Buyer – Digital

About Us

Founded in 1917, John Crane is a global leader in the design, manufacturing, and engineering of mission critical flow control solutions for increased efficiency, emission reductions and energy transformation. Our products include mechanical seals and systems, couplings, bearings, filtration systems and predictive digital monitoring technologies. John Crane customer service is accessed through a global network of more than 200 global sites in over 50 countries employing more than 6,000 employees worldwide. We partner with our customers and help them meet the latest environmental standards and keep their operations safe and controlled.

John Crane is part of Smiths Group, For over 170 years, Smiths has been improving our world through smarter engineering. Our technology benefits millions of people every day making travel safer, supporting sustainable energy transition, efficiently heating, cooling our homes, and helping our world stay connected.

Connect with us on LinkedIn: John Crane: LinkedIn

Job Description

Ensure best value and efficient purchasing of goods and subcontract services for the business in a defined scope of support in line with Smiths Group PLC Code of Conduct and John Crane P2P policy, ensuring that a professional and consistent approach is taken in relation to all supplier relationships.

This role in support of John Crane Digital will have global responsibility for managing and developing the supply base as well as hands on accountability for effective and efficient transactional procurement through adherence to Standard Workm whilst driving positive commercial impact.

The ideal candidate will have analytical skills, a process-driven approach, excellent communication and relationship management skills, and the ability to negotiate effectively with suppliers.

Responsibilities -

Adhere to daily Standard Work for purchasing team members:

• Create, modify, update, and manage the acknowledgment of Purchase Orders (POs) from Requisition to Delivery for Direct materials and relevant subcontract services
• Ensure PO acknowledgements from suppliers are complete and relevant data always updated in ERP system
• Manage the return of defective items to suppliers and implement any associated PO management activities (eg management of Return POs)
• Approve and release POs according with designated approval levels in the DoA
• Resolve MRP Exception messages on a daily basis
• Ensure PO creation and management is aligned to any global contract that is in place
• Resolve invoice holds

Drive positive commercial impact:

• Conduct complex RFQ exercises with the supply market to identify and select best source of supply for specific items or subcontract services in line with competitive bidding policies.
• Conduct structured price negotiations with Suppliers using benchmarking and other techniques to ensure best value for JC
• Work with the supply market and internal customers to optimize lead times and inventory for JC in line with agreed targets
• Build collaborative relationships with internal customers and team members

Effective Supplier Management

• Liaise with suppliers to expedite delivery where required to meet business needs
• Manage specific supplier relationships as directed
• Act as the point of contact/liaison between suppliers and stakeholder functions where required
• Track and manage supplier performance to meet established targets and contractual requirements
• Develop contractual arrangements with suppliers where required
• Coordinate the onboarding and registration of new suppliers

Data Management

• Ensure new pricing and supplier data is updated in ERP systems consistently, accurately, and regularly.

Skills & Experience -

• PR to PO Turnaround
• Purchase order ageing
• MRP exception msg status
• Purchase order acknowledgements obtained
• PPV
• VMI availability
• Invoice hold value
• Spend under Pull Replenishment
• Supplier OTD
• Lead time accuracy
• Supplier count
• Cost avoidance
• Able to read and understand technical specifications
• Analytical skills - Good knowledge of Microsoft programs, Power BI data extraction and analysis including Excel look ups and pivot tables
• Process-driven approach and systems thinking
• Ability to solve problems and make improvements to process independently and in a structured way (e.g. A3), able to use data to inform decisions
• Excellent communication and relationship management skills
• Ability to negotiate effectively with suppliers
• Ability to project a positive and professional image on behalf of the organization, always promoting ethical procurement

We believe that different perspectives and backgrounds are what make a company flourish. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, economic status, disability, age, or any other legally protected characteristics. We are proud to be an inclusive company with values grounded in equality and ethics, where we celebrate, support, and embrace diversity.

At no time during the hiring process will John Crane, Smiths Group nor any of our recruitment partners ever request payment to enable participation including, but not limited to, interviews or testing. Avoid fraudulent requests by applying jobs directly through our career's website (Careers John Crane)