Procurement Specialist

Description

Since 1982, Sigma Engineered Solutions has been on an incredible journey. We started with just one plant in India and have expanded to 13 locations around the world. What began as a cost-effective supplier of low-voltage electrical products has grown into a global solutions provider of highly engineered, complex metal components, including machined parts and precision metal stampings.

At Sigma Engineered Solutions “your success is our mission.” It’s a promise we live by daily and it defines everything we do whether you are a team member or customer.

The Procurement Specialist is responsible for sourcing, negotiating and managing the procurement of raw materials, components, indirect materials, equipment and services required to support manufacturing operations and customer requirements. This position serves as a key business partner to suppliers and internal stakeholders by developing sourcing strategies, negotiating commercial agreements, driving cost reduction initiatives and ensuring continuity of supply.

The Procurement Specialist works closely with all department leaders in the plant to ensure materials and services are available to support customer demand while maximizing supplier performance, minimizing risk and reducing total cost.

What you will be doing :

Strategic Sourcing & Supplier Negotiations

• Manage supplier negotiations and make recommendations regarding pricing, contracts, payment terms, delivery schedules and service agreements, escalating matters requiring additional review or approval.
• Conduct competitive bidding activities and supplier re-quotes to ensure cost competitiveness.
• Develop sourcing strategies that support operational objectives and long-term business goals.
• Analyze supplier cost structures and challenge pricing increases when appropriate.
• Negotiate annual pricing agreements and long-term supply contracts.
• Evaluate supplier capabilities, capacity, risk and overall competitiveness.
• Develop alternative sourcing, contingency and supplier-consolidation strategies to reduce supply risk, improve continuity and strengthen supplier partnerships.
• Monitor market conditions, commodity trends and industry developments that may impact material costs and availability.
• Support new supplier identification, evaluation, qualification and onboarding activities.

Procurement & Purchasing Management

• Manage procurement activities for assigned commodities, materials and services.
• Issue and maintain purchase orders while ensuring supplier commitments are met.
• Monitor open orders and proactively address delivery concerns.
• Review and evaluate supplier quotations and proposals.
• Maintain procurement records, supplier agreements, pricing schedules and documentation.
• Ensure purchasing activities comply with company policies and procedures.
• Collaborate with customer service on customer re-quotes and pricing reviews for finished goods.

Supplier Performance Management

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with suppliers.
• Monitor supplier performance related to quality, delivery, responsiveness and cost.
• Conduct supplier business reviews and performance discussions.
• Collaborate with suppliers to resolve quality, delivery and capacity issues.
• Support supplier corrective actions in partnership with Quality and escalate concerns that could affect production or customer commitments.
• Escalate supplier concerns that could impact production, customer commitments or business operations.
• Participate in supplier audits, assessments and improvement initiatives.

Cost Reduction & Continuous Improvement

• Drive measurable cost savings through supplier negotiations, competitive sourcing and supplier consolidation.
• Support value analysis and value engineering initiatives with suppliers and internal stakeholders.
• Identify and implement procurement process improvements that eliminate waste, increase efficiency and reduce total cost.
• Inventory & Supply Chain Support
• Collaborate with Production Planning and Materials teams to ensure material availability.
• Monitor inventory levels and support efforts to balance inventory investment with production requirements.
• Identify excess, obsolete and slow-moving inventory and recommend corrective actions.
• Analyze forecast and demand changes that may impact procurement activities.
• Support inventory management and cycle count activities, as needed.
• Support contingency plans to mitigate material shortages and supply disruptions.

Data Analysis & Reporting

• Analyze procurement spend, supplier performance, inventory trends and sourcing opportunities.
• Monitor key performance indicators including:
  • Cost savings achieved
  • Purchase price variance
  • Supplier on-time delivery
  • Supplier quality performance
  • Inventory turns
  • Contract compliance
• Prepare reports and recommendations to support business decisions.
• Present procurement performance and sourcing opportunities to management.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Engineering on new product launches, supplier selection and material requirements.
• Work closely with Production Planning and Manufacturing to ensure continuity of supply.
• Collaborate with Customer Service and Sales to resolve supply-related concerns affecting customers.
• Coordinate with Finance to support budgeting, forecasting and cost analysis initiatives.

Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure procurement activities comply with company policies, procedures and ethical standards.
• Support supplier compliance with customer, quality, environmental and regulatory requirements.
• Maintain supplier certifications, documentation and records.
• Support internal and external audits related to purchasing and supplier management.

Other duties:

• Follow safe work practices and keep the work area clean and organized.
• Perform related duties as assigned.
• Follow documented policies and procedures as designated by the company’s Employee Handbook and Local Work Rules. In addition, adhere to the proper Code of Conduct while on company property.

Requirements

What you will bring to the team:

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Operations Management, Finance or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum of five years of procurement, purchasing, sourcing within a manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated experience running large-scale RFQs
• Proven ability to drive measurable cost savings and supplier performance improvements.
• Strong analytical thinking and decision-making skills to support sourcing, supplier management, and cost optimization.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including data analysis, forecasting, reporting and dashboard creation.
• Ability to analyze spending patterns, pricing structures, inventory data and supplier performance metrics.
• Strong negotiation, communication and relationship management skills.
• Strong project management abilities with a proven track record of managing procurement initiatives and cross-functional teams.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Working knowledge of supply chain, inventory management, sourcing and procurement best practices.
• Experience with ERP systems such as JDE, SAP, Oracle, Epicor or similar platforms.
• Ability to exercise independent judgment and make sound business decisions.

Preferred Requirements (optional):

• Experience sourcing metals, metal stampings, industrial products, automotive components or engineered products.
• Professional certifications such as CPSM, CPM, APICS, CSCP or similar are a plus.
• Knowledge of commodity management and market pricing analysis.

Technical/Functional Competencies

• Strategic Sourcing
• Supplier Relationship Management
• Negotiation & Contract Management
• Cost & Financial Analysis
• Supply Chain Risk Management
• Data Analytics & ERP Systems

Behavioral Competencies

• Strategic Thinking
• Communication & Influence
• Accountability
• Collaboration
• Continuous Improvement
• Decision Making & Problem Solving

Travel: up to 10%

Disclaimer: This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change, or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.

Additional Information:

At Sigma Engineered Solutions our vision is to be the trusted global partner

of choice by being indispensable to all of our stakeholders. Our team members are essential to our customers’ success, and we look for these qualities when adding members to our team:

• customer focused
• strive for continuous improvement in all they do
• courageous and have exemplary integrity
• socially and environmentally responsible
• act with urgency in the best interest of all stakeholders

If you share these qualities and you feel your background is not a perfect fit for a job, we encourage you to apply! Your background may have a telling story that makes you a better fit than you realize.

We are hard at work to make sure our people are taken care of and our benefits meet their needs. What does this look like?

• Competitive pay
• Health coverage
• Paid time off allowances
• Employee Assistance Program