Procurement Career Paths

Job Title: Indirect Procurement Specialist

Location: [Insert location]

Reports to: [Insert name and title of supervisor]

An indirect procurement specialist is in charge of the procurement of goods and services for a company’s internal needs. They are in charge of acquiring what is needed in day-to-day company activities.

Key Responsibilities: 

• Introduce market best practices and other alternatives found through thorough supplier sourcing studies.
• Be able to bid and negotiate for favorable terms and pricing.
• Coordinate with internal stakeholders for the effective management of contract processes.
• Identify and help implement procurement systems and processes.
• Ensure compliance with procurement processes.
• Negotiate contracts to optimize procurement efficiency.
• Sourcing and developing supplier relationships.
• Develop strategic sourcing strategies and purchasing plans.
• Analyze current spend and identify areas for improvement and cost reduction.

KPIs for this role

• Number of Suppliers: Tracks dependency level on suppliers and diverse sourcing.
• Compliance Rate: Verification of supplier compliance requirements.
• Supplier Quality Rating: Evaluates supplier quality and supplier capability for future collaborations.
• Supplier Defect Rate: Evaluation of individual suppliers through defects per million.
• Purchase Order Cycle Time: Improves procurement efficiency from start to finish, if possible.
• Emergency Purchase Ratio: Tracking number of emergency purchases.
• Purchases in Budget and Time: Monitors purchasing time and cost to find gaps in procurement processes.
• Cost of the Purchase Order: Monitoring and controlling internal costs for each purchase.
• Procurement Cost Reduction: Streamlines cost savings through price negotiations.
• Procurement Cost Avoidance: Helps avoid future costs and positively impact cost savings.
• Spend Under Management: Optimizes expenses through having strategic spend management.
• Procurement ROI: Evaluates investment profitability in procurement processes.

Key Skills and Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s Degree in Supply Chain, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Has 2-5 years of experience in the procurement field.
• Ability to communicate effectively and clearly at all levels and in all situations.
• Ability to prioritize tasks and projects effectively while maintaining work quality.
• Capability to learn new software tools and applications required for the position.
• Strong analytical skills to gather significant insights on data and find solutions when needed.
• Capable of working on their own and also working within a team.

• Category Management: Knowledge and experience in key category management.
• Team Development: Developing the department or team through building learning, development plans, skill gap identification, etc.
• Supplier Risk Management: Collaborating with key suppliers to enhance overall procurement investment value, ensure contract obligations, and meet service level agreements.
• Sales and Influencing: Ability to advocate for procurement agenda to stakeholders and influence key business decisions.
• Management: Managing procurement strategies and processes for overall procurement management.
• Commercial Intellect: Understanding organizational goals and procurement’s role in improving the bottom line while boosting procurement importance within the organization.
• Empathetic People Skills: Ability to empathize and build strong relationships for influence and negotiation.
• Personable & Likeable: Ability to build rapport and trust with staff, internal stakeholders, and suppliers.

• Analytical reasoning: Procurement analysts evaluate suppliers and product information, comparing factors like costs and shipping times.
• Communication: They collaborate with supply chain and finance teams to determine supply needs and budget guidelines, and regularly communicate with suppliers.
• Negotiation: Procurement analysts negotiate prices for goods or services to find the best deals.
• Decision-making skills: They decide which products and suppliers are best for the company’s budget and objectives.
• Technical knowledge: Procurement analysts use industry-specific knowledge about items, materials, and production processes to make informed decisions.

• Number of Suppliers: Tracks dependency level on suppliers and diverse sourcing.
• Compliance Rate: Verification of supplier compliance requirements.
• Supplier Quality Rating: Evaluates supplier quality and supplier capability for future collaborations.
• Supplier Defect Rate: Evaluation of individual suppliers through defects per million.
• Purchase Order Cycle Time: Improves procurement efficiency from start to finish, if possible.
• Emergency Purchase Ratio: Tracking number of emergency purchases.
• Purchases in Budget and Time: Monitors purchasing time and cost to find gaps in procurement processes.
• Cost of the Purchase Order: Monitoring and controlling internal costs for each purchase.
• Procurement Cost Reduction: Streamlines cost savings through price negotiations.
• Procurement Cost Avoidance: Helps avoid future costs and positively impact cost savings.
• Spend Under Management: Optimizes expenses through having strategic spend management.
• Procurement ROI: Evaluates investment profitability in procurement processes.