Procurement Buyer IV

Job Summary:

Ensures that moderately complex purchase orders are fulfilled by receiving and reviewing requisitions, placing purchase orders, and facilitating the fulfillment or recall of requested items. Negotiates pricing terms and conditions by soliciting and analyzing quotes to obtain favorable pricing and contract terms. Complies with all relevant regulations, policies, procedures, and best practices to support compliance monitoring and education, implementing corrective actions as needed. Examines moderately complex issues with order fulfillment and initiates claims with suppliers to resolve. Communicates requirements and purchase order updates, and provides insight on market conditions by researching potential sources of supply and products. Manages operational vendor performance by monitoring adherence to contracts and other criteria, as well as fostering new partnerships and negotiating improvements with existing vendors.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Promotes learning in others by proactively providing and/or developing information, resources, advice, and expertise with coworkers and members; builds relationships with cross-functional/external stakeholders and customers. Listens to, seeks, and addresses performance feedback; proactively provides actionable feedback to others and to managers. Pursues self-development; creates and executes plans to capitalize on strengths and develop weaknesses; leads by influencing others through technical explanations and examples and provides options and recommendations. Adopts new responsibilities; adapts to and learns from change, challenges, and feedback; demonstrates flexibility in approaches to work; champions change and helps others adapt to new tasks and processes. Facilitates team collaboration to support a business outcome.
• Completes work assignments autonomously and supports business-specific projects by applying expertise in subject area and business knowledge to generate creative solutions; encourages team members to adapt to and follow all procedures and policies. Collaborates cross-functionally and/or externally to achieve effective business decisions; provides recommendations and solves complex problems; escalates high-priority issues or risks, as appropriate; monitors progress and results. Supports the development of work plans to meet business priorities and deadlines; identifies resources to accomplish priorities and deadlines. Identifies, speaks up, and capitalizes on improvement opportunities across teams; uses influence to guide others and engages stakeholders to achieve appropriate solutions.
• Provides insight on market conditions and their effect on purchasing power by: applying methods to independently determine and execute research and identify possible new sources of supply and products; and demonstrating advanced knowledge of the latest product information, uses, and purchasing trends.
• Resolves issues with purchase order fulfillment by: examining moderately complex issues with purchase orders (e.g., back orders, late deliveries, product recalls); and applying strategies to initiate claims with suppliers to obtain refunds or replacements for items not conforming to purchase specifications and ensuring appropriate credit is received.
• Serves as an information resource by: communicating advanced knowledge regarding the requirements, specifications, quantity, and quality of merchandise and delivery schedules; and keeping internal and external stakeholders abreast of updates in the fulfillment of orders.
• Negotiates pricing terms and conditions for procurement activities with vendors when no contract is in place by: applying strategies for soliciting and analyzing quotes for supplies, equipment, and services; and leveraging advanced knowledge of the product domain and market to obtain favorable pricing and contract terms.
• Ensures that purchase orders are fulfilled by: receiving moderately complex requisitions for supplies, equipment, and services, including technical, specialized, and high-cost items; reviewing requisitions for accuracy (e.g., nomenclature, specifications, accounting codes, approval authorization, approved vendors, chart of accounts), independently; placing moderately complex orders with vendor and/or sales representative; and facilitating the fulfillment or recall of moderately complex requested items.
• Complies with state and federal regulations, and company policy/procedures pertaining to purchasing by: proposing and applying best standards, practices, and enforcing relevant guidelines; producing non-standard reports for compliance monitoring (e.g., Joint commission, Sarbanes-Oxley [SOX]) and audits independently; proposing and implementing corrective action, and resolving deficiencies independently as necessary on a timely basis and in accordance with company policy; and administering programs of information, organizing data, training, education for managers/product users on standards programs, product selection, and expected compliance independently.
• Manages operational vendor performance and vendor relationships by: monitoring vendor adherence to moderately complex vendor performance criteria, bidding requirements, and procedures; applying strategies to monitor vendor compliance with contracts; applying strategies for fostering partnerships between KP and vendors; and negotiating improvements in vendor performance in response to moderately complex contract non-compliance or fulfillment issues.