Procurement Specialist – Strategic Sourcing at Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)

About the job:

The CSIR has three (3) vacancies for Procurement Specialists – Strategic Sourcing in the Strategic Procurement Services portfolio. The successful incumbent will be responsible for establishing and maintaining of commodity specific procurement activities.  Responsible for managing specific supplier contracts impacting on organizational day to day procurement activities, ensuring that contracts are in line with organizational interests. To assist the Strategic Sourcing Manager in developing strategic and operational plans.  Sourcing of goods and services in line with an identified sourcing strategy that ensures efficient delivery to stakeholders.  Compiling a Sourcing Strategy.  This position is based in Pretoria.

Key responsibilities:

• Collect and analyze spend analysis for specific commodity.
• Review and manage existing supplier relationships.
• Document and assess internal stakeholders’ business and sourcing objectives.
• Collect and analysis market intelligence.
• Determine the total value of identified commodities and report accordingly to management.
• Determine opportunities for cost savings in the organisation relating to specified commodities.
• Source suppliers that meet the CSIR procurement criteria.
• Manage procurement transactional services ensuring reduction in purchase order cycle times and tracking supplier performance against targets.
• Manage selected contracts for identified commodity with external suppliers.
• Assess and implement automation of processes to improve service delivery.
• Liaising with internal customers and external suppliers in a professional and efficient manner.
• Implement expediting on orders to monitor quality, on time deliveries, preferential procurement and savings for identified commodity.
• Ensure effective and timely response to user calls related to orders and deliveries.
• Ensure Procurement unit’s compliance with CSIR policies, procedures and IT standards focusing on standardisation of processes.
• Ensure compliance to CSIR’s B-BBEE policy and programme.
• Keep abreast of business systems and new developments.
• Manage procurement activities for identified commodity and ensure that purchasing activities are provided in a fair, equitable, transparent, cost effective, efficient and effective manner.
• Assisting Strategic Sourcing Manager in developing of procurement policies, procedures, processes.
• Build strategic, professional and ethical relationships with internal clients and CSIR suppliers.
• Ensure strategic sourcing activities are aligned to the organisation’s strategic interest.
• Create cost savings opportunities from bulk buying, proper contract management, pooling of efforts and economies of scale.
• Accurate and timeous reporting of relevant management information to Strategic Sourcing Manager.
• Explore global sourcing opportunities.
• Create a sourcing strategy.

Qualifications, skills and experience:

• A Bachelor`s Degree or equivalent three Year Purchasing Qualification
• At least five (5) years’ experience in Purchasing Environment

Knowledge, skills and abilities:

• Supplier evaluation
• Sourcing, buying, and negotiations skills.
• Contract Management Skills
• E- procurement knowledge (advantageous)
• High degree of accuracy needed
• High degree of problem-solving ability
• Planning and organizing skills
• Ability to manage time in relation to workload
• Excellent communication skills
• Strong customer services focus
• Driver’s License
• Interpersonal skills
• Attention to detail

Closing date: 17 July 2023