Join the 125-year legacy of Potter Electric Signal Company! We have an exciting opportunity at our St. Louis Manfacturing facility for an experienced Strategic Sourcing Specialist!

Potter has been a part of the St. Louis community since 1898 and we are very proud of our rich history in the fire and life safety industry. Potter's mission is to be the "Symbol of Protection" for fire and life safety solutions worldwide by combining the latest technology in fire protection with the dedicated manpower for which we have been known for over one hundred years. Our vision is to provide industry leading quality solutions, products and services for the protection of life, property and the environment. With unwavering dedication to our customers, Potter looks to continue as the industry standard in both product and service with increased focus on international expansion.

Each employee at Potter takes great pride in knowing that every product we assemble, service, and sell is for the purpose of saving lives around the world. We strive to provide employment opportunities to those individuals who are performance driven, team players, take pride in their work, and are enthusiastic and passionate about their job.

The Strategic Sourcing Specialist will be instrumental in new supplier sourcing, cost negotiations, supplier performance management, VE/CE activity initiation and support. This position will be responsible for supporting the development and execution of sourcing strategies for delegated commodities within the business, in addition to the execution of category management, strategic sourcing, contracting and supplier management activities across assigned categories.

Essential Functions

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Purchasing / Strategic Sourcing Activity:

• Support purchasing strategies to achieve Quality, Cost, and Supplier performance objectives to improve operational efficiency and profitability.
• YOY improvement on net value productivity on assigned direct material spend.
• Partner with Production, Engineering, Quality, and Product Management to support new product introductions.
• Identify and support the qualification of new suppliers as needed to support cost optimization, quality improvement, and supplier rationalization objectives.
• Establishment and implementation of new sourcing and supply chain initiatives, including Kanban, supplier inventory, supplier to production cell replenishment, e-auctions, and supplier portals.
• Establish strong relationships with key strategic vendors and leverage fact-based negotiation tactics to achieve cost targets.
• Keep abreast of industry trends and related market conditions to identify and mitigate supply risks. Conduct thorough market analysis in order to forecast and manage price trends.
• Prepare and send RFQ for sourcing projects; conduct bid analysis, negotiations, and contract/supplier development as needed.
• Initiate, lead and support Value Engineering / Component Engineering (VE/CE) activities to improve quality, service, and total costs.
• Gather detailed cost elements and perform in-depth price analysis to ensure the best purchase price, while achieving the highest quality and level of service.
• Identify stakeholders, establish key milestones, and develop project plans to successfully manage the qualification / certification process of production materials.
• Actively support all aspects of product development related to the evaluation / qualification of newly purchased materials.
• Serve as a primary liaison between the company and select suppliers to establish, maintain, and enhance effective business relationships.
• Maintain supplier compliance with established quality, environmental, and customer specific requirements.
• Monitor performance and capabilities of suppliers and ensure effective countermeasure plans are implemented to address any substandard performance.
• Support and assist the Purchasing team as required.

General:

• Must be capable of acquiring a functional knowledge of company products, along with the purpose and end use of assigned sourcing commodities.
• Support the Purchasing Department in setting and achieving department policy, KPI’s, and objectives.
• Manage supplier performance through supplier score cards, risk assessments, and vendor due diligence.
• Enhance the department’s value by providing a positive, professional image.
• Conduct business with other departments and suppliers in a timely, cooperative manner, promoting courtesy, objectivity, and fairness.
• Travel to domestic and international locations in order to enhance relations, improve operations, or analyze and remedy supplier issues.
• Lead / Assist in supplier qualifications / certifications for production materials. Perform applicable supplier audits, verifying supplier capability utilizing tools such as Control Plans / Process Flow Charts / Other ISO tools.
• Enhance professional development by attending continuing education seminars and reading related publications.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Quality and Environmental Systems:

• Understand Potters Quality Policy and be able to fully discuss how this position supports the company’s quality objectives.
• Know that all associates have the responsibility and authority to immediately inform supervision or management if another associate or department deviates from proper manufacturing practice.
• Recognize all associates have the ability to suspend production when product quality has become questionable.
• Be aware of the consequences that deviating from documented procedures/practice can have on product quality and marketplace acceptance.

Required Skills/Abilities

• Ability to act with integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent interpersonal, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Excellent time management skills with a proven ability to meet deadlines.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to prioritize tasks and to delegate them when appropriate.
• Ability to work autonomously and make independent judgments relating to the quality and value of parts and products
• Computer literate, emphasizing Microsoft Office Suite and MRP type systems. Ability to quickly learn and effectively use Potter software applications (Epicor, Tableau, IQR)

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Purchasing, Operations Management, Supply Chain, Engineering or a related business area
• Minimum of five years’ experience as a Strategic Sourcing (Procurement) professional in a manufacturing environment, or similar.
• Demonstrated expertise in sourcing and supply chain tools, such as e-Auctions, Kanban, VMI, project management.
• Functional knowledge of international and domestic purchasing and sourcing methods and concepts.
• Experience in global sourcing, including working with suppliers in Asia, Mexico and Europe.
• Sourcing, negotiation, project management, supplier management, financial, and quantitative analysis skills.
• Experience working within a multi-cultural and multi-location environment.
• Technical aptitude, including but not limited to, ability to read technical diagrams and drawings to determine product specifications.

Preferred Qualifications

• CPSM (Certified Professional in Supply Management), CPM (Certified Purchasing Manager) or related sourcing professional certification.

Work Environment/Physical Demands/Travel

This job operates in a professional business office or home office where standard office equipment is routinely used, such as computers, photocopy machines, fax machines, telephones and filing cabinets. This position is largely a sedentary role. Must be able to lift 15 pounds at times. Must be able to access and navigate each department at the organization’s facilities.

This position will require you to travel independently to supplier locations and may need to adjust work hours based on business needs.

This is a full-time position, on-site at the manufacturing facility. A hybrid work format will be an option after training. The hours of work are Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, 40 hours per week. An occasional shift in hours may be necessary to accommodate business needs.

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of an employee for this job. Activities, duties and responsibilities may change at any time with or without notice.