Strategic Purchaser - Steel at Epiroc

• The Strategic Purchaser role reports into the Procurement and Stores Manager, with offices based in Johannesburg South. The Strategic Purchaser for Steel is responsible for sourcing 30 000 Tons of steel per annum as well as supplier management, negotiations and contracts related to steel sourcing. The responsibility will include all purchasing activities and decisions that are driven by current raw material, WIP and finished goods levels, sales forecasts and with consideration of prevailing economic and market conditions. The role may be expanded to include other component categories into the scope of responsibility.
• The Strategic Purchaser should be a specialist in the steel industry and will be responsible for driving the continuous improvement of this purchasing category within the Ground Support Procurement portfolio, including vendor development and implementing strategic and opportunistic cost saving initiatives. The Strategic Purchaser will identify and lead initiatives to improve vendor relationships, vendor KPI performance, as well as availability improvement; by working in close collaboration with vendors and the Production teams alike. The role requires advanced forecasting and planning skills to ensure steel is supplied to the production facilities at a rate that meets current demand, taking into consideration sourcing lead-times. A blend of Strategic Purchasing experience, Vendor Management, Inventory Management, and a high-level experience with price metric mechanisms is also required. The successful candidate will enjoy a dynamic and empowering work environment that provides opportunity for personal development and access to a global career path within the Epiroc group.

Responsibilities of the role:

• Co-ordinate and plan Monthly and ad-hoc Steel Procurement cycles as well as stock-counts.
• Analyse stock levels of raw materials and finished goods as well as production and sales plans to inform the purchasing plan and delivery schedule.
• Develop and report on purchasing forecasts, delivery plans and quarterly budgets.
• Coordinate the purchasing activities of operational purchasers.
• Manage the relationships between suppliers and the internal Epiroc organisation.
• Manage and maintain supplier Service Level Agreements in accordance with Epiroc requirements.
• Manage volumetric and export rebates.
• Field and manage quality complaints.
• Managing landed cost factors, including duties.
• Mittal SPE.
• Price monitoring and forecasting, using indices to manage prices.
• Mittal SME Reports.
• Understand and navigate Arcelor Mittal internal processes and maintenance schedules.
• Manage Steel imports processes.
• Research and understanding of prevailing economic and market condition trends.
• Professional liaison with customers as well as steel suppliers.
• Management of Scrap Steel recovery (Manage agreements and sales with scrap dealers).
• Prepare Steel price schedule when applicable.
• Cost saving through sourcing of alternative material, reducing delivery charges, scrap and optimize coil width.
• Advising the internal organisation on steel grades, specifications, applications.
• Expediting orders and deliveries.
• Drive supplier performance improvement initiatives as well as conduct supplier audits.
• Identify, verify and on-board new suppliers or steel sources.
• Collect procurement related data metrics and generate monthly performance reports.
• Maintain the ERP system master data.

Requirements for success:

• Minimum Bachelor’s degree or Diploma in Supply Chain, Procurement, or similar field. Alternatively, able to demonstrate the required level of competence through experience.
• Understanding of various steel grades and pricing drivers.
• Understanding of production processes related to flat steel and round bars.
• Commercial experience – Supply agreements and contracts.
• Pricing mechanisms and indices experience
• Ability to problem solve and self-teach new skills and knowledge needed to advance your work. An aptitude and willingness to learn and develop through both self-study and formal training.
• Able to demonstrate a history of competence and achievement in the Procurement or Supply Chain field.
• Professional written and verbal communication.
• Ability to work in a high-paced environment and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams.
• Meticulous and detail focused – able to manage processes with high error costs.
• Able to self-manage, self-prioritise and action accordingly.

Skills developed through the role:

• Experience as a Procurement Specialist.
• Understanding of various Procurement Policies and processes.
• Advanced vendor management experience.
• Advanced inventory management experience.
• Advanced Sourcing and Negotiation experience.

Advantageous Experience

• Experience with Syspro.
• Steel processing experience – slitting, cut to length
• Tube Mill Manufacturing.
• Experience in a steel manufacturing environment.
• Experience in dealing with Arcelor Mittal and International steel Mills.