Purchasing Associate

Job Title:  Procurement Associate

Reports To:  Procurement Assistant Manager

FLSA Status:    Salaried

Position Overview

The Procurement Associate is responsible for the basic and effective sourcing of steel products to support the company’s production operations. This role requires understanding balance sheets, tracking procurement activities, and applying general understanding of company processes to assist in cost-effective purchasing decisions. By aligning procurement strategies with organizational goals, the associate helps track inventory levels and establishes strong supplier relationships.

Key Responsibilities

• Provides support in tracking expenses and learning to apply balance sheet data effectively.
• Monitors material availability and escalate potential shortages, recommending basic substitutions under guidance.            
• Gathers and review pricing information to support procurement decisions.
• Integrates and maintains accurate data on material flow and inventory status.
• Assesses vendor structures and performance to gain a comprehensive view of operations and supply chain impact. 
• Forecasts inventory needs by analyzing usage trends and production requirements. 
• Communicates with mills and suppliers as directed to support procurement activities.
• Creates and manages Expense Requests in SAP to support procurement processes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business or Supply Chain Management required.
• Minimum of 3-5 years of relevant experience required. 
• Proficient in Microsoft Excel required. 
• Bachelor’s degree in Business or Supply Chain Management or other related fields preferred. 
• Skills with Microsoft applications which may include Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access and/or other web-based applications.  May produce complex documents, perform analysis, and maintain databases required.

Core Competencies

• Makes decisions that are guided by general instructions and practices requiring some interpretation.  May make recommendations for solving problems of moderate complexity and importance.
• Addresses problems that are varied, requiring analysis or interpretation of the situation using direct observation, knowledge and skills based on general precedents.
• Follows precedents and procedures.  May set priorities and organize work within general guidelines.        Seeks assistance when confronted with difficult and/or unpredictable situations.  Work progress is monitored by supervisor/manager.
• Ability to summarize and communicate in English moderately complex information in varied written formats to internal and external customers.
• Ability to comprehend and converse in English to communicate effectively with staff and customers.
• Ability to demonstrate full working knowledge of standard concepts, practices, procedures, and policies with the ability to use them in varied situations.
• Ability to work collaboratively in small teams to improve the operations of immediate work group by offering ideas, identifying issues, and respecting team members.
• Ability to provide a high level of customer service to visitors, staff and external customers in a professional, service-oriented, respectful manner using skills in active listening and problem solving.  Ability to remain calm in stressful situations.

Supervisory Responsibility

• Not Applicable

Working Conditions / Physical Demands

• Work requires close attention to task for work to be accurately completed.        Intermitted breaks during the workday do not compromise the work.
• Work is varied every day and the employee needs to be adaptable to respond to these changes and use independent judgment and manage priorities.
• No substantial exposure to adverse environmental conditions
• Visual, sensory and audible sensory requirements apply to position. 
• Requires exerting up to 20 pounds of force frequently to move objects.        Some elements of the job are sedentary, but the employee will be required to stand for periods of time or move throughout the premise
• No environmental requirements apply to position. 
• Physical requirements apply to position.