Career Area: Manufacturing & Supply Chain Job Description: Nature and Scope: This position acts with a sense of urgency and is diligent in providing timely support to internal clients and external customers. This individual operates in compliance with corporate and Supply Chain policies and procedures. A Procurement Specialist may manage relationships of some non-strategic suppliers, but will predominately oversee strategic or complex suppliers. This individual has no direct reports, but work within a team structure typically including a Sourcing Specialist, Supply Chain Coordinator/Planner, Supplier Technical Engineer, Supplier Development Engineer, and reports directly to a Site Sourcing Manager or Supply Chain Manager. There is an expectation to not only participate on but lead projects from conception to maturity that directly support organizational objectives. The primary functions of the job include but are not limited to: Supply Chain Management Applies advanced Supply Chain knowledge to manage processes, establish policies, and develop value-adding strategies. Develops and maintains relationships with internal clients and lower-level supplier executives functioning as the Supply Chain and Solar ambassador. Monitors and manages ownership of risk from financial, business continuation, and compliance perspectives. Ensures procurement processes meets audit, regulatory, and legal standards. Has the ability to lead a team, provides direction, and coaches less experienced staff members. Contract Management Leads agreements on complex, high value contracts, and resolves issues. Develops and implements solutions to improve contract compliance. Proactively identifies issues during and after contract completion and manages resolution. Develops standard written agreements for development requirements. Works closely with users defining supplier performance measurements and reporting frameworks. Manages the transition process when changing contracted suppliers. Negotiation Creates negotiation strategies based on thorough knowledge of business requirements. Communicates negotiation strategies and parameters to negotiating team and defines roles. Able to ethically execute negotiation strategy for moderate criticality/complexity items displaying varied negotiation techniques to achieve best results. Identifies and resolves areas of risk. Supplier Selection & Management Integral part of supplier selection process and managing the relationships of existing suppliers. Manages relationship of moderate to high complex suppliers. Provides mentorship in establishing continuous improvement plans to achieve mutual benefits. Cost Management Applies business strategies to daily activities, contributes to make-buy decisions, identifies market opportunities, gaps and trends. Understands, applies and coaches others in building and analyzing Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) models. Purchasing Execution Resolves high complexity purchasing related grief issues with minimal assistance. Develops, recommends, and provides training & mentorship around purchasing processes, process changes and tools. Executes risk mitigation strategies to avoid Supply Chain disruption. Validates data integrity, identifies data gaps, and updates & corrects system data. The work environment is mostly office based, however this position may visit internal production areas as well as external supplier sites, which may involve domestic and/or international travel. Internal clients include, but not limited to, the following: Global Supply Chain, Finance, Global Enabling Systems, Logistics, Legal, Customer Services (Field Services, Overhaul & Repair, Service Parts), Manufacturing, Business Management, New Product Introduction & Design Engineering, Project Application Engineering, Test Engineering, Project Engineering, and external Suppliers. The primary challenges of this position include: Making sound decisions with the Business’ best interest in mind and knowing the impact decisions will have on organizational objectives. Improving and sustaining Supplier performance with regards to Quality, Cost, and Delivery, and Field Support (when required). Achieving business commercial objectives where minimal Supplier leverage exists. Management of critical supplier contract development and execution. Concurrently managing multiple critical priorities. Building relationships inside and outside of the Global Supply Chain Organization; influencing, persuading, and collaborating with others in order to support business objectives. Leading teams that deliver positive results. The decisions that are made by the Procurement Specialist will be based on: Supply Chain Management, Site Sourcing Manager and/or Sourcing Specialist direction, Our Values in Action, Worldwide Procedures, Solar Policies, Quality Management System, other process documentation, Import/Export compliance guidelines as well as adherence to State, Federal, and international regulations. Failure to achieve results, erroneous decisions or recommendations, could result in legal issues, production delays, impact to supplier relationships and/or the allocation of additional resources. This position could use all or any of the following tools: ERP software, Windchill, Cognos (or other analytical tool), MS Office Suite, Lotus Notes or Outlook, Sourcing Tools, Virtual Conferencing (WebEx / Skype), industry research tools and codes, cost analysis and make/buy decision tools, supplier financial health reporting (D&B, 10-k, 10-Q, etc), travel expense reporting tools. Principal Accountabilities: Continuously practices and demonstrates Safety and acting in adherence to Our Values in Action. Effectively evaluates, improves, and sustains supplier performance, including but not limited to: Quality, Cost, Delivery, Lead-time, Bid & Proposal Turn-times, Project & Field Support, etc. Drives cost management through identifying and implementing opportunities for cost reduction, utilizes cost modeling techniques, and analyzing TCO to ensure the best overall value to Solar. Manages and maintains the Supplier relationship at a day-to-day and strategic level. Day-to-day activities include purchase order issuance and maintenance, grief resolution, and business review meetings. Strategic activities include working with the Supply Chain Leadership and/or Sourcing Specialist to define the buyer-supplier relationship that determines as well as executes the strategic direction (Hold, Grow, Consolidate, Exit). Develops a network that allows the Senior Buyer to leverage internal and external relationships to continuously improve responsiveness & service levels. Leads commercial negotiations and is accountable for contract execution and maintenance (NDA’s, GP’s, PSAs, JDAs, etc). Initiates and promotes cross functional teaming in Supplier development, problem resolution, and continuous improvement efforts. Supports NPI, global strategic sourcing, and Supplier selection to ensure flexible capacity and consistent supply from qualified suppliers to support business objectives. Interpersonal and Analytical Skills Well-developed interpersonal skills are required in dealing with sensitive issues and reaching consensus on specific actions. Capability to influence and persuade Suppliers and internal clients to effective solutions. Ability to collaborate in order to build constructive and inclusive business relationships. Demonstrates responsiveness and acts with a sense of urgency. Ability to lead teams, coach, mentor, as well as provide and accept constructive criticism. Effective communicator in written and oral form. Dedicated to meeting and exceeding the expectations of external customers and internal clients. Ability to cope with change effectively and adjust to accommodate the unknown or unproven. Capable of setting priorities in order to support business requirements; can sense what will help or hinder achieving a goal, eliminates roadblocks, and creates focus. Holds self and others accountable to commitments in support of business objectives. Uses rigorous logic and methods to solve difficult problems. Can unearth root cause to assess risk to the business and develop business continuation plans. Required Qualifications: The position requires a Bachelor’s degree with 5-7 years of experience. Experience with ERP software and proficient with MS Office Suite (Word, Powerpoint, Excel, Visio) Fluent in Business English in written and oral form. Preferred Qualifications: Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Engineering, Supply Chain or other related field. Supply Chain Certification from a professional institution (ie. APICS, IIPMR, ISCEA, ISM, etc) Understanding and demonstration of 6-Sigma and Lean Manufacturing principles. 6-Sigma Blackbelt Certification Compensation & Benefits: Base salary for this role ranges from $ 98,726.00, to $148,088.00. Actual salary will be based on experience. The total rewards package, beyond base salary includes: • Annual incentive bonus plan* • Medical, dental and vision coverage starting day 1 • Paid time off plan (Vacation, Holiday, Volunteer, Etc.) • 401(k) Savings Plan including company match • Health savings account (HSA) • Flexible spending accounts (FSAs) • Short and long-term disability coverage • Life Insurance • Parental leave • Employee Assistance Programs • Voluntary Benefits and Employee Discounts • Career Development *Subject to annual eligibility and incentive plan guidelines This employer is not currently hiring foreign national applicants that require or will require sponsorship tied to a specific employer, such as H, L, TN, F, J, E, O. Summary Pay Range: $98,726.00 - $177,706.00 Compensation and benefits offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, job level, market location, job-related knowledge, skills, individual performance and experience. Please note that salary is only one component of total compensation at Caterpillar. Benefits: Annual incentive bonus plan* Medical, dental, and vision coverage Paid time off plan (Vacation, Holiday, Volunteer, Etc.) 401k savings plan Health savings account (HSA) Flexible spending accounts (FSAs) Disability benefits Life Insurance Parental leave Healthy Lifestyle Programs Employee Assistance Programs Voluntary Benefits and Employee Discounts Tuition Reimbursement Career Development *Subject to annual eligibility and incentive plan guidelines. EEO/AA Employer. All qualified individuals - Including minorities, females, veterans and individuals with disabilities - are encouraged to apply. Not ready to apply? Submit your information to our Talent Network here. Powering the future through innovative, sustainable energy solutions. Solar Turbines Incorporated, headquartered in San Diego, California, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Caterpillar Inc. Solar manufactures the world’s most widely used family of mid-sized industrial gas turbines, ranging from 1 to 23 megawatts. More than 16,000 Solar units are operating in more than 100 countries with more than 3 billion operating hours. Solar is a leading provider of energy solutions, featuring an extensive line of gas turbine-powered compressor sets, mechanical drive packages, and generator sets. Solar’s customers put the company’s products to work in many areas, including production, processing and pipeline transmission of natural gas and crude oil, and generation of electricity and thermal energy for processing applications, such as manufacturing chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and food products. Solar’s foundation is people and Solar’s culture is one where individual contributions are valued, diversity in the workplace is encouraged, and safety is emphasized in all aspects of the business. Solar Turbines is comprised of a dedicated and multi-talented workforce of more than 8,000 employees with decades of experience working as a global team.