Procurement Operations Specialist

Padagis•Minneapolis, MN

About The Position

The Procurement Operations Specialist is responsible for supporting the procurement process, vendor management, master data and related administrative functions. This role ensures the smooth operation of purchasing activities, maintains accurate records, and collaborates with internal teams to resolve issues, drive process improvements, and support automation initiatives across procurement functions.

Requirements

Six or more (6+) years of experience in procurement, supply chain, or administrative support
High School diploma or equivalency
Strong organizational and record-keeping skills
Proficiency with spreadsheets and procurement systems
Experience supporting or implementing automation projects
Excellent communication and problem-solving abilities
Attention to detail and ability to manage multiple priorities

Responsibilities

Monitor Automated Procurement Processes: Oversee automated purchase order (PO) management systems to ensure smooth operation, accuracy, and compliance with company policies.
Exception Handling & Issue Resolution: Investigate and resolve PO issues, discrepancies, and exceptions that automation cannot address, including urgent requests, supplier changes, and data mismatches.
Automation Maintenance & Continuous Improvement: Regularly review and test automated workflows, identifying and correcting errors or breakdowns. Collaborate with IT and process owners to update automation rules and ensure alignment with evolving business needs.
Risk & Compliance Management: Interpret and address complex compliance or risk scenarios flagged by automated systems, ensuring actions align with company values and regulatory requirements.
Error Detection & Correction: Identify and correct errors that may be amplified by automation, preventing negative impacts on suppliers, financials, or compliance.
Change Management: Support process changes, system upgrades, and continuous improvement initiatives to enhance the effectiveness and reliability of procurement automation.
Vendor Management: Manage vendor requests for indirect, direct, and intercompany procurement, maintains accurate and compliant vendor records and communicates with vendors to address order status discrepancies. Identify and support automated vendor onboarding and management processes, intervenes to resolve exceptions and drive continuous improvement.
Accounts Payable (AP) Support: Tracks and logs accounts payable discrepancies to ensure timely resolution, processes invoices and invoice approval forms, including all coding for GTC invoices and supports invoice reconciliation and resolution. This role also monitors and improves automation in accounts payable workflows, proactively identifying and addressing issues as they arise to enhance efficiency and accuracy.
Reporting & Data Management: Maintains and safeguards master data to ensure alignment with companywide objectives for compliance, operational excellence, and strategic decision-making. This role also manages intercompany shipping trackers to support coordination across Global Trade, Customer Service, and Padagis Israel, provides support for material statement inquiries and confirmation reports, and is responsible for leading and supporting data cleansing projects to improve data quality and integrity.
Process Improvement & Documentation: Responsible for driving process improvement initiatives and maintaining documentation to support operational excellence. This includes developing and updating standard operating procedures and work instructions, ensuring that all procurement processes are clearly defined and consistently followed. The role involves maintaining and updating information records, participating in change control activities, and tracking issues to facilitate effective resolution. Additionally, the specialist supports master data cleansing initiatives, collaborates with cross-functional teams to identify opportunities for efficiency gains, and implements best practices to enhance the reliability and effectiveness of procurement operations.