Procurement Specialist

Job Title: Procurement Specialist

Reports To: Operations Manager

The Procurement Specialist is an essential member of our RPM team. This individual needs to be a professional and dedicated representative of our company. A procurement specialist facilitates purchases from outside suppliers to keep our operations running effectively. Their primary responsibilities include researching key suppliers, negotiating purchase agreements, and ensuring all products and materials meet company standards. Attention to detail is a must.

An attractive benefit package includes health/dental insurance, a simple IRA program (with employer matching up to 3% of salary), paid holiday/vacation, and an employee assistance program. Competitive wages are being offered, DOE, and qualifications.

Duties Or Functions

• Make phone calls, send emails to suppliers, enter data, research new suppliers, and review/negotiate purchase agreements when necessary. Foster and maintain good relationships with our suppliers.
• Writing up new jobs (customer & manufacturing) in our Project Tracker software system.
• Obtain supplier quotes for products and/or services needed to support our operations. Evaluate quotes - compare products and services to determine which best meet our company’s requirements.
• Coordinate approval and execute purchase orders to procure the products and/or services.
• Forecasting and tracking inventory and submitting purchase orders as needed to ensure timely replenishment of inventoried items.
• Assist engineering with Bill of Material (BOM) conversion efforts.
• Coordinate with other internal departments such as finance, sales, engineering, production, and operations to understand what the procurement needs are and to resolve any issues.
• Recommend new products, services, processes, or materials in keeping with industry trends, with a focus on continuous process improvement.
• Improve strategic procurement efforts - this involves identifying key areas of spending within our company and identifying ways of adding value through procurement processes. This can be achieved by analyzing our company’s purchasing needs and current spending, creating a procurement strategy, and selecting and negotiating with the best suppliers.
• Participate in and comply with training and safety programs provided by RPM.
• Other duties as assigned.
  
  

Knowledge And Skill Requirements

• Most procurement specialists hold a bachelor's degree in business administration, economics, supply chain management, or a related field.
• Certified Purchasing Professional (CPP) and/or Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) certifications would be desirable.
• Familiarity with OSHA and/or MSHA requirements is preferred.
• Specific Skills for a Procurement Specialist to succeed:
• Communication - oral and written abilities are needed to build and sustain supplier relationships.
• Computers - use of procurement software systems is a job requirement.
• Critical analysis - the ability to understand company standards and apply them.
• Mathematics - numbers and financial forecasting are second nature to specialists.
• Negotiation - a core function of procurement involves pushing for favorable terms.
• Organization - the ability to juggle multiple projects and tasks at once.
• Problem-solving - a knack for analyzing challenges and exploring all possible solutions.
• Project management - the ability to plan ahead, delegate, and evaluate progress.
  

Work Environment/Physical Requirements

• Must be able to stand and/or sit for up to 10 hours per day.
• Must be able to lift up to 50 lbs.
• Must be able to work occasionally in extreme temperatures in outdoor environments.
  
  

About RPM & Associates, Inc.

RPM & Associates, Inc. was founded in 1982 by Rob Mudge, Deb Mudge and Rob's parents, Jim and Phyllis Mudge. RPM & Associates, Inc. is a manufacturing firm located in Rapid City and is a South Dakota corporation. Its core customers are coal fired power plants, mining operations, cement plants, as well as providing solutions for a variety of other customers. RPM’s MISSION RPM & Associates provides the highest-quality manufactured solutions to valued power, mining, and other diverse customers, while striving to help them reduce their operational life-cycle costs. RPM’s most important resource, our innovative employees, have the opportunity for both personal and professional growth while ensuring RPM remains a world-class problem solver! For RPM, “Being the Best is Barely Good Enough!”