Corporate Procurement Specialist

Novolex•Lake Forest, IL

16d

About The Position

The Corporate Procurement Specialist oversees the creation and administration of purchase orders, exercising sound judgment to ensure compliance with company policies and procedures. This role requires proactive decision-making to resolve discrepancies, maintain accurate procurement records, and coordinate effectively with vendors to meet organizational needs. By evaluating purchasing requirements, prioritizing tasks, and identifying process improvements, the Procurement Specialist plays a key role in enhancing operational efficiency. The position also involves contributing insights into continuous improvement initiatives and providing autonomous support across a range of procurement-related projects, ensuring timely and effective outcomes.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required
2-4 years of experience in procurement, accounts payable, or customer service.
Strong written and verbal communication skills with a high level of attention to detail.
Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
Independent decision and problem-solving skills in day-to-day situations
Situational awareness and initiative to quickly identify logical solutions and take appropriate action
Critical thinking and reliability – good judgement to ensure correct efficient and effective outcomes
Proficiency in Microsoft Office

Nice To Haves

SAP and Coupa experience preferred.

Responsibilities

Responsible for evaluating and selecting suppliers and supporting category management and strategic sourcing initiatives. (approving)
Evaluate, approve, and select suppliers based on cost, quality, performance, and risk considerations. Actively support and contribute to category management and strategic sourcing initiatives, making recommendations that impact supplier strategy and spend optimization.
Independently issue, approve, and manage purchase orders in accordance with established policies and procedures, exercising judgment to address non-standard requests, exception handling, and priority conflicts.
Oversee open purchase orders and lead the resolution of procurement-related discrepancies, including pricing, delivery, invoicing, and contract compliance issues, determining appropriate corrective actions.
Prepare, review, and maintain accurate procurement records, reports, and supporting documentation to ensure transparency, audit readiness, and data integrity.
Review, approve, and enforce vendor insurance and compliance requirements. Identify compliance gaps, determine corrective measures, and escalate risks when necessary to protect organizational interests.
Coordinate and approve new vendor setup requests and material vendor change requests, ensuring alignment with procurement standards, compliance requirements, and operational needs.
Lead and direct procurement-related continuous improvement initiatives, including identifying inefficiencies, designing process enhancements, and implementing solutions that improve cycle time, controls, or cost effectiveness.
Build and sustain strong working relationships with internal stakeholders and external suppliers, acting as a trusted advisor on procurement practices, policies, and strategic considerations.
Independently identify root causes of procurement risks and issues, evaluate alternative solutions, make recommendations or decisions within scope of authority, and track resolution through completion.
Provide procurement support across administrative and operational functions, contributing insights, guidance, and solutions that enable the organization to meet business objectives effectively and efficiently.