material shortages, and execute proactive problem-solving.
• Open and Honest Communication: Foster transparency by proactively sharing relevant information, actively listening to stakeholders, and addressing challenges with clarity and integrity.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES/COMPETENCIES

• Problematic Invoice Adjudication: Proactively manage past-due and problematic supplier invoices, tracking down required paperwork, certs, forms, and receipts to allow finance to process the invoices.
• New Supplier Setup: Sending out all required paperwork, coordinating with potential new suppliers on how to complete, staffing of the paperwork and official establishing new suppliers in our ERP system.
• Existing Supplier Administrative Management: Update supplier key documents, points of contact, certs, and other required administrative paperwork.
• Purchase Order Management: Assist the purchasing team to process and track purchase orders, ensuring accuracy and compliance with company policies.
• Supplier Communication: Communicate with suppliers via phone, email, and Microsoft teams to obtain quotes, negotiate terms, coordinate delivery, expedite, defers and cancels and to adjudicate problematic parts and invoices as required.
• Manage outside processing flow from suppliers, including sending out detailed request for quotes (RFQs), expediting, deferring and cancelling POs and releases as necessary, tracking supplier performance, and working to reduce cost/waste/lead time.
• Supply Chain Documentation: Prepare and organize documentation related to purchasing activities, including contracts, invoices, new supplier forms, supplier folder management, ISRs, and shipping documents.
• Collaboration: Work closely with internal cross-functional teams, including finance, logistics, and operations, to ensure smooth coordination of purchasing activities.
• Compliance and Quality Support: Assist in supplier audits, manage corrective actions, and coordinate the return of non-conforming products.
• Additional duties as required.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE

• A. or B.S. in Business, Supply Chain/Logistics, Finance, Engineering, or related field.
• 3-5 years of project management, finance, procurement, supply chain management etc. in manufacturing.
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Detail-oriented with a focus on accuracy.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Teams).
• Understanding of ERP systems, specifically Epicor.

The employee is expected to adhere to all company policies.