Technical Procurement Specialist

H C DUKE & SON LLC•East Moline, IL

31d•$75,000 - $85,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Technical Procurement Specialist supports the Engineering, Supply Chain, and Operations teams by coordinating supplier communication, sourcing activities, component documentation, and procurement-related technical follow-up. This role helps ensure that purchased components meet drawing, quality, cost, delivery, and compliance expectations by working closely with engineers, buyers, quality personnel, and supplier representatives. Rather than serving as a transactional purchasing role, this position focuses on technical procurement support, including RFQ coordination, supplier documentation, cost-saving opportunities, prototype and production part follow-up, and escalation of supplier issues to the appropriate internal teams. The Technical Procurement Specialist plays an important role in improving supplier performance, supporting continuity of supply, and helping transition engineered components from development into production.

Requirements

Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, specifications, and bills of material (BOMs).
Familiarity with geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) concepts preferred
Exceptional communication skills, with the proven ability to speak the "language" of design engineers, quality teams, and technical supplier manufacturers.
Experience utilizing ERP/MRP systems to track component data, as well as proficiency in Microsoft Excel for data analysis and cost benchmarking.
Ability to manage multiple procurement projects simultaneously, aligning supplier timelines with strict R&D or production launch deadlines.
Working knowledge of component-level regulatory and certification requirements, including interpretation of supplier compliance documentation such as Certificates of Conformance (CoC), REACH, and RoHS declarations.
Minimum 3-5 years of experience in purchasing, procurement, supply chain, inventory control, or related field.
Cost Consciousness- Naturally identifies opportunities to eliminate waste and reduce costs within a design without compromising part performance or quality.
Collaborative Relationship Management- Builds strong, trust-based partnerships with internal design engineers and external supplier engineering teams.
Precision and Detail Orientation- Maintains accuracy regarding component specifications, supplier documentation, sourcing records, and first-article validation requirements.
Proactive Problem Solving- Anticipates technical supply chain risks (e.g., single-source constraints, material obsolescence) and develops mitigation plans in collaboration with Engineering, Quality, and Supply Chain teams.

Nice To Haves

SAP experience is a plus.
Associate degree in Business, Supply Chain, Operations, Manufacturing Technology, or related field preferred.
Equivalent manufacturing, purchasing, or procurement experience may be considered in lieu of formal education.
Exposure to core manufacturing processes such as machining, fabrication, or electrical assembly preferred.

Responsibilities

Support Engineering, Supply Chain, and Operations by coordinating sourcing activities for prototype, custom, and production components.
Review drawings, specifications, bills of material, and supplier documentation to help ensure purchasing requirements are clearly understood before RFQs or orders are issued.
Coordinate the Request for Quote process for custom or technical components, including gathering supplier input, tracking responses, comparing cost and lead-time information, and escalating technical questions to Engineering as needed.
Assist in identifying and qualifying potential suppliers based on manufacturing capability, quality expectations, cost competitiveness, lead time, and ability to support production requirements.
Track prototype parts, first article samples, supplier documentation, and open sourcing actions to support new product development, engineering changes, and production readiness.
Support cost-reduction efforts through alternate supplier identification, component standardization, dual-source opportunities, and supplier quote comparisons while maintaining required quality and compliance expectations.
Serve as a technical procurement contact between Engineering, Supply Chain, Operations, Quality, and suppliers to help ensure supplier information, documentation, and sourcing status are communicated clearly.
Work with suppliers and internal teams to follow up on component issues, material deviations, nonconformances, warranty concerns, or production-line quality issues.
Track supplier-related quality trends, field issues, warranty claims, and production concerns to support timely follow-up, corrective action requests, and escalation to Engineering or Quality when required.
Support collection and review of supplier compliance documentation, including Certificates of Conformance, REACH, RoHS, UL, NSF, and other required certification or regulatory documents.
Maintain accurate procurement-related records in applicable systems, including supplier quotes, part status, documentation, cost-saving opportunities, and sourcing follow-up actions.