Procurement Specialist

Procurement Specialist

Hanwha Qcells USA Corp (Qcells USA), headquartered in Houston, TX, specializes in providing utility-scale modules, solar photovoltaic (PV), and battery energy storage systems (BESS) project development, along with Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) services for solar and BESS projects nationwide. Qcells USA delivers comprehensive turnkey solutions encompassing the entire utility-scale project lifecycle. By choosing Qcells USA for turnkey solutions, customers can reduce uncertainty and risk, leading to enhanced investment returns and contributing to a more sustainable future.

Qcells USA’s complete turnkey solutions seamlessly integrate the expertise of our Development, Module, and EPC teams, while ensuring close coordination with other vital internal groups such as Project Finance, Systems Integration, and Legal. This collaborative approach ensures that Qcells USA projects deliver exceptional value and performance. With several multi-billion-dollar investments, Qcells is pioneering the establishment of the only complete module supply chain in the U.S., including the expansion of our Georgia module manufacturing facility, which stands as the largest in the Western Hemisphere.

As an integral part of the global Qcells brand, Qcells USA benefits from a legacy of excellence in photovoltaic manufacturing. Qcells is renowned worldwide for its high-performance, superior-quality solar cells and modules. With dual headquarters in Seoul, South Korea (Global Executive HQ) and Thalheim, Germany (Technology & Innovation HQ), Qcells operates under the umbrella of Hanwha Group, a FORTUNE Global 500 company and one of the top 8 business conglomerates in South Korea.

The Procurement Specialist is responsible for supporting the purchase process for capital equipment (pile drivers, tooling, vehicles, etc.), rental equipment, tooling and other items needed to support HQC US field teams, from RFP to purchase order/contract execution. Primary responsibilities include but are not limited to identifying and pre-qualifying vendors, managing NDA process, maintaining a database of vendors, issuing, and analyzing RFPs for materials and services and issuing Purchase Orders as needed. The Procurement Specialist shall interact with key vendors that support the overall strategic objectives of the organization and ensure reliable support to Qcells projects. This position reports to the Senior Procurement Manager, or another management personnel that the CEO of the Company may designate. This position will work a hybrid schedule based out of Houston, TX and working hours are Monday through Friday, from 8:00am to 5:00pm or 9:00am to 6:00pm local time. This position is expected to travel up to 15%.

Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the United States. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time.

Essential Job Function & Responsibilities

• Interact with key vendors in support of the Companies overall strategic goals
• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to issue necessary contracts for Project Services, capital equipment and other items as needed
• Perform vendor onboarding processes (including NDA and pre-qualification)
• Issue RFPs including, but not limited to the following
• Preparation of RFPs to qualified vendors including working with other functional groups to gather all required documents and data
• Determine and maintain bid schedules in accordance with project schedules
• Coordinate responses to RFIs from bidders
• Review, compare and evaluate vendor proposals with historical and market pricing to determine cost-competitive pricing and identify opportunities for cost savings
• Support commercial negotiations for Master Services Agreements, Rental Agreements, project specific agreements, etc. for key vendors in accordance with company policies and guidelines
• Support change order process for vendors and other related contract management processes
• Perform handover process to Project Team ensuring key contract terms, timelines, due dates, etc. are appropriately communicated
• Support Project Management Team as needed with contract information and input to resolve vendor disputes and/or issues, such as under-performance or scope gaps
• Coordinate with internal and external logistics providers to manage movement of assets between projects and/or warehouse facilities
• Support maintenance of Company assets through coordination with Qcells Fleet Manager and/or external maintenance providers
• Monitor vendor performance evaluation process and help create improvement processes based on lessons learned
• Maintain accurate and complete contracting records in accordance with record retention procedures
• Track and analyze market data and provide updates to leadership teams
• Identify, qualify & onboard new vendors
• Regular attendance, in accordance with company's attendance policy and supervisory assignment, is an essential job duty requirement for this position.
• Perform other duties and special projects, as assigned by Management

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree required
• 3-4 years of experience in Contract Management and/or Procurement
• Preference for experience in solar and/or renewable energy with projects of at least 50MW in size
• Experience in capital equipment purchasing
• Ability to work autonomously in a fast pace, professional, team environment with minimal supervision
• Ability to prioritize tasks appropriately and in support of project schedules and other deadlines
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Confident communicator with the ability to interact with people at all levels of the organization
• Computer literacy with an advance knowledge on Microsoft office including, but not limited to, Excel, Word, Outlook, etc.
• Understanding of construction management software systems (Procore, E-Builder, CMiC, etc.)
• SAP Experience preferred but not required
• Able to identify, investigate and solve problems that arise in timely manner

Examples of Physical Demands

• Stationary Position: frequently remains stationary up to 90% of the time and sitting up to 8 hours in a day
• Move/Traverse: infrequently bend, stand, stoop and/or walk
• Carry Weight: infrequently carry weight and/or lift objects (light to heavy) weighing up to 10 pounds
• Hearing and Speech: frequently communicates with the ability to hear and talk on a regular basis with employees, coworkers, and all personnel matters; must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations
• Sight: frequent use of sight to detect images on computer, office documents, and office objects near and far
• Climb: occasionally ascends/descends on stairway to get to office upper and lower floors
• Travel: up to 15% as needed

Examples of Work Environment

• Regular professional, office business setting
• Noise level ranges from low to moderate (if in office setting)
• Noise level ranges from moderate to high (if on construction worksite)
• Under the Office Mobilization Plan (OMP) policy, the role may transition to an onsite or hybrid arrangement, as determined by business needs and the Head of Department

Hanwha Qcells is proud to be an at-will Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination against race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender perception or identity, national origin, age, marital status, pregnancy, citizenship, disability, protected veteran status and any other classification protected by applicable federal, state or local law. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

It is important to note that the job descriptions provided by Qcells USA Corp are not intended to be comprehensive lists of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications associated with the positions. Duties and responsibilities may change at any time with or without notice, reflecting our dynamic and evolving work environment.

We are committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, Hanwha Qcells will provide reasonable accommodations to all qualified individuals with disabilities to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodations at View email address on click.appcast.io.

Nothing in this statement shall imply implicitly or explicitly a guarantee of employment outside our at-will employment opportunity.