Procurement Lead

Green Plains Renewable Energy, Inc. is seeking a Procurement Lead in Cedar Rapids, IA. Responsibilities include managing procurement processes, leading RFQ/RFI/RFP bids, ensuring timely communication with stakeholders, maintaining procurement documentation, mitigating risks related to deliverables, and collaborating with suppliers and project teams. The role requires strong communication skills and the ability to manage supplier performance and onboarding.
Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Procurement
• Review expected deliverables daily and identify concerns that will require action items and escalation.
• Lead the RFQ/RFI/RFP/Bidding process with suppliers either through 4castplus or through email. Ensure communication with project teams is timely to get redlines and questions on all proposals in a timely manner.
• Make recommendations on final purchase actions to management and obtain approval.
• Ensure that requisitions, purchase orders, vendor bids, receipts, invoices, tracking sheets, bid tabs, etc. are all maintained and current in the established system(s).
• Once a purchase has been approved, execute yourself or through others, the purchase process. Ensure appropriate alerts and information is reviewed regarding possible delays or issues with deliverables. Communicate often with stakeholders as to the status of open purchases.
• Determine / recommend / implement action items to mitigate risks related to delayed or incorrect deliverables. This is a critical function and will be required daily. A sense of urgency is needed for this activity.
• Follow the process for Purchase Order close-out. Including facilitation of any needed post-mortems or lessons-learned discussions with stakeholders.
• Assist with review of tariff, freight, and other add-on costs with suppliers to ensure reasonableness.
• Identify errors and facilitate the adjustment and correction of any purchase related transaction throughout the system, including 4castplus and NetSuite. Communicate with stakeholders and ensure supplier adjustments are issued.
• Ensure all delivery expectations are clearly set with suppliers (include all expectations on purchase orders,) and monitor for performance. Communicate with all stakeholders immediately if issues are anticipated.
• Facilitate weekly (or other frequency) meetings/calls with key suppliers as needed to ensure that all deliverables are being met and to anticipate any scheduling challenges. Work closely with the operations / project team to coordinate schedule changes, look-ahead delivery schedules, and logistical details for on-site deliveries.
• Ensure missing, damaged, or other deliveries are resolved, and that supplier performance is documented and communicated to Procurement Manager.
• Collaborate with Procurement Manager when the need for escalation arises related to missed deliverables, etc.
• Assist the Procurement Manager with the identification of new suppliers.
• Assist with onboarding new suppliers by setting expectations around communication, systems access, and performance criteria.
• Assist with the evaluations of supplier performance according to the established process and report findings to management with suggestions for improvements.

Communication with Other Departments, Suppliers, and other Stakeholders
• Facilitate, or participate in, weekly procurement meetings with project teams and senior management to ensure collective agreement on specifications, pricing, budgets, timelines, and actions items related to procurement of equipment and services. Track and Follow-up on action items.
• Own communication efforts with Project Coordinators related to transmittal of drawings / cut sheets / specifications. Act as the primary point contact with suppliers to ensure timely delivery of drawings and certified drawings to meet purchase order requirements. Forward all files to Project Coordinator for dissemination/review/resubmission.

Other
• On occasion visit suppliers or attend events with access to multiple suppliers for face-to-face meetings.
• Work with Director of Finance and Procurement Manager to maintain procurement standard operating procedures and policies.
• Take ownership in and engage with online courses, webinars, or read relevant periodicals. On rare occasion attend trade shows, interview suppliers, or visit supply plants/ distribution centers.

Qualifications:
• Education and Certifications
• BA or BS in Business (or related) is preferred, or 3+ years’ experience in a purchasing role with increasing responsibilities.
• Work Experience
• Construction related purchasing experience preferred.
• Some accounting or financial experience is ideal.
• ERP experience or demonstrated ability to learn new business management systems is required.
• Experience in supplier performance management and facilitating bid/RFQ processes is preferred.
• Skills and Competencies
• Customer focus – internal and external
• Continuous learner
• Solutions-oriented, Results oriented
• Effective listener
• Clear and concise written communication
• Drive to accomplish
• Maturity
• Self-awareness
• Embraces change
• Good planning skills and ability to prioritize
• Accurate
• Self-starting
• Running effective meetings and making presentations
• Fluid Quip Technologies® offers competitive pay: a generous benefit package including business casual work environment, health, dental, vision, life insurance, paid holidays, Paid Time Off (PTO) and a 401(k)-retirement plan with immediate vesting and company safe harbor matching. All potential employees of Green Plains Inc. will be required to successfully pass a pre-employment drug screening and background check prior to employment.

Green Plains and Fluid Quip do not provide immigration-related employment sponsorship for new hires (for example, H-1B, F-1 OPT, TN, or other work visas). Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis and be able to maintain ongoing work authorization without employer sponsorship now or in the future.

Equal Opportunity Employer

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Other duties may be assigned.

Company Description: Fluid Quip Technologies® (Fluid Quip) provides custom technologies and engineering services to the biofuel and biochemical industries worldwide. Fluid Quip has commercialized multiple technologies to enhance the base corn-to-ethanol dry grind process, create new and novel alternative feed products, and supply the growing need for carbohydrate feedstocks into the biochemical market. Green Plains Inc., Ospraie Management, and funds and accounts managed by BlackRock hold a majority interest in Fluid Quip.