Purchasing Specialist

About the role

Under limited supervision, assist the Corporate Procurement Team with functions critical to the Procurement Department and other Corporate Departments. Provide support to the Sourcing Team to ensure vendors are properly set up in the system and assist with vendor issues. Serve as the primary liaison for vendor and internal stakeholder inquiries, ensuring timely, professional communication across Procurement-related matters.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate with internal departments to manage vendor re-onboarding, record updates, and account unblocking activities in alignment with established procedures.
• Support Accounts Payable and Procurement by addressing vendor management issues that may affect payment accuracy, timeliness, or operational continuity.
• Oversee vendor documentation maintenance to promote data integrity, policy compliance, and audit readiness.
• Provide onboarding support to vendors, internal teams, and Ariba stakeholders by facilitating issue resolution and guiding users as per company policies.
• Maintain verification records and supporting documentation to meet internal control, compliance, and audit requirements.
• Manage updates to the Vendor Management tracking file to ensure visibility into active tasks, pending actions, and process status.
• Generate reports and presentations for Vendor Management activities and communicate key information promptly and professionally.
• Deliver high-quality service to vendors and internal customers while safeguarding confidential information and representing the organization professionally.
• Provide expert-level support to vendors for ARIBA and SAP platform-related inquiries, troubleshooting technical issues, coordinating resolutions, and facilitating successful vendor participation in procurement processes.
• Maintain and update the Vendor Management SOP, Vendor Management SharePoint site, and training resources, while delivering in-person and virtual (Microsoft Teams) training to employees as needed to ensure adherence to vendor management procedures.
• Provide backup support for the Purchasing Clerk and Administrative Team to sustain continuity of key procurement support functions.
• Perform additional administrative and procurement support responsibilities that contribute to departmental effectiveness and role development.

Internal Contacts

• High visibility role with frequent interaction across MX Corporate teams, Corporate Accounts Payable, Marketing, Sales, Legal, Risk Management, Sourcing Managers, Procurement Managers, and Buyers.

External Contacts

• Regular communication with existing vendors, prospective vendors, sponsorship contacts, and contractors.

Education & Experience

• Associate’s degree or equivalent combination of education, training, and relevant professional experience required, with demonstrated ability to support administrative, procurement, or business operations functions.
• Minimum of 2 years of progressive experience in Procurement, Accounting, Sales, Project Management, Customer Service, or a related business support environment, preferably with exposure to vendor management, stakeholder communication, documentation control, and process coordination.
• Bilingual proficiency in Spanish required, with the ability to communicate effectively and professionally with internal teams, vendors, and business partners in a service-oriented environment.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

• Demonstrated ability to coordinate and maintain effective purchasing systems and procedures.
• Ability to interpret information accurately and make decisions in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, and company policies.
• Strong adaptability, flexibility, and critical thinking skills.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with executive leadership, management, and employees at all levels.
• Excellent customer service skills.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills in English and Spanish.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to remain professional under pressure, including when managing high volumes of email correspondence.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Teams, Excel, Word, and Outlook.
• High attention to detail and accuracy when managing significant workloads.
• Ability to quickly learn vendor portals and provide knowledgeable support for vendor onboarding inquiries.
• Professional communication skills and ability to represent the company appropriately.
• Ability to follow up on emails regularly and help resolve vendor issues timely.
• Ability to always maintain strict confidentiality.

Working Conditions

• Work is performed primarily in a traditional office environment.
• Vendor meetings are generally conducted through Microsoft Teams or by phone.
• Work does not require travel.