Sr. Purchasing Coordinator

Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 114,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.

Working at Abbott

At Abbott, you can do work that matters, grow, and learn, care for yourself and family, be your true self and live a full life. Youâll also have access to:

• Career development with an international company where you can grow the career you dream of .
• Free medical coverage for employees* via the Health Investment Plan (HIP) PPO
• An excellent retirement savings plan with high employer contribution
• Tuition reimbursement, the Freedom 2 Save student debt program and FreeU education benefit - an affordable and convenient path to getting a bachelorâs degree.
• A company recognized as a great place to work in dozens of countries around the world and named one of the most admired companies in the world by Fortune.
• A company that is recognized as one of the best big companies to work for as well as a best place to work for diversity, working mothers, female executives, and scientists.

The Opportunity

Purchasing is responsible for sourcing and securing all materials and services required to support Manufacturing and R&D at the minimum cost, using suppliers who meet or exceed our quality, service, and delivery expectations. Senior Purchasing Coordinators perform the day-to-day activities necessary to procure commodities, capital, supplies and services used by the division, in a manner that adheres to Corporate Purchasing Policies and Division Purchasing Procedures.

What You'll Do

• Serve as the primary Abbott Purchasing contact for suppliers on the following activities:
• When appropriate, assemble bid packages and requests for quotes or proposals, distribute to suppliers (obtain Confidentiality Agreements with suppliers as necessary), and consolidate responses for review by the appropriate Buyer.
• Award business and participate in agreement negotiations per Purchasing policies, and under the direction of Buyers and Management.
• o Create purchase orders for commodities supplied to the divisions domestic manufacturing plants and third-party manufacturers.
• Senior Coordinators forecasts commodities, check for accuracy and reasonableness, then provide to suppliers. Address any concerns or questions
• suppliers may have about the forecasts.
• Proactively run open order and delinquent PO delivery reports.  Act as the liaison between the division and suppliers when deliveries are late.
• Coordinate whatever actions are necessary to get the materials delivered, including expediting delivery from alternate sources. On time delivery is crucial to keeping production lines running, research and development projects, etc.
• Expedite or delay commodity deliveries based on forecast changes. Not maintaining appropriate inventory levels is costly to the division.
• Verify that purchase order releases and requisitions reflect the proper price, based on quantity ordered and any discount or rate schedule in effect at that time. Incorrect pricing leads to late invoice payment, which effects supplier relations, Abbott's credit standing, and potentially future deliveries of materials.
• Senior Coordinators partner with suppliers when necessary to alleviate chronic
• delivery or quality problems; work with the Buyers, manufacturing plants, Abbott QA, other internal departments and suppliers to identify and implement solutions.
• Manage the return of rejected materials to the supplier. This requires coordination with the divisions plants and QA, or support functions, and suppliers. When appropriate, assemble and distribute required information to gain QAâs approval of an exception for nonconforming materials.
• Act as the liaison between Abbott Accounts Payable and suppliers on invoicing issues related to price charged and quantity delivered, and on receiving proper credit for returned materials.
• Manage communication with suppliers related to specifications, destroying obsolete print plates, completing QA Supplier Questionnaires and qualification requirements, ongoing performance related to nonconforming materials, and distribution of Abbott policies related to heavy metals, obsolete printed materials, and Truck and Railcar requirements. All these activities must be managed effectively to assure product quality, and compliance to Abbott policies and procedures.
• Communicate status on all these activities as appropriate to Buyers, Managers, and customers.
• Provide Buyers and Purchasing Management information and/or updates regarding:
• Obsolete materials â analysis on inventory balances and depletion, the effect to production, and estimated cost of destroying the product.
• New Prices â assure all systems reflect current pricing; question suppliers about price increases when proper documentation is not provided, or when price increases violate contract agreements.
• Senior Coordinators provide timely and comprehensive information about inventory variances, production schedule changes, and past due deliveries. Take appropriate action to remedy the situation so production line efficiencies are not jeopardized.
• Information flow to Abbott Legal regarding new contracts, terms and conditions, and Confidentiality Agreements.
• Supplier Diversity Program â status of actual spend vs. goals set by Abbott Purchasing.
• As requested by Management, use industry publications and reliable Internet sources to collect information about changes in market trends and market analysis.
• Assist/support/provide guidance to internal customers on the following activities:
• Assure usage of suppliers with whom Abbott has favorable pricing and contractual obligations. Maintain supplier Insurance Certificates as required by Abbott policy.
• Provide direction on using Abbott's purchasing systems.
• Use of Abbott's P Card program for low dollar, miscellaneous purchases.
• Provide guidance related to the procurement processes (P.O. requirements; invoice payment requirements; requests for credit; use of Administrative Check Request).

Required Qualifications

• Bachelors Degree (± 16 years) in Materials Management, Finance, Customer Service and/or Plant Operations
• an equivalent combination of education and work experience
• Minimum 4 years experience related to a combination of Purchasing, Quality Assurance, Logistics, Manufacturing, Customer Service, and/or Finance.
• Requires constant communication with internal and external customers, and the ability to deal with multiple, challenging situations.
• Understanding of inventory control and basic accounting principles is needed, since the Coordinator must deal with competitive bids, supplier delivery issues and the effect to production, calculate the cost of inventory destructs, understand the factors related to setting commodity standard costs and purchase price variance, and must work with suppliers to resolve invoicing issues.
• Requires technical aptitude with systems and a working knowledge of several software packages, including Avante, Symphony SAP, Abbott's Accounts Payable systems, Excel, and Word.
• Efficient plant production and building and maintaining beneficial partnerships with suppliers cannot be achieved if the Senior Purchasing Coordinator responsibilities are not carried out successfully.

The base pay for this position is $28.20 â $56.40 per hour. In specific locations, the pay range may vary from the range posted.