Expert Procurement Project Lead

KION•Grand Rapids, MI

18h•$112,875 - $155,000

About The Position

Dematic is seeking an Expert Procurement Project Lead to lead procurement execution for its most complex, strategic, and high-value customer projects. The role serves as the senior procurement subject matter expert for project execution, partnering with Project Management, Engineering, Solutions Development, Finance, Quality, Manufacturing, Procurement Category Management, and suppliers. The position develops and executes procurement strategies to optimize project outcomes, mitigate risk, protect customer commitments, and support business objectives. It provides leadership through influence, expertise, and execution excellence, serving as a trusted advisor on complex procurement, supplier, commercial, and project execution challenges. The Expert Procurement Project Lead leads procurement delivery across multiple concurrent projects and strategic customer accounts. The role owns procurement outcomes, execution plans, risks, issues, performance metrics, executive reporting, and supplier performance. It also leads resolution of complex supplier and project challenges, influences stakeholders without direct authority, and supports continuous improvement, organizational capability development, and mentoring.

Requirements

10+ years of relevant project-based procurement experience supporting complex automation, engineering, construction, manufacturing, or capital equipment projects.
Proven track record managing procurement for large-scale, complex, strategically important customer projects.
Recognized expertise in project-based procurement, supplier management, project execution, and risk management.
Deep understanding of project management principles, including critical path analysis, risk and issue management, collaborator management, change control, and project performance reporting.
Demonstrated expertise with project management tools and methodologies, including executive scorecards, risk heat maps, action registers, issue tracking systems, achievement reporting, and performance dashboards.
Ability to influence project teams, suppliers, customers, and executive collaborators without direct authority.
Strong business insight and ability to make sound decisions in complex and ambiguous situations.
Proven track record resolving highly complex supplier, commercial, and project implementation challenges.
Outstanding communication, presentation, negotiation, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
Ability to lead multi-stakeholder, multi-region, highly complex strategic projects.
Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.
Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, Supply Chain, or a related field, or equivalent experience.

Nice To Haves

Background in process improvement and operational excellence.
Experience with SAP and Microsoft Teams.
Master’s degree or equivalent experience.
Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM) certification.
Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.

Responsibilities

Lead procurement delivery for Dematic’s most intricate, strategic, and high-value customer projects.
Develop and complete project-specific procurement strategies aligned with project objectives, customer requirements, and business goals.
Lead procurement outcomes that support project scope, schedule, quality, cost, and customer commitments.
Drive accountability among Project Management, Engineering, Finance, Quality, Manufacturing, Category Management, and suppliers.
Lead procurement activities across multiple concurrent projects and strategic customer accounts.
Balance cost, schedule, risk, supplier performance, and customer commitments when making business decisions.
Develop and maintain Procurement Execution Plans aligned with achievements, supplier commitments, critical path activities, and risk mitigation.
Own procurement risk and issue management, proactively identifying, mitigating, and resolving risks that affect project outcomes.
Assess and manage procurement impacts from scope changes, engineering revisions, supplier changes, commercial modifications, and schedule changes.
Lead resolution of complex supplier performance, quality, capacity, commercial, and delivery issues.
Partner with Category Management to develop sourcing strategies and secure qualified suppliers for complex project requirements.
Influence project collaborators, suppliers, customers, and cross-functional teams without direct authority, while promoting accountability for commitments and actions.
Serve as a trusted procurement advisor and business leader in project reviews, blocking-issue resolution, executive discussions, and customer engagements.
Own procurement performance metrics, executive reporting, achievement tracking, supplier performance, and delivery of procurement commitments.
Lead continuous improvement, organizational capability development, and mentoring to strengthen procurement project execution.