Procurement Associate

Overview:


TekWissen is a global workforce management provider headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan that offers strategic talent solutions to our clients world-wide. Our client is a leading biotechnology company that combines technological insight with world-class manufacturing, scientific expertise, and process excellence and helps their customers deliver new and innovative medicines that help treat a wide range of diseases. Our client specializes in pharmaceutical ingredients, Bioscience, Biopharmaceuticals, Custom manufacturing, Biotechnology, Life science ingredients, Nutrition, Microbial Control, Agriculture, Materials Science, Personal Care, and cell and gene therapy.


Job Title: Procurement Associate

Location: Walkersville, MD - 21793

Duration: 12 Months

Job Type: Temporary Assignment

Work Type: Onsite

Summary


The Associate Buyer / Procurement Associate will support procurement operations by purchasing cleaning chemicals used in the sterilization of laboratory and production equipment, as well as potentially janitorial cleaning supplies. Purchases will be made from an existing catalog of approved vendors, and supplier negotiations are not anticipated. The role supports purchasing, supplier performance monitoring, order management, ERP system maintenance, reporting, and coordination with cross-functional teams to ensure continuity of supply operations.


Responsibilities

• Support the monitoring, tracking, and management of supplier performance, including on-time delivery, quality, responsiveness, and compliance metrics.
• Provide regular reporting and feedback to site strategic buyers.
• Manage and resolve vendor return activities.
• Review and process purchase requisitions for senior buyer review.
• Create and maintain purchase orders in the ERP system according to buyer direction.
• Monitor open purchase orders, follow up on supplier acknowledgements, expedite critical deliveries, resolve supply issues, and maintain accurate order status information within ERP systems.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for routine supplier inquiries.
• Assist with supplier onboarding activities and documentation collection.
• Generate and distribute procurement reports related to open orders, delivery status, and material shortages.
• Investigate discrepancies involving purchase orders, receipts, and invoices.
• Coordinate with planning, warehouse, and accounts payable teams to resolve supply chain issues.
• Support buyers in managing excess and obsolete inventory initiatives.
• Ensure procurement activities comply with company policies and procedures.
• Manage routine purchases and low-value transactions.
• Coordinate supplier meetings and prepare follow-up action items.
• Maintain supplier master data, purchasing databases, and procurement records to ensure accuracy and data integrity within ERP systems.
• Act as a backup for buyers during absences to maintain continuity of supply operations.
• Support cross-functional teams with supplier and raw material onboarding activities, including documentation and approval workflows.

Required Skills

• Experience in purchasing, procurement, supply chain, or buyer support functions.
• Familiarity with ERP systems for purchase order creation, tracking, and data maintenance.
• Ability to manage purchase requisitions, purchase orders, supplier acknowledgements, and order status tracking.
• Understanding of supplier performance metrics such as delivery, quality, responsiveness, and compliance.
• Experience handling vendor returns, order discrepancies, invoice issues, and supply chain coordination activities.
• Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to maintain accurate supplier master data, purchasing records, and procurement databases.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills for supplier and cross-functional coordination.
• Ability to work collaboratively with planning, warehouse, accounts payable, and procurement teams.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to data integrity and policy compliance.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and support routine procurement operations in a fast-paced environment.

TekWissen® Group is an equal opportunity/affirmative action Employer (m/f/d/v) supporting workforce diversity.