Procurement Specialist (Russellville, Arkansas, United States)

Entergy•Russellville, AR

42d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Supply Chain organizational model for embedding procurement specialists at a site(s) varies from business unit to business unit (e.g., Nuclear to Power Generation). The foundational Supply Chain knowledge and skills required for the position are the same regardless of business unit affiliation. The primary difference in the procurement specialist role between business units' site(s) is the additional level of operating processes, practices, standards and procedures required at nuclear sites. The Site Procurement Specialist utilizes and applies basic contracting and purchasing knowledge and experience to acquire services and materials across a business site(s). The role is the responsible Supply Chain single point of contact at the site(s) for some business customers. The specialist ensures all site(s) procurement activities are coordinated with other Supply Chain departments to generate maximum value and efficiency for Entergy. The key Supply Chain interfaces for this role are Category Management, Central Procurement Group, Central Contracting Group, Procurement Engineering, Supplier Diversity, warehousing and inventory management, and Capital Projects and Decommissioning. Other key functional interfaces for this position are Tax, Finance, Risk Management, Safety, Human Resources, Legal, and external suppliers. The key stakeholder also interfaces for the procurement specialist role within nuclear are Operations, Engineering, Maintenance, Projects and Production. The specialist plans and executes simple to moderately complex scopes of work required to source services and materials through understanding market pricing conditions, executing contracting strategies, managing the RFx processes, supporting supplier negotiations, and providing supplier management support for claims, invoice resolution, etc. The specialist will have a basic understanding of how the site(s) optimally places its demand plan into the relevant marketplace and/or by collaborating with other SC departments, such as Central Procurement Group, Category Management, warehousing and inventory management. The specialist operates with some supervision, depending on the complexity of each assignment, to ensure work inputs and outputs are completed on schedule and all processes and procedures are thoroughly executed. These duties shall be performed in a manner that ensures services and materials are obtained in the most cost effective, efficient, and strategic method with strict adherence to Entergy's policies, procedures, and core values.

Requirements

Site Procurement Specialist I: Bachelor's degree in supply chain, business, accounting, engineering, or other related discipline OR in lieu of a degree, minimum 4+ years of material purchasing, supplier contracting, vendor management, or other related supply chain experience. Any graduating Senior (through the Summer 2025 term) will be considered for this posting.
Site Procurement Specialist II: Bachelor's degree in supply chain, Business, Accounting, Engineering, or other related discipline and minimum 2+ years of combined material purchasing, supplier contracting, vendor management, or other related supply chain experience OR in lieu of a degree, minimum 6+ years of material purchasing, supplier contracting, vendor management, or other related supply chain experience
Minimum 1+ years of energy industry supply chain experience or other/equivalent experience is preferred
Site Procurement Specialist III: Bachelor's degree in supply chain, business, accounting, Engineering, or other related discipline and minimum 5+ years of combined material purchasing, supplier contracting, vendor management, or other related supply chain experience OR in lieu of a degree, minimum 8+ years of material purchasing, supplier contracting, vendor management, or other related supply chain experience
Minimum 2+ years of energy industry supply chain experience or other/equivalent experience is preferred
Site Procurement Specialist Sr.: Bachelor's degree in supply chain, Business, Accounting, Engineering, or other related discipline and minimum 9+ years of combined material purchasing, supplier contracting, vendor management, or other related supply chain experience OR in lieu of a degree, minimum 13+ years of material purchasing, supplier contracting, vendor management, or other related supply chain experience
Minimum 3+ years of energy industry supply chain experience or other/equivalent experience is preferred
Understanding of business and Supply Chain operations within Entergy; including how enterprise organizations buy and pay.
Basic application of demand planning across site(s); understanding of how to interface with other SC departments to fulfil demand requirements.
Basic application of commercial management processes (plan, strategy, source and perform), including supplier diversity, safety metrics and tools.
Basic understanding of how to build contract strategies, based on business site(s) objectives.
Ability to perform buying actions for purchase orders; understanding of the alternate buying channels and the utilization of central resources to fulfil orders.
Basic understanding in creating and applying negotiation strategies and supporting negotiations for commercial contracts, services or materials.
Basic application of pre-award and post-award contract management processes; including supplier performance management.
Basic application of the materials purchasing requirements, guidelines and procedures across the enterprise fleet (Nuclear, Power Gen., etc.).
Basic application of the end-to-end purchasing and contracting processes.
Ability to resolve simple to moderately complex invoice exceptions for purchase orders placed.
Basic practice in computer applications and source-to-settlement electronic platform/system to complete purchasing activities.
Basic understanding of relationship management between clients, other supply chain specialists, vendors and other third parties for services or materials.
Basic application of document management and control standards; including management and maintenance of filing systems (hard copy and electronic).
Basic understanding and practice in working across categories; knows when to liaise with other Supply Chain departments.
Basic knowledge and understanding of warehouse practices to include receiving, issuing and UTC assignment.
Basic knowledge and understanding of documents, drawings, technical specifications associated with material procurements.
Basic knowledge and understanding of the Corrective Action Process. (Nuclear)
Basic knowledge and understanding of the Procurement Engineering and commercial dedication process (Nuclear)
Ability to apply basic project management principles to ensure systematic and thorough completion of each assignment.
Ability to apply commercial skills and financial acumen to each assignment.
Basic application of analytical skills to understand the limitations of data, use appropriate techniques to cleanse and enrich the data; use analytical techniques to produce outputs which assist in business decision making.
Strong communications skills to utilize the appropriate method of communication, with internal and external stakeholders.
Ability to apply effective stakeholder resolution techniques to resolve conflicts while maintaining positive relationships.
Basic understanding to build strong relationships and effective networks with internal and external stakeholders; including suppliers.

Nice To Haves

Suppy Chain certification from an industry accreditation organization such as CPSM, APICS, etc.

Responsibilities

Actively promote strong safety behaviors and ensure the team always puts safety first.
Utilize key tools, programs, and proactive field visits to assure standards and behaviors.
Monitor and influence suppliers to proactively identify any safety concerns.
Perform storm role duties as assigned through the Storm Assignment Management System and/or the nuclear Emergency Response Organization.
Perform Nuclear Supply Chain Duty on Call.
Conduct business site(s) needs assessments to determine customer requirements; attend site (s) weekly plant lead team meetings where appropriate.
Perform insightful market and financial analyses to determine potential business risk associated with a supplier or contract; coordinate with Credit Risk as required.
Apply the principles and practices of commercial management (plan, strategize, source and perform).
Pre-award contract development and post-award contract administration; create and lead the RFx bid process; develop negotiation strategies, optimal pricing methodology, establish KPIs.
Process materials' RFQs. Coordinate with stakeholders to ensure all specifications, material descriptions, schedule requirements, and quality and quantity requirements are clearly defined and accurate.
Create Purchase Orders for execution and issuance, tracking of order status, and expediting when required.
Identify and evaluate new and current sources of supply, including small, local and diverse suppliers, to ensure the most competitive and advantageous offering to Entergy.
Resolve invoice mismatches for Over, Short, Damaged, or Discrepant issues, etc.
Work with Legal and Tax to ensure deviations from standard contract/purchase order language are within Entergy's legal and risk tolerance levels and are approved and documented.
Ensure Nuclear Safety Related suppliers are active and approved for use for the requested materials on the Quality Supplier List.
Ensure requested material has been reviewed by the appropriate Engineering personnel to ensure purchases will meet all applicable site and regulatory requirements.
Deliver and document savings through competitive bidding, direct negotiations, cost avoidance, etc.
Ensure all requirements for savings, diversity, document retention, bidding, contractor safety and other areas of compliance are met.
Develop and maintain relationships with stakeholders to ensure Supply Chain is addressing contractual needs pro-actively and in the most beneficial way for Entergy.
Work with stakeholders to analyze and develop company position on claims and disputes.
Establish/maintain relationships with suppliers/partners, based on the ethical business practices as set forth in the Standards of Conduct and Integrity and Entergy's Supply Chain polices.
Act as a central point of contact with stakeholders and suppliers
Maintain open communications between suppliers, stakeholders and within SC to ensure that prompt, thorough, accurate, pertinent and complete information is provided