Purchasing Associate/ Buyer - Full-time / Part-time

US - Mayfield Heights, OH (Buyer) Our client, a world leader in coatings, is currently hiring a Buyer. The Buyer will be responsible for a variety of contract administration, buying, and materials management activities to ensure flexible and fast response to internal customer needs.  They will own purchasing process for assigned sites/categories. Additional responsibilities include building and maintaining strong working relationships with internal customers and key suppliers, focusing on cost savings and total cost of ownership (TCO), ensuring requirements for delivery, quality, cost and safety, are met, and that values are maintained throughout the supply base. Manages the local relationship with assigned Regional and/or local suppliers.   Essential Responsibilities:   Purchases, negotiates and executes contracts in accordance with Supply Chain and Sourcing standards and processes. Drives suppliers to continuously improve the value they deliver to Corporation. Assesses, manages, mitigates, and avoids risk throughout the supply chain for assigned locations. Applies an in-depth knowledge of procurement and local plant operational requirements to achieve maximum benefit from supplier relationships for assigned locations. Creates purchase orders from approved requisitions and place orders with vendors.  Maintains purchase orders within SAP including all changes, revisions, and confirmations as received from suppliers and internal communications.  Creates and edits info records and purchasing master data. Stays abreast of the economic, technological, capacity and related developments within assigned locations. Develops financial forecasts for assigned categories/sites locally.  Resolves invoice discrepancies when they arise.   Updates cost standards monthly.  Reconciles and controls purchase price variances. Provides information to ensure that central supplier portfolio data base is current for all assigned categories and within assigned locations. Resolves all local quality, service, and financial issues for assigned categories within assigned locations. Participates in procurement councils and development of sourcing strategies in support of overall Global procurement initiatives. Assists in rating suppliers and handling of corrective actions for quality or delivery problems.  Requests quality certificates when missing.  Conducts vendor audits as requested by Quality. Negotiates favorable pricing/payment terms/cost reductions at assigned locations.     Qualifications:   Bachelor’s degree. 1- 3 years job related procurement experience a plus, chemical industry preferred. PC skills (Excel, Word) and the ability to create spreadsheets, pivot tables, report writing Proficiency in SAP or equivalent business system a plus. Travel Requirements:  Travels occasionally (less than 10% of time). Knowledge of and proficiency in Purchasing Processes. Proficiency in negotiation, strategic sourcing process, supplier management, business/industry/category knowledge. Familiarity with contract management, technology knowledge, supplier development, project management, quality assessment and facilitation. Why Kelly®?At Kelly Services®, we work with the best. Our clients include 95 of the Fortune 100™ companies, and more than 70,000 hiring managers rely on Kelly annually to access the best talent to drive their business forward. If you only make one career connection today, connect with Kelly. About Kelly Services® As a workforce advocate for over 70 years, we are proud to directly employ nearly 500,000 people around the world and have a role in connecting thousands more with work through our global network of talent suppliers and partners. Revenue in 2016 was $5.3 billion. Visit kellyservices.com and connect with us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Kelly Services is an equal opportunity employer including, but not limited to, Minorities, Females, Individuals with Disabilities, Protected Veterans, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and is committed to employing a diverse workforce. Equal Employment Opportunity is The Law.]]