Sr. Specialist, Procurement

Acron Aviation•Grand Rapids, MI

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Acron Aviation is seeking a Procurement Specialist for its Avionics Business Unit in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The role is onsite during first-shift hours and plans and procures direct materials to support aerospace manufacturing operations. It manages end-to-end purchasing, including MRP-driven purchase order execution and changes, supplier performance, inventory optimization, cost containment, and data analytics, with the goal of ensuring materials arrive on time and meet quality and technical specifications. The position works closely with suppliers and internal Operations, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, and Program Management teams. It supports production and new programs, resolves supply constraints, maintains procurement data and workflows, and contributes to supplier development, cost reduction, and inventory planning. The role also supports continuous improvement and operational excellence through procurement standard work, problem solving, and participation in kaizen events.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Operations, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
At least 6 years of purchasing experience in aerospace or another complex, regulated manufacturing environment.
Expert-level SAP experience; SAP MM is required, while PP and MRP experience are strongly preferred.
Strong working knowledge of MRP, BOM structures, material master data, and procurement workflows.
Experience managing direct material suppliers; experience with metals, composites, electronics, machined parts, and assemblies is described as ideal.
Demonstrated cost-reduction, negotiation, and contract-management skills.
Strong analytical skills and fluency with Excel, including VLOOKUPs, pivot tables, and Power Query, Power BI, and/or similar tools.
Excellent communication, collaboration, and problem-solving abilities.
Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, deadline-driven manufacturing environment.

Nice To Haves

Experience in aerospace organizations.
Knowledge of quality and regulatory requirements such as AS9100, ITAR, DFARS, NADCAP, and FAA requirements.
Familiarity with risk management, supplier scorecards, Should Cost analysis, and Lean/Six Sigma principles.
Experience handling complex commodities, long supply-chain lead times, and highly engineered components.
Project management certification or equivalent, such as PMP, Lean Practitioner, CPIM, or CSCP.
Advanced SAP reporting capabilities, such as SAP BW or SAP Analytics Cloud.
PP and MRP experience.

Responsibilities

Execute purchase orders for direct materials based on MRP signals, forecasts, and production requirements; manage ERP action and exception messages.
Identify shortages, expedite materials when necessary, and adjust orders as schedules change to maintain supply continuity.
Maintain accurate SAP material master data, purchasing info records, and vendor data.
Manage supplier communications and drive on-time delivery, corrective actions, and performance reviews.
Participate in supplier selection, qualification, SAP setup, and supplier development with Quality and Supply Chain leadership.
Resolve supply chain constraints with suppliers and internal teams.
Identify and execute cost-reduction initiatives, including negotiating pricing, payment terms, and long-term agreements.
Monitor and report Purchase Price Variance (PPV) and drive root-cause corrective actions.
Support annual budgeting and standard cost updates using SAP and analytics.
Manage inventory levels to balance availability and efficiency, reduce Days of Supply, and prevent shortages.
Work with planning teams to refine safety stock, lead times, and order quantities.
Use SAP, Excel, Power BI, and other analytics tools to create reports, dashboards, and insights on material planning, supplier performance, and cost metrics.
Use data to forecast supply risk, develop scenario models, and improve decision making.
Partner with Operations, Engineering, Quality, and Program Management on material requirements for production and new programs.
Support Engineering Change Orders, material transitions, and end-of-life planning.
Participate in internal and external procurement and supply chain audits.
Follow and improve procurement standard work.
Lead or participate in kaizen events to reduce transactional procurement waste, improve lead time and quality, and increase plan reliability.