Purchasing Agent: 1st shift; Monday-Friday 7:00am-3:30pm

Skills•Auburn, WA

15h

About The Position

Skills Inc. is seeking an experienced Purchasing Agent to perform activities associated with procuring goods and services, including raw materials, parts, outside processing, equipment, tools, and supplies. Skills Inc. is a fully integrated, self-funded nonprofit and aerospace supplier with a social mission to train, employ, and serve people with disabilities and the community. The role works with vendors and internal departments to obtain pricing and delivery information, place and track purchase orders, maintain procurement records, evaluate vendor performance, and help resolve purchasing, receiving, and billing issues. The position may involve travel between facilities and visits to local vendors. The schedule is 1st shift, Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with overtime as needed. Access to certain sensitive defense-related information and materials is restricted under ITAR to U.S. Persons as defined by law. The role may require access to confidential employee, supplier, customer, and business information. The work environment includes indoor manufacturing areas and moderate noise. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Requirements

High school education or GED; alternatively, a one-year certificate from a college or technical school in purchasing/procurement, engineering, materials and methods, manufacturing technology, or business, plus three years of experience in purchasing aerospace manufacturing; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Ability to read, write, communicate, and/or follow written and verbal instructions in English through voice, American Sign Language, or adaptive technology.
Ability to travel within the Puget Sound Region.
Must meet the ITAR definition of a U.S. Person to access, view, or share covered sensitive defense and military-related information and material.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge or experience working in an inclusive work environment, particularly with people with disabilities.
Advanced computer literacy in a Windows environment, including MS Office.
Familiarity with an MRP (Material Requirements Planning) system.
Knowledge of and ability to apply basic mathematical skills in the work environment.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
Ability to work with teams in a positive, cooperative, and assertive manner.
Good organizational skills and attention to detail.

Responsibilities

Place purchase orders with vendors in a timely manner based on the MRP system or purchase requisitions.
Communicate with vendors to obtain prices, availability, lead times, and delivery schedules.
Communicate with employees submitting purchase requisitions to resolve issues.
Follow up on purchase orders to ensure timely delivery in support of demand.
Maintain accurate procurement records, including RFQs, bids, vendor communications, purchase orders, and purchase returns.
Coordinate purchasing activities with all departments.
Research and recommend potential new vendors and identify their capabilities.
Assist with expediting parts and services as needed.
Monitor vendor performance for on-time delivery, quality, and responsiveness.
Visit local vendors for on-site audits or capacity and capability reviews.
Assist in initiating corrective actions for poor vendor performance.
Help resolve receiving or billing issues.
Commute between facilities as needed to address purchasing issues.
Follow prescribed work rules and standard safety regulations.
Work overtime as needed to meet job expectations.
Maintain the confidentiality of information and documentation accessed through the role.