Procurement Specialist

Career Area:

Job Description:

Your Work Shapes the World at Caterpillar Inc.

When you join Caterpillar, you're joining a global team who cares not just about the work we do – but also about each other.  We are the makers, problem solvers, and future world builders who are creating stronger, more sustainable communities. We don't just talk about progress and innovation here – we make it happen, with our customers, where we work and live. Together, we are building a better world, so we can all enjoy living in it.

Employees in this position work directly with a specific supplier group in the Forgings Supply Chain and cross functional clients daily to help ensure uninterrupted availability of material through the Global Supply Chain to worldwide locations in direct response to our customers’ requirements. The Procurement Specialist has a direct impact on improving and sustaining supplier performance with impact to quality, cost, delivery, and ultimately to customer commitments and satisfaction.

Responsibilities include day-to-day and strategic supplier management including, but not limited to: purchase order placement, follow-up, issue resolution, communication of demand and forecasts, preparing contracts, negotiating contract terms, providing solutions to a wide range of issues, managing supplier relationships and performance metrics, facilitating communications and mitigating risk that could impact Solar’s ability to meet customer commitments or business plan. 

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; continuously practices and demonstrates Safety; and acts in adherence to Our Values in Action. 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 works within a team structure typically including a Sourcing Specialist, Supply Chain Coordinator/Planner, Supplier Technical Engineer and reports directly to a Supply Chain Manager. There is an expectation to both participate and lead projects from conception to maturity that directly support organizational objectives.  The work environment is office based with occasional visits to internal production areas as well as external supplier sites, which may involve domestic and/or international travel.

The successful candidate will have demonstrated skills and competencies that include:

Supply Chain Management –  Ensures procurement processes meets audit, regulatory, and legal standards. Develops and maintain relationships with internal clients and supplier executives. Applies advanced Supply Chain knowledge to manage processes, establish policies, and develop value-adding strategies.  Monitors and manages ownership of risk from financial, business continuation, and compliance perspectives.  

Supplier Management - Manages each relationship of moderately complex suppliers. 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.

Supplier Selection - Strategic activities include working with the Supply Chain Leadership and/or Sourcing Specialist to define the buyer-supplier relationship and the strategic direction (Hold, Grow, Consolidate, Exit). Supports NPI, global strategic sourcing, and supplier selection to ensure flexible capacity and consistent supply from qualified suppliers to support business objectives.

Contract Management – Develops agreements that align with sourcing strategies and utilizes appropriate standard Solar contracts with legal review, as required. Identifies and balances key risks at all stages. Integral in tracking contract execution, leading contract teams, closing contracts, and enforcing any applicable rights beyond contract completion. Works closely with users defining supplier performance measurements and reporting frameworks. Leads commercial negotiations and is accountable for contract execution and maintenance (NDA’s, GP’s, PSAs, JDAs, etc).

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 moderately critical and complex items display