Purchasing clerk Jobs in Cedar Rapids, IA

Construction Procurement Lead - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

The Construction Procurement Lead will primarily be responsible for the acquiring supplier quotes, analyzing supplier quotes, and executing purchases through requisitions and purchase orders for Customer Site equipment and services on company projects. Expediting and monitoring deliverable performance by suppliers and communicating with the project teams about status and anticipated activities is of critical importance. The Construction Procurement Lead will assist the Director of Finance, other Procurement members, and other management with controlling equipment and service acquisition costs and maintaining strong supplier relationships.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Procurement

Lead the RFQ/RFI/RFP/Bidding process with suppliers either through 4castplus, through owner/customer procurement system(s), or email. Ensure communication with project teams is timely to obtain redlines and questions on all proposals in a timely manner.

Review budgets and make recommendations on final purchase actions to management for approval.

Ensure that requisitions, purchase orders, vendor bids, tracking sheets, bid tabs, etc. are all maintained and current in the established system(s).

Work closely with Vendor Performance Manager and other procurement team members to ensure leveraging and purchasing power on larger purchase orders.

Once a purchase has been approved by senior/project management, execute directly or through others, the purchase process. Ensure appropriate alerts and information is reviewed regarding possible delays or issues with deliverables. Communicate regularly with procurement team and all other stakeholders as to the status of open purchases.

Determine / recommend / implement action items to mitigate risks related to delayed or incorrect deliverables. This is a critical function and will be required daily. A sense of urgency is needed for this activity.

Review expected deliverables daily with Procurement Expeditor and/or Site Admin/Receiving and identify concerns that will require action items and escalation.

Follow the process for Purchase Order close-out. Including facilitation of any needed post-mortems or lessons-learned discussions with stakeholders.

Assist with review of tariff, freight, and other add-on costs with suppliers to ensure reasonableness.

Identify errors and facilitate the adjustment and correction of any purchase related transaction throughout the system, including 4castplus, Dynamics, and Owner/Customer systems as appropriate. Communicate with stakeholders and ensure supplier adjustments are issued.

Supplier Performance

Work with Vendor Performance Manager as well as owner/customer vendor management team to ensure new vendors are onboarded prior to initial purchases.

Ensure all delivery expectations are clearly set with suppliers (include all expectations on purchase orders,) and monitor for performance. Communicate with all stakeholders immediately if issues are anticipated.

Facilitate weekly (or other frequency) meetings/calls with key suppliers as needed to ensure that all deliverables are being met and to anticipate any scheduling challenges. Work closely with the operations / project team to coordinate schedule changes, look-ahead delivery schedules, and logistical details for on-site deliveries.

Ensure missing, damaged, or other deliveries are resolved, and that supplier performance is documented, and information is provided to Vendor Performance Manager.

Assist with the identification of new suppliers and engage in preliminary research and evaluations.

Assist with the evaluations of supplier performance according to the established process and report findings to Vendor Performance Manager with suggestions for improvements.

Communication with Other Departments, Suppliers, and other Stakeholders

Facilitate or participate in regular procurement meeting(s) with project teams and senior management to ensure collective agreement on specifications, pricing, budgets, timelines, and action items related to procurement of equipment and services. Track and follow-up on action items.

Review appropriate daily/weekly/monthly/annual reporting for procurement management, project management and senior management.

Other

Learn and ultimately be responsible for ensuring all procurement activities are tracked in 4castplus, including requisitions, vendor bid management, purchase orders, expediting, receiving, and invoice verification. Train others in the procurement approvals workflows.

Assist Vendor Performance Manager with onboarding suppliers to the company and Owner systems when appropriate, and ensure they understand how to engage with the bidding process.

Work with Director of Finance to maintain procurement standard operating procedures and policies.

Perform administrative work including scheduling meetings, taking meeting notes, and occasional data entry.

Take ownership in and engage with online courses, webinars, or read relevant periodicals. On rare occasion attend trade shows, interview suppliers, or visit supply plants/distribution centers.

Qualifications:

BA or BS in Business (or related) is preferred, or 3+ years' experience in a purchasing role with increasing responsibilities.

Construction related purchasing or other construction management experience required.

Some accounting or financial experience ideal.

Procurement of Job Costing system experience such as Maximo, or demonstrated ability to learn new business management systems, required.

Experience in facilitating bid/RFQ processes preferred.

Experience in project estimating or project financial management preferred.

Customer focus internal and external

Continuous learner

Solutions-oriented, Results oriented

Effective listener

Clear and concise written communication

Drive to accomplish

Maturity

Self-awareness

Embraces change

Good planning skills and ability to prioritize

Accurate

Self-starting

Valid driver's license required.

Let's connect and talk in more detail about this opportunity!

Brian B. Bigger, President | Recruiter | Global Talent Solutions