Purchasing Specialist

As a Purchasing Specialist on Cengage s Global Procurement (GP) team, you will have the opportunity to work closely with teams company-wide to ensure the timely purchase of goods and services. This is a highly collaborative role that requires you to understand the many purchasing scenarios across our departments and teams and complete purchases quickly and accurately.

This position requires working several hours each week that overlap with the United States business day.

• Assist the Global Procurement and Accounts Payable teams in all aspects of PO creation, monitoring, processing, facilitation, and maintenance, including resolution of PO issues
• Ensure data integrity within Cengage s SAP ERP Purchase Order (PO) System, from initial PO creation through invoice and goods receipt
• Ensure that appropriate approvals are secured for POs
• Perform weekly and monthly administrative reporting tasks

• Create POs for all Indirect procurement categories (i.e., all non-manufacturing-related purchases), using information provided by requesters across our business (e.g., goods/services needed, ship dates, quantities, and item costs)
• Provide basic SAP navigation and process guidance to others in our business who want to create their own POs
• Issue final POs to vendors and Cengage requestors
• Interact with vendors regarding POs issued to them, including securing their acknowledgment of PO receipt, providing guidance on proper invoice format, and resolving questions that they raise quickly and efficiently
• Ensure that POs accurately and completely capture all required information per Cengage guidelines for data integrity
• Amend purchase orders and re-issue to vendors as needed
• Monitor PO status, as well as compliance with Cengage PO policy, using SAP reporting or other tools
• Collaborate daily with PO requestors, Global Procurement team, and Finance to resolve data validation errors and PO discrepancies that prevent the receipt of goods or services or the processing of invoices
• Triage and troubleshoot vendor record discrepancies, investigate and identify appropriate invoice recipients and owners, and support teams with new vendor set-up and onboarding
• Create and distribute weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual data integrity reports (e.g., accruals, GR/IR, open PO, and PO purge)
• Collaborate with Accounts Payable team on regular PO audits
• Independently and continually maintain an up-to-date working knowledge of SAP, attending available training
• Actively participate in working groups focused on improving SAP ERP at Cengage, working on updates in best practices, process, and documentation
• Provide training to new employees in the use of SAP ERP for purchasing
• Provide resolution for sales tax questions and audits
• Other duties as assigned

• BA/BS in Business Administration or equivalent work experience
• 1-2 years purchasing or procurement experience, or relevant roles
• Extensive experience using SAP ERP/ S4/HANA
• Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal skills
• Ability to think strategically and act tactically
• Excellent judgment and decision-making skills
• Very strong organizational and time-management skills
• Attention to detail and strong numerical and mathematical skills
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, especially Excel
• Ability to collect and analyze data efficiently
• Ability to maintain focus and productivity in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to self-manage and adapt to changes, delays, or unexpected shifts in priorities
• Ability to work in a remote first environment with team-mates located around the globe