Procurement Support Specialist

Join Starr

Starr, a global leader in commercial insurance with over a century of expertise, empowers its employees to innovate, make impactful decisions, and build lasting client relationships worldwide. At Starr, you'll work in an entrepreneurial culture alongside accessible leaders, leveraging our financial strength and vast industry experience to deliver solutions for our clients, no matter how complex. Grow your career with a rapidly growing company that invests in its people and their ability to drive real progress.

Role Summary

The Procurement Department is seeking three (3) individuals to serve on a newly formed team dedicated to the oversight and management of our Procure-to-Pay initiative. This centralized Purchasing Group will manage all aspects of the purchasing process, including sourcing and evaluating suppliers as needed, purchase order management, supplier relationship management, data / spend analysis, and reporting. These individuals will support the broader Procurement team in their negotiating and contracting activities. They will also be part of a team assisting in the development and enhancement of the internal procedures followed in the evaluation process, including implementing technology and workflow to achieve a streamlined and modern risk assessment methodology. Specifically, the staff will support and assist in:

• Assessing and evaluating suppliers based on quality, pricing, delivery, and reliability
• Creating, reviewing, and processing purchase orders in compliance with organizational policies
• Reviewing contracts and agreements to ensure proper ingestion into the ERP to better track performance against contracted work
• Gathering and analyzing procurement data to support business decisions and present actionable reports
• Building and maintaining positive relationships with suppliers to ensure good service and resolution of issues
• Ongoing development of a globalized approach to the Purchasing process for the company
• Leading training for employees, either in group sessions or individually
• Acting as a member of a centralized helpdesk for user inquiries

Key Tasks

• Assist on the communication of key internal process enhancements when necessary
• Assist in continuous review of department's Standard Operating Procedures and process flows
• Review purchase requests and input data into our Finance ERP systems in support of the broader Procurement team
• Identify errors, issues, duplicates, or misclassifications in our supplier data and take corrective actions
• Troubleshoot user issues
• Support compliance reviews and respond to audit requests pertaining to supplier records and purchasing activity.
• Crosstrain on Procurement responsibilities
• Assist in developing communications for internal circulation to proactively identify common obstacles to avoid or explain common pitfalls for end users
• Serve as a member of a centralized helpdesk for all end user Purchase Order inquiries
• Assist in all closing procedures
• Contribute to the development of an internal playbook for staff members to follow that clarifies any unique or special handling for specific areas within the company
• Offer process improvements that either enhance the user experience or automate compliance review

Required Skills, Knowledge & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in an appropriate field (Finance, Accounting, Supply Chain Management)
• Experience using Workday Finance, or a similar platform, preferred
• 2 or more years of experience in a purchasing role preferred
• Knowledge of general ledger / accounts payable workflow technology a plus
• Familiarity with data security and privacy best practices regarding financial and personal data.
• Strong attention to data integrity, with ability to identify, investigate, and resolve data issues, errors, or inconsistencies.
• Proficiency speaking and reading Spanish is a plus
• Experienced user of MS Office toolset (Word, Excel, PowerPoint). Advanced Excel proficiency is a plus
• Basic understanding of the different entities within a typical property & casualty insurance carrier and their role within the holistic organization
• Proven experience in providing service to internal stakeholders to achieve successful outcomes
• Demonstrated capability for problem solving, decision making, sound judgment, assertiveness
• Excellent oral and written communication skills with the ability to present comfortably to large groups
• Strong relationship building and interpersonal skills
• Professional and positive approach
• Diligent with attention to detail
• Ability to cope under pressure, particularly in response to individuals who may be agitated due to the issues they are experiencing
• Adopts a collaborative approach and works well in a team
• Able to handle multiple tasks and shifting priorities
• Self-motivated & self-sufficient
• Strong analytical and trouble shooting skills

Company Description:

Starr Companies, comprised of C.V. Starr & Co., Inc. (C.V. Starr) and Starr Insurance Holdings, Inc., and its subsidiaries, is a global, privately held, insurance, financial services, and investments organization. Starr's insurance agencies write specialty lines covering aviation, marine, energy, property and excess casualty insurance, including risks with international exposures and provide a broad spectrum of specialized value-added services, including claims handling and settlement, risk assessment and loss prevention. Starr's insurance companies, Starr Indemnity & Liability Company and Starr Surplus Lines Insurance Company, provide high-quality, customized property and casualty and accident and health insurance products, with significant access to the excess and surplus marketplace for certain lines of business. These companies also provide loss control, claims, administrative and reinsurance services to their policyholders.

Starr is an equal opportunity employer, which means we'll consider all suitably qualified applicants regardless of gender identity or expression, ethnic origin, nationality, religion or beliefs, age, sexual orientation, disability status or any other protected characteristic. We recruit and develop our people based on merit and we're committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We offer first class training and development opportunities to all employees. Our aim is to grow our own talent and bring out the best in people.