Project Procurement Specialist

Project Procurement Specialist

Krones Process Group North America is the subsidiary of the Krones Group, a global leader in the supply of beverage and liquid food filling and packing lines. Krones Process Group North America provides turnkey hygienic process solutions for the brewery, beverage, liquid food, dairy, and HPC industries. We deliver the highest quality found in the industry, tailored to fit our customers specific needs.

We are looking for an experienced Project Procurement Specialist to support customer projects in industrial plant engineering, process systems, and engineered equipment.

This role is responsible for project-related procurement activities covering technical components, equipment packages, subcontracted services, transportation, and installation/site services at customer locations. The position includes supplier and subcontractor management, commercial negotiations, purchase order execution, and close coordination with project management, engineering, logistics, quality, and site teams.

This is a hands-on project procurement role with direct impact on project cost, quality, schedule, safety, risk, and overall customer project success.

Responsibilities:

• Manage project-related procurement for technical components, engineered equipment, subcontracted services, transportation, and installation/site services.
• Identify, evaluate, select, manage, and develop suppliers and subcontractors based on technical capability, commercial competitiveness, quality, delivery performance, risk, and project fit.
• Lead RFQ/RFP processes, bid evaluations, commercial comparisons, supplier negotiations, and sourcing recommendations.
• Negotiate pricing, delivery schedules, payment terms, warranty conditions, change orders, and project-specific contractual requirements.
• Place purchase orders and conclude supplier or subcontractor agreements within the defined approval framework.
• Coordinate closely with project management, engineering, logistics, quality, site teams, suppliers, and subcontractors to align procurement activities with project schedules, budgets, specifications, and customer requirements.
• Procure installation and field services at customer sites, including mechanical installation, piping, electrical/controls support, field labor, and other site-related scopes.
• Manage project logistics in coordination with internal teams and external providers, including transportation, freight, delivery tracking, customs-related documentation, and shipment coordination.
• Monitor supplier and subcontractor performance regarding cost, quality, delivery, safety, documentation, responsiveness, and contractual commitments.
• Identify and mitigate procurement risks, cost deviations, schedule impacts, supply bottlenecks, logistics constraints, and potential claims.
• Support change management, claims management, supplier issue resolution, project close-out, supplier performance reviews, and lessons learned.
• Contribute to supplier strategies, category strategies, market intelligence, benchmarking, cost optimization, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Engineering, Construction Management, or a related field; equivalent professional experience may be considered.
• Several years of experience in procurement, purchasing, sourcing, or supply chain management within an industrial, manufacturing, machinery, construction, or project-based environment.
• Proven experience managing RFQ/RFP processes, bid evaluations, supplier negotiations, purchase orders, and supplier follow-up.
• Ability to independently negotiate commercial terms, pricing, delivery schedules, payment terms, warranty conditions, change orders, and project-specific contractual requirements.
• Basic technical understanding of engineered equipment, machinery, fabricated components, piping, installation work, or industrial plant/project execution.
• Experience working with project management, engineering, logistics, quality, site teams, suppliers, and subcontractors.
• Working knowledge of supplier management, subcontractor coordination, project logistics, and ERP/SCM-based purchasing workflows.
• Strong communication, negotiation, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Willingness to travel approximately 1020% to suppliers, project sites, customer locations, or company facilities, depending on project requirements.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in industrial plant engineering, process technology, food and beverage, dairy, brewing, or similar industries.
• Experience with engineered-to-order equipment, turnkey projects, skids, tanks, piping systems, platforms, process modules, installation packages, or subcontracted fabrication.
• Experience purchasing installation services, site labor, field service, or construction-related subcontractor scopes.
• Knowledge of U.S. procurement practices, freight terms, import/export processes, customs documentation, and landed cost considerations.
• Familiarity with commercial contract terms such as warranty, liquidated damages, limitation of liability, claims, and subcontractor agreements.
• Experience with international suppliers, cross-border supply chains, ERP/SCM systems, and supplier/project documentation.
• CPSM or PMP certification is a plus.

Key Competencies:

• Strong ownership mindset and ability to manage project procurement packages independently.
• Commercial judgment with a clear focus on cost, quality, schedule, risk, and project success.
• Strong negotiation and supplier communication skills.
• Ability to connect technical requirements with commercial and project execution needs.
• Structured and reliable working style with strong organizational skills.
• Proactive problem-solving, risk mitigation, and escalation management.
• Strong collaboration skills across project management, engineering, logistics, quality, site teams, suppliers, and subcontractors.
• Ability to perform in a dynamic, deadline-driven customer project environment.

Physical/Working Demands:

• The work environment is a professional office environment where a conservative business dress code is in effect. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
• Visits to manufacturing shops, supplier facilities, and project installation sites active as needed.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, use hands to type, handle, or feel; and talk or hear.
• Specific vision required by this job include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus.
• Equipment used includes a computer, calculator, and measuring devices.
• Ability to understand both spoken and written directions and good vision required.
• Personal protective equipment required includes protective-toed safety shoes, safety glasses with side shields and hard hat (when on an active job site).
• All employees are required to maintain a safe working environment and comply with all safety and environmental policies/procedures. Each employee is to place environmental health and safety requirements as the priority in the performance of their work duties. Employees are responsible for notifying their immediate supervisor of a violation or deficiency in working conditions and recommending corrective measures, if possible. The employee's immediate supervisor must also be notified of every injury, or near miss.
• Some travel may be required (1025%).

*The mental and physical requirements described here are representative of those that must be met by an individual to successfully perform the essential functions of this position.