Experienced Procurement Agent

We are seeking an Experienced Procurement Agent with minimum of 8 years of procurement experience who will also lead and manage Continuous Improvement (CI) projects across sourcing and supplier management functions. This role combines advanced purchasing expertise with practical CI leadership to deliver cost reduction, process efficiency, and supplier performance improvements.

Position Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end purchasing activities for assigned categories, including sourcing, negotiation, PO placement, contract management, and supplier relationship management.
• Develop and execute category strategies that align with business objectives and reduce total cost of ownership.
• Identify, scope and lead Continuous Improvement projects across procurement processes (e.g., cycle time reduction, process standardization, e-procurement adoption, supplier consolidation).
• Use CI methodologies (Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, PDCA) to analyze process performance, map current-state processes, run root cause analysis, and implement improvements.
• Lead cross-functional CI project teams, define project charters, timelines, milestones, stakeholder communications, and track benefits realization.
• Establish and monitor supplier KPIs (quality, on-time delivery, cost, lead time) and implement corrective actions and improvement plans with suppliers.
• Manage complex negotiations (price, terms, SLAs), including cost modeling and risk mitigation.
• Drive supplier development initiatives (capacity, quality systems, process improvements) and conduct supplier audits as needed.
• Maintain procurement compliance with company policies, ethical sourcing, and applicable regulations.
• Prepare and present procurement and CI project status, metrics, and business cases to senior leadership.
• Mentor and coach junior buyers on procurement best practices and CI techniques.

Basic Qualifications (Required Skills/Experience)

• Minimum 8 years of procurement/purchasing experience, including strategic sourcing and supplier management.
• Proven track record of leading Continuous Improvement projects and delivering measurable performance and cost benefits.
• Practical experience with Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, PDCA or similar methodologies; Yellow Belt required, Green or Black Belt strongly preferred.
• Strong negotiation skills and experience managing complex supplier contracts.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence stakeholders at all levels.
• Experience with cost modeling, total cost of ownership analysis, and supplier risk assessment.
• Proficiency with procurement systems (ERP: SAP/JD Edwards/Oracle) and e-sourcing/e-procurement tools; familiarity with spend analytics and Power BI/Tableau is a plus.

Employer will not sponsor applicants for employment visa status.

Preferred Qualifications (Desired Skills/Experience):

• Bachelors degree in supply chain management, Business, Engineering, or related field. Advanced degree or professional certifications (CPSM, CIPS) a plus.
• Strategic thinker with strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Project management discipline: ability to manage multiple CI projects simultaneously with measurable outcomes.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and results orientation.
• Data-driven decision making and comfort with KPI-driven performance management.
• Change management capability and resilience in driving process changes.

Typical Education & Experience:

• Education/experience typically acquired through advanced education (e.g. Bachelor) and typically 9+ years'' related work experience or Masters degree with 8+ years of experience with an equivalent combination of education and experience is preferred.