Senior Buyer/Procurement Analyst

Louis Dreyfus Company is a leading merchant and processor of agricultural goods. Our activities span the entire value chain from farm to fork, across a broad range of business lines, we leverage our global reach and extensive asset network to serve our customers and consumers around the world. Structured as a matrix organization of six geographical regions and ten platforms, Louis Dreyfus Company is active in over 100 countries and employs approximately 15,000 people globally.

Primary Responsibilities/Essential Functions

This role has greater responsibility and accountability than a Buyer and includes relationship management and training responsibilities. The job holder may take responsibility for a specific project or hold a larger remit in terms of purchasing responsibility.

 General and Task Management

• Purchase goods, materials, components or services in line with specified cost, quality and delivery targets
• Ensure continuous supply of required goods and materials and communicate any supply problems which may pose a risk or impact on business operations
• Monitor market trends, competitor strategies and market suppliers
• Research and evaluate areas of opportunity and reduce costs where possible
• Deliver briefs, updates and reports as and when required
• Develop creative and innovative procurement processes
• Develop ideas and strategies to improve operational efficiency, add value, aid business performance and work towards a strategy of continuous improvement
• Negotiate contracts, improved prices and terms of business with suppliers and review opportunities to make business savings utilizing negotiation and procurement best practice tools and methods
• Assess and evaluate suppliers and undertake performance reviews to ensure contract compliance and manage performance improvement activities

• Ensure that a professional and consistent approach is taken in relation to all supplier relationships
• Explore alternate sources for goods and materials
• Assess tenders and quotations from potential suppliers
• Prepare purchase orders in line with final negotiations with selected suppliers and in line with organizational targets and requirements
• Undertake research on and evaluate existing and new suppliers
• Contact suppliers to resolve price, quality, delivery or invoice issues

• Oversee procurement strategy and increasing spend under management
• Work with business units to support centralized direct and/or indirect sourcing and procurement efforts
• Working with internal stakeholders from initial need identification to final goods or services delivery to meet stakeholder needs.
• Manage short, mid and long term goals and objectives related to sourcing and Supplier management.
• Identify and capture cost-savings and cost-reduction opportunities
• Lead and train Procurement team in (and across) sourcing, contracting, transactional purchasing, supplier management, and miscellaneous internal procurement support activities.
• Utilize Bill of Materials, Prints, Specs, timing and volumes provided by LDC stakeholders to select Supplier and prepare Request for Quote (RFQ)
• Obtain and analyze quotes and make recommendations for best sourcing selection
• Upon sourcing decision, ensure all LDC policies are followed and appropriate contract documents are used.
• Maintain and review order policies and parameters (min. order qty’s/days supply/lead time).
• Daily review of open order status to assure alignment with Suppliers on executing delivery to purchase order requirements.
• Timely resolution of all exceptions from suppliers with pricing, qty or requested due dates.
• Maintain pricing and balance due requirements with Suppliers to avoid invoicing and material requirements disagreements that create problems.
• Maintain the optimum inventory levels. Review of excess and obsolete material and execute RGA’s to return excess where possible.
• Resolve all open backorders and/or discrepancy issues within their assigned commodities.
• Assist the requisitioning department in resolving problems and work with the supplier to expedite material to support production as needed.
• Communicate production schedule changes, future needs, and obsolescence warnings to the appropriate suppliers.
• Work with Suppliers to obtain best terms: pricing, order policies, delivery methods
• Develop strong and healthy relationship with Suppliers that ensure 3 primary performance metrics are achieved. On-time delivery, Part Quality, Cost optimization.
• Backup and perform additional duties, as assigned.
• Coordinate with facilities served by LDC purchasing team to support procurement planning, continuous improvement, and relationship management
• Keep HoPNA informed of issues and seek guidance/ HoPNA involvement as required.
• Ensure compliance with sourcing policies and procedures, ethical practices, and adherence to relevant laws and regulations.

Relationship Management

• Mentor and coach the Buyers to enhance their skills and professional development
• Work collaboratively, negotiate and engage with stakeholders and suppliers regarding new projects, supplies and initiatives and advise of impact of change on purchasing and production activities
• Stay current and up to date on any changes that may affect the supply and demand of needed products and materials and advise others of any impact
• Attend meetings and update others on issues or concerns, in particular when there is a risk which could prevent the delays to internal customers or where there are over capacity concerns
• Support product change requests and review and communicate the impact on capacity plans
• Build, maintain and manage supplier relationships and ensure good communications

Company Conformance Statements

In the performance of their respective tasks and duties all employees are expected to conform to the following:

• Perform quality work within deadlines with or without direct supervision.
• Interact professionally with co-workers, Company business associates and the general public.
• Work together in a cooperative spirit to serve the best interests of the Company.
• Operate in a fully responsible manner and comply with the law and Company policy.

Education/Professional Certifications/Licenses

Basic qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, Engineering, Supply Chain, or other applicable field. 

Preferred qualifications:

• CPM or other Procurement/ Supply Chain certification a plus

Experience

Basic qualifications:

• Minimum 5 years Strategic Sourcing/ Purchase-to-Pay (P2P)  experience in industrial/ processing environment
• Experience with wide range of direct and indirect goods and services (MRO, Industrial Supply, Packaging, Professional Services, Fuels, Process Chemicals/ Consumables)

The following are the preferred qualifications:

• Experience as a Category Manager, Commodity Manager, Sourcing Specialist or other related position
• Experience employing multi-step sourcing process
• Experience using eProcurement/ eRFx tools, preferably SAP/Ariba)
• Experience working directly with procurement support of an industrial asset.
• Experience with standard practices, legal requirements and international purchasing terms and conditions
• Working knowledge/ use of continuous improvement methodology (LEAN/ Six Sigma/ DNA) 

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities (including any physical demands)

Basic qualifications:

• Customer Focus – Is dedicated to meeting the expectations on internal and external customers, gains trust and respect
• Innovative thinker willing to ask tough questions and challenge status quo with diplomacy to find new ways to accomplish challenging task
• Negotiation – Can negotiate skillfully in tough situations with both internal and external groups.  Gain trust quickly.  Can be direct as well as diplomatic.
• Conflict Management – Can find common ground and get cooperation with minimum noise
• Interpersonal Savvy – Builds constructive and effective relationships, can diffuse even high-tension situations comfortably
• Organizing – Can rationalize resources to get things done.  Uses resources effectively and efficiently.
• Organizational Agility – Knows how to get things done through formal channels and informal networks
• Planning – Accurately scopes out length and difficulty of tasks and projects, measures performance against goals

Equipment Used

• Typical office equipment: PC, telephone, fax machine.

Working Conditions

• Periodic travel (less than 10%) to industrial operations areas are necessary with exposure to variety of temperatures and prevailing weather conditions.  Occasional exposure to gases, vapors, dust and odors.  Occasional exposure to areas with wet floors and high volume of noise.  Some stair climbing is required.  Extensions of regular working hours are occasionally necessary to complete time-sensitive projects or to respond to emergencies. 

Decision Making/Accountability

Is accountable for making decisions regarding the daily purchasing and customer service activities to support facilities served by Kansas City office.  Responsible for implementation and continuing support of  applicable processes, policies, and tools as assigned by HoPNA. Responsible procurement functions as assigned or in the absence of the Regional Head of Procurement.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

What We Offer

We provide a dynamic and stimulating international environment, which will stretch and develop your abilities and channel your skills and expertise with outstanding career development opportunities in one of the largest and most solid private companies in the world.

- Comprehensive benefits program including medical, dental and vision care coverage, flexible spending account plans, employee assistance program, life insurance and disability coverage
- 401k with Company Match
- Family Friendly Benefits including childbirth and parental leave, fertility and family building benefits
- Paid Time Off (PTO) and Paid Holidays
- Hybrid work available (not applicable to all roles)

Diversity & Inclusion

LDC is driven by a set of shared values and high ethical standards, with diversity and inclusion being part of our DNA. LDC is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing a working environment that embraces and values diversity, equity and inclusion.

LDC encourages diversity, supports local communities and environmental initiatives. We encourage people of all backgrounds to apply.

Equal employment opportunity (EEO)

Louis Dreyfus Company provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.”

Sustainability

Sustainable value is at the heart of our purpose as a company.

We are passionate about creating fair and sustainable value, both for our business and for other value chain stakeholders: our people, our business partners, the communities we touch and the environment around us