Customer Support Specialist in Bristol, Virginia at Stuart Rush

The Strategic Sourcing Associate serves as a resource for both strategic and tactical sourcing and purchasing activity, working to execute and improve the supply chain to ensure reliable and cost-effective supply of conforming purchased parts in a timely manner to support customer requirements.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

· Plans and executes procurement actions required to obtain material at the lowest cost to meet production schedules per engineering specifications and customer requirements for assigned items, vendors, and commodities.

· Serves as an escalation and expediting resource to overcome supply chain issues.

· Analyzes and reports on market trends, commodity costs, surcharges, tariffs, supplier performance, sourcing risks and opportunities, forecasts, and supplier relations. Develops and implements plans that mitigate risks and unfavorable outcomes.

· Responsible for sourcing new and existing parts to support NPD, ECN’s, supply disruptions, dual source, cost savings, quality improvements, or other business condition changes.

· Identify, vet, and audit new suppliers to improve the supply chain network.

· Drive projects to support KPI's focused on improving cost, quality, delivery, and sales.

· Ensure supplier quality at the source, accountability for non-conforming material, completion of supplier corrective actions, and communication of process or production changes that could impact quality or delivery. Includes vendor site visits as required.

· Develops, administers, and improves supply chain processes, strategies, metrics, and reports.

· Develop strategies to achieve total value improvement, cost optimization, and overall supply base rationalization. Manage and drive year-over-year cost improvement.

· Leads and executes identification of potential suppliers, requirements of documentation, RFI and RFQs, bid and price analysis, negotiation, contract awards, stocking agreements, and supplier performance management consistent with company terms & conditions.

· Management, support, and monitoring of procurement KPI reporting systems to meet company requirements and improve sourcing/procurement processes.

· Acquires subject matter expertise in assigned vendor processes.

· Monitors tooling condition and life to proactively identify when refurbishment/replacement costs are expected and communicate in advance to allow incorporation into fiscal budgeting process.

· Perform other related duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, Competencies, and Abilities:

· A team player with excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills.

· Strong organizational skills and detailed oriented.

· Results orientation and a strong sense of urgency.

Required Qualifications:

· Bachelor's degree in Business, Procurement, Management, Supply Chain, or technical field.

· 5+ years of experience in Procurement or Strategic Sourcing are required.

· In depth understanding and experience with ERP systems.

· Demonstrated experience in driving supply chain execution and improvement.

· Willingness to travel up to 20% of the time.