Procurement Operations & Process Improvement Specialist

Tarkett • Solon, OH

19d

About The Position

The Procurement Operations & Process Improvement Specialist plays a critical role in driving procurement execution, process discipline, and operational efficiency within Tarkett’s shared services organization. This position supports internal clients across Sales, General & Administrative functions, and key distribution centers by managing the end-to-end Procure-to-Pay (P2P) lifecycle while leading data-driven initiatives that strengthen compliance, streamline workflows, and reduce operational friction. A key objective of this role is to help the organization shift from a model that relies on frequent exceptions and manual effort to push transactions through toward a process-based, standardized, and preventative operating model. Today, many procurement activities require significant “muscling” to complete due to irregularities, inconsistent inputs, or process gaps. The goal is to reduce this reliance on manual intervention by building disciplined, predictable workflows that minimize exceptions, improve efficiency, and support consistent execution. This role combines hands-on purchasing responsibilities with process analysis, performance monitoring, and continuous improvement. The Specialist serves as a connection point between Procurement, Finance, Shared Services, and Operations—leveraging purchasing expertise, system and data knowledge, and structured problem-solving to elevate process reliability, reduce exceptions, and deliver measurable business value.

Requirements

• Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, Data Analytics, or a related field.
• 4+ years of experience in procurement, purchasing, P2P operations, accounts payable, or shared services.
• Strong analytical mindset with proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint.
• Working knowledge of SAP, SRM, and ReadSoft PDAP.
• Ability to interpret and communicate data-driven insights to stakeholders across functions.
• Strong organizational, problem-solving, and communication skills.

Nice To Haves

• Experience supporting IAF or capital investment workflows.
• Experience in Process Analysis tools such as Celonis.
• Advanced Excel skills (pivot tables, Power Query, macros).
• Familiarity with process mapping methodologies and digital workflow tools.
• Knowledge of procurement compliance, spend analytics, and continuous improvement methodologies (e.g., Lean, RCA).

Responsibilities

• Manage the full P2P lifecycle, including SRM shopping cart review, PR to PO creation, supplier confirmations, and invoice exception resolution through PDAP ReadSoft workflows.
• Serve as first-level SRM approver, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and compliance with procurement standards.
• Act as primary liaison between internal clients and suppliers to address pricing, delivery, quality, or performance concerns.
• Review and route purchase requests to contracted suppliers; partner with Category Managers to identify compliant, cost-effective solutions for non-contracted spend.
• Maintain and update purchase orders, including vendor confirmations, Annual POs, open POs, and aged POs to ensure system accuracy and alignment with business needs.
• Track, document, and manage purchasing workflows, proactively driving actions to ensure timely resolution and reduce workflow volume.
• Lead investigation and resolution of invoice discrepancies and blocked invoices through structured problem-solving.
• Support the Investment Approval Form (IAF) workflow by coordinating with Finance and Project Owners, ensuring timely approvals, budget alignment, and compliant documentation.
• Perform monthly reviews of open/aged POs to reconcile commitments, optimize cash flow visibility, and ensure alignment to contract terms.
• Maintain comprehensive documentation of blanket purchase orders, capital investment POs, and related contract requirements.
• Partner with Finance and Procurement teams to ensure accurate reporting and financial capture of investment orders and associated spend.
• Analyze P2P, SRM, and workflow performance data to identify bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and systemic issues.
• Develop, maintain, and monitor KPI dashboards that measure operational efficiency, SLA adherence, and process compliance.
• Conduct root cause analysis (RCA) on recurring issues and implement corrective and preventive actions.
• Lead or support continuous improvement projects focused on cycle time reduction, workflow elimination, error prevention, and process standardization.
• Support digital transformation initiatives by identifying opportunities for automation and improved utilization of SAP, SRM, PDAP, Celonis, and related tools.
• Work closely with Procurement, Finance, and Shared Services to align analytics, reporting, and process optimization efforts with organizational KPIs.
• Provide analytical support for category strategy development, supplier performance reviews, and sourcing initiatives such as RFPs, RFIs, and supplier rationalization.
• Collaborate with Shared Services teams to translate data insights into actionable process enhancements.
• Communicate performance trends, improvement recommendations, and workflow status through structured dashboards, presentations, and regular updates.

Benefits

• A commitment that Safety is #1
• Competitive benefits, pay, and retirement plan options!
• Career growth, stability, and flexible work arrangements.
• Responsible Manufacturing – Protecting Our Planet for the Future
• We utilize renewable energy and a closed loop recycled water process.
• We are committed to reducing greenhouse emissions and water consumption.
• We are the only flooring company recognized by the Asthma and Allergy foundation.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Associate degree
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees