Procurement Specialist/Sr. Procurement Specialist

Career Opportunity

Sappi North America, headquartered in Boston, is a subsidiary of Sappi Limited (JSE), a global company headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, with more than 13,000 employees and manufacturing operations on three continents in seven countries and customers in over 100 countries around the world.  We are a leading global provider of sustainable woodfiber products and solutions. The success of our four diversified businesses – high quality Coated Printing Papers, Specialised Cellulose, Release Papers and Specialty Packaging – is driven by strong customer relationships, best-in-class people and advantaged assets, products and services. Our high quality Coated Printing Papers, including McCoy, Opus, Somerset and Flo, are the key platform for premium magazines, catalogs, books and high-end print advertising. We are a leading manufacturer of Specialised Cellulose used in a wide range of products, including textile fibers and household goods, and one of the world's leading suppliers of Release Papers with our Ultracast and Classics lines for the automotive, fashion and engineered films industries. Our Specialty Packaging products, such as LusterPrint and LusterCote, represent an important asset in the food packaging and labelling industries. Customers rely on Sappi for high technical, operational and market expertise; products and services delivered with consistently high quality and reliability; and, state-of-the-art and cost-competitive assets and innovative spirit.  

Position (job title):  Procurement Specialist/Sr. Procurement Specialist 

Department:  Procurement 

Work Site:  SSC South Portland 

Join a dynamic global renewable resource company that uses every part of the tree to make every day more sustainable.  Sappi is set on a course of evolutionary change, dedicated to moving the world forward with our high-quality packaging, speciality and graphic papers, pulp and biomaterials.  

Sappi North America is seeking a talented and motivated individual to become part of its agile procurement team and the future of Sappi.  A Procurement Specialist/Sr. Procurement Specialist supports the execution of sourcing strategies and supply agreements aimed at significantly reducing category spend totals while securing supply and minimizing risk for Sappi. 

Essential Position Responsibilities:

• Assist Commodity Managers to develop comprehensive and professional sourcing plans and to complete internal data discovery, scope and specification development, market due diligence, competitive intelligence, RFIs and RFPs
• Collect and evaluate RFIs and RFPs (as appropriate) using best in class sourcing tools, techniques and business practices
• Negotiate complex agreements, statements of work, and service level agreements with manufacturers, distributors, and service providers, either singly or as part of a team
• Facilitate Sappi’s internal process for approval, execution and lifecycle management of agreements
• Lead implementation and rollout of negotiated agreements to ensure full utilization and supplier compliance with negotiated terms
• Identify opportunities for continuous improvement through structural cost reduction and performance improvement, involving suppliers, as required
• Assist Commodity Managers in developing compelling business case/analysis to drive meaningful change in process, supplier or material as appropriate to meet sourcing/strategic objectives
• Measure supplier performance against key business objectives. Participate in formal supplier business reviews, including but not limited to supplier evaluations, supplier audits and other related activities
• Analyze commodity spend data and define spend subgroups
• Establishes and builds upon relationships with suppliers and internal stakeholders to increase competitive bidding and bring value to the organization
• Promote and support Sappi’s sustainability initiatives in procurement including forestry certification, adherence to Sappi’s Supplier Code of Conduct and working with suppliers to meet Science Based Targets (SBTi) initiatives
• Uphold the highest standards of trust, integrity and fairness consistent with Sappi’s Code of Ethics
   

Skills: 

• Ability to articulate a broad vision or strategy into actionable tasks
• Knowledge of and ability to utilize various sourcing techniques to achieve stated goals
• Understanding of economic principles and current state of the economy
• Creativity in thinking and problem solving
• Ability to communicate and work cross-functionality across all levels of an organization 
• Consulting, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills, including supplier relationship management experience
• Ability to multi-task effectively while dealing with changing priorities
• Self starter with ability to prioritize and complete assignments in a timely manner with minimum supervision
• Skilled in the use of Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint 
• Experience with ERP Systems such as SAP is considered a plus

Salary is determined by a number of factors including the value of the job to the organization, market forces, internal equity and skills brought to the job.

HR Contact for Questions:  Bethany M Kurlanska 

Contact Information:  207-857-1008 , Bethany.Kurlanska@sappi.com 

Sappi provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Sappi complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.