Procurement Planning Assistant / Specialist

Role DescriptionA Procurement Planning Assistant / Specialist supports the planning, coordination, and execution of procurement activities to ensure that goods, materials, equipment, services, and business requirements are sourced efficiently, cost-effectively, and on time. The role is responsible for analyzing purchasing requirements, preparing procurement plans, monitoring inventory and demand, coordinating suppliers, tracking purchase orders, supporting sourcing activities, and maintaining accurate procurement records. The position works closely with Procurement, Supply Chain, Finance, Operations, Warehouse, Logistics, Production, Projects, and suppliers to ensure uninterrupted supply and effective procurement operations.Key ResponsibilitiesSupport the development and maintenance of annual, monthly, and project-specific procurement plans.Analyze purchase requirements based on demand forecasts, inventory levels, production schedules, project timelines, and operational needs.Prepare procurement schedules, purchasing forecasts, sourcing plans, and procurement activity reports.Review purchase requisitions and verify specifications, quantities, budgets, required delivery dates, and approval status.Prepare and process purchase orders, RFQs, RFPs, RFIs, purchase requisitions, supplier comparison sheets, and procurement documentation.Coordinate procurement activities from requirement identification through supplier selection, purchase order issuance, delivery, and completion.Monitor inventory levels, consumption rates, safety-stock requirements, lead times, and replenishment requirements.Coordinate with Warehouse and Inventory teams to prevent stock shortages, excess inventory, obsolete stock, and supply interruptions.Communicate with internal departments to confirm material, equipment, service, and delivery requirements.Identify appropriate procurement timelines based on supplier lead times, business priorities, and inventory requirements.Request quotations from approved and potential suppliers and compare pricing, specifications, quality, payment terms, lead times, and delivery conditions.Assist with supplier sourcing, evaluation, qualification, onboarding, and performance monitoring.Maintain accurate supplier databases, approved-vendor lists, contact information, pricing records, and procurement documentation.Communicate with suppliers regarding quotations, purchase orders, delivery schedules, specifications, availability, pricing, and documentation.Support negotiations involving pricing, payment terms, minimum order quantities, delivery schedules, warranties, and service requirements.Monitor open purchase orders and follow up with suppliers to ensure timely delivery.Track supplier lead times, shipment schedules, delivery confirmations, and outstanding orders.Investigate delayed, incomplete, damaged, or incorrect deliveries and coordinate corrective actions.Coordinate with Logistics and Warehouse teams regarding inbound deliveries, transportation, receiving schedules, and goods-receipt documentation.Verify purchase orders against approved requisitions, supplier quotations, contracts, specifications, and budgets.Assist Finance teams with invoice verification, payment documentation, purchase-order matching, and supplier account issues.Resolve discrepancies involving purchase prices, quantities, invoices, delivery records, specifications, and purchase orders.Monitor procurement expenditure against approved budgets and identify potential cost overruns.Prepare procurement reports covering spending, purchase orders, supplier performance, delivery status, savings, outstanding orders, and procurement activities.Track procurement KPIs such as procurement cycle time, supplier delivery performance, cost savings, purchase-price variance, order accuracy, and inventory availability.Analyze procurement data to identify purchasing trends, cost-saving opportunities, supply risks, supplier issues, and process improvements.Assist with procurement budgeting, expenditure forecasting, category planning, and annual purchasing strategies.Conduct market research to identify new suppliers, alternative products, market prices, technologies, and sourcing opportunities.Monitor changes in market prices, commodity costs, transportation expenses, exchange rates, supplier capacity, and product availability.Identify alternative suppliers and sourcing options to reduce supply-chain and procurement risks.Support dual-sourcing, supplier diversification, contingency planning, and business-continuity initiatives.Assist with supplier performance reviews, supplier audits, quality assessments, and corrective-action monitoring.Maintain supplier scorecards and performance records.Monitor supplier compliance with contractual, quality, delivery, ethical, sustainability, and regulatory requirements.Support contract administration, including supplier agreements, framework contracts, pricing schedules, renewal dates, and service-level requirements.Assist with tendering and competitive procurement processes.Prepare tender documents, bid comparisons, commercial evaluations, procurement recommendations, and supplier-selection summaries.Coordinate procurement meetings with suppliers, internal stakeholders, project teams, and management.Ensure procurement activities follow company policies, approval procedures, internal controls, and applicable regulations.Support procurement audits and provide required purchasing records and supporting documentation.Maintain organized electronic and physical procurement filing systems.Maintain confidentiality of supplier pricing, contracts, procurement strategies, business forecasts, and commercially sensitive information.Use ERP, procurement-management, inventory-management, supplier-management, e-procurement, and purchase-order systems.Utilize procurement automation, spend analytics, demand forecasting, supplier-risk monitoring, digital sourcing platforms, and AI-assisted procurement tools where appropriate.Analyze procurement and supply-chain data to improve forecasting, purchasing decisions, supplier performance, inventory availability, and cost efficiency.Support digital procurement transformation and process-improvement projects.Identify opportunities to reduce procurement cycle times, administrative workload, purchasing costs, and manual processes.Coordinate with Supply Chain, Logistics, Finance, Operations, Production, Engineering, Projects, Warehouse, and other departments.Support procurement planning for new projects, product launches, facility expansions, seasonal demand, and major operational requirements.Monitor procurement risks including shortages, supplier capacity constraints, extended lead times, price increases, transportation disruptions, and material availability.Escalate critical supply risks and procurement issues to management and relevant stakeholders.Develop and implement appropriate sourcing or procurement solutions to minimize supply interruptions.Perform other procurement planning, purchasing, sourcing, supplier-management, reporting, and administrative duties as assigned.QualificationsDiploma or Bachelor's degree in Procurement, Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Business Administration, Operations Management, Finance, or a related field.Previous experience in procurement, purchasing, sourcing, supply-chain planning, inventory management, or procurement administration is preferred.Strong understanding of procurement processes, purchasing procedures, supplier management, inventory planning, and supply-chain operations.Knowledge of demand forecasting, material requirements planning, inventory control, procurement scheduling, and replenishment planning is advantageous.Strong analytical and numerical skills with the ability to interpret purchasing, inventory, supplier, and cost data.Excellent planning, organization, coordination, and time-management skills.Strong attention to detail and accuracy when handling purchase orders, quotations, specifications, contracts, invoices, and procurement records.Strong communication, negotiation, supplier-management, and relationship-building skills.Ability to work effectively with suppliers, Procurement, Finance, Operations, Warehouse, Logistics, Production, Project teams, and management.Proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, spreadsheets, data analysis, reporting, and presentations.Experience with ERP and procurement systems such as SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, or equivalent platforms is advantageous.Familiarity with e-procurement, supplier-management, contract-management, inventory-management, and spend-analysis systems is beneficial.Knowledge of RFQ, RFP, RFI, tendering, competitive bidding, supplier evaluation, and commercial negotiation processes.Understanding of procurement policies, internal controls, ethical sourcing, supplier compliance, and contract requirements.Experience with cost analysis, supplier benchmarking, procurement savings, and purchase-price analysis is advantageous.Knowledge of procurement analytics, automation, AI-assisted sourcing, predictive purchasing, and digital supply-chain technologies is beneficial.Professional qualifications such as CIPS, CPSM, CSCP, or equivalent procurement and supply-chain certifications are advantageous.Ability to manage multiple procurement requests, suppliers, purchase orders, deadlines, and competing priorities.Strong problem-solving and decision-making abilities.Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment.Ability to respond effectively to urgent purchasing requirements, supply shortages, delayed deliveries, and changing business needs.Strong commitment to cost efficiency, supplier performance, supply continuity, procurement compliance, data accuracy, operational efficiency, and strategic procurement planning.Reliable, proactive, analytical, commercially aware, detail-oriented, and highly organized.