Purchasing Specialist

Position Title: Purchasing SpecialistWork Location: Waukegan Road, North Chicago, IL 60064Assignment Duration: 12 monthsWork Arrangement: Hybrid (Onsite: T, W, Th | Remote: M, F)Schedule: 1st Shift (Mon–Fri). No overtime. No travel. Position OverviewThis is a new position within the Indirect Procurement organization focused on Facilities Management services. The role supports the Procurement Category Associate Director by executing and managing category strategies at a transactional level. The primary objective is to lead the standardization and organization of contracting activities, ensuring all agreements are properly documented, renewed, and executed without lapses. Key ResponsibilitiesContracting & Sourcing Execution: Focus heavily on contracting for Facilities Management (Soft services: janitorial, landscaping; Hard services: HVAC, electrical, fire/life safety).Roadmap Management: Gather existing contracts, build a roadmap for renewals/renegotiations, and manage a volume of approximately 300+ contracts per year.Supplier Management: Help requestors navigate approved buying channels and enforce the preferred supplier network.Negotiation & Review: Effectively review and negotiate Master Service Agreements (MSAs), Statements of Work (SOWs), and other agreements within approved financial spend levels ($30K to $10M+).Administrative Support: Provide redlining support, bid summary justifications, and data analysis for procurement projects.Process Efficiency: Assist in executing projects to improve the customer experience within the Procure-to-Pay process.Stakeholder Collaboration: Work closely with Legal, business partners, and suppliers to manage intake requests within established service level metrics. Qualifications & RequirementsEducation & ExperienceEducation: Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Supply Chain, or a related field is preferred. Strong relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.Experience: 5+ years of experience in Procurement, Purchasing, or Negotiations.Domain Expertise: Strong experience in Facilities Procurement / Facilities Management services is highly preferred.Industry: Pharma experience is a plus, but candidates from similar environments (e.g., food industry) are encouraged to apply.Technical Skills:Contract Management: Proficiency in contract redlining, reviewing MSAs/SOWs, and execution.Software: Strong proficiency in MS Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook).ERP/Tools: Experience with SAP is helpful. Coupa experience (Sourcing/Contracting) is highly desirable as the team migrates to this platform.Soft SkillsProactive Mindset: A self-starter who brings ideas and takes initiative rather than waiting for step-by-step direction.Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills for stakeholder management.Organization: Ability to prioritize and coordinate multiple cross-divisional work processes and projects.Analytical Acumen: Strong financial acumen for cost analysis and savings identification. Additional InformationWork Environment: An open seating setup requiring a mix of independent work and team collaboration.Role Nature: This is a tactical execution and negotiation role. It is not a strategy-only or paralegal-only position; it requires a "procurement mindset."Support: While the individual is expected to be autonomous, support and escalation points are available through the Category Manager.Project Context: The role is driven by the need to support strategic projects by handling high-volume tactical contracting and "cleaning up" existing contract data.