Purchasing and Supply Management Specialist

FUNCTIONAL PURPOSE:

Obtains proposals, negotiates, administers, and settles contracts and purchases. Defines long and short-term business and customer needs. Completes market and industry trend analysis. Analyzes purchasing and supply management practices and conducts supplier value and cost analysis to include logistics related activities; makes supplier selections and implements consolidation of suppliers.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1\. Performs strategic needs assessment to identify customers' needs for services, supplies, and equipment; uses assessment to determine requirements, and solicitation criteria, including production needs, quantities, delivery requirements and industry to be sourced.

2\. Prepares contract solicitations, determines specific contract language, clauses, and best type of contract; evaluates offers and recommends source selections.

3\. Conducts supplier value and cost analysis to address logistics, pricing, leverage, competitive advantage, and other industry factors related to purchase; performs supplier capability assessment, past performance reviews, customer evaluations and other review methods to create and develop supplier performance data.

4\. Conducts supplier value and cost analysis, defining supplier's profit margin and variable and fixed costs against industry cost structure; develops an evaluation of suppliers with the customer.

5\. Performs market and industry trend analysis to determine availability of services, supplies, equipment, and products; monitors industry factors related to purchase of product and/or service.

6\. Requests and evaluates supplier proposals for satisfying selection criteria, awarding contracts, leverage opportunities, and pricing data; establishes strong supplier relationships and partnerships.

7\. Plans and conducts negotiations on price, technical requirements, terms, and conditions of the contract; obtains audits and pricing reports where needed to develop negotiation strategy; performs contract management.

8\. Manages projects, including identifying resources, developing timelines, risk analysis, monitoring progress, providing technical guidance and evaluation.

9\. Complies with Postal Service supplier diversity planning and sourcing strategies.

10\. Identifies and implements demand management activities.

11\. Provides leadership, direction, and guidance on purchasing and material logistics activities.

12\. May oversee the activities of lower-level employees or teams, when assigned.

REQUIREMENTS:

1. Knowledge of postal, federal or commercial purchasing regulations, policies and procedures.
2. Ability to communicate both orally and in writing sufficient to develop and present briefings, and to conduct general business meetings.
3. Ability to conduct research, including analyzing data collected, and make recommendations and business decisions based on the findings.
4. Ability to manage time and work activities in support of multiple projects.
5. EDUCATION/CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENT: Applicants must possess one of the following degrees or professional certifications: 1\. A baccalaureate or post-graduate degree from an accredited college or university, that included or was supplemented by at least 24 semester hours in any combination of the following fields: supply chain management, accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, material management, logistics and inventory control, quantitative methods, or organization and management. 2\. Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM) qualification or Certified Purchasing Manager (CPM) from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM). 3\. Certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM), Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP), or Certified in Integrated Resource Management (CIRM) from the American Production and Inventory Control Society (APICS). 4\. Certified Professional Contracts Manager (CPCM), Certified Commercial Contracts Manager (CCCM), or Certified Federal Contracts Manager (CFCM) from the National Contract Management Association (NCMA).

Special note: a candidate with a strong procurement and supplier negotiation are preferred, but NOT REQUIRED! If you have a different background, you are still encouraged to apply!