Purchasing Specialist

John Crane, a business of Smiths Group, is a global leader in mission-critical flow control solutions for energy and process industries that enable efficient and sustainable operations. Our products include mechanical seals and systems, couplings, bearings, filtration systems, and predictive digital monitoring technologies. 

We have a global network of more than 200 sites in over 50 countries and employ more than 6,000 people worldwide. We partner with our customers to help them keep their operations safe, reduce downtime, improve efficiency, and meet the latest environmental standards. 

John Crane is part of Smiths Group. For over 170 years, Smiths has been pioneering progress by engineering for a better future. We serve millions of people every year, helping to create a safer, more efficient, productive, and better-connected world across four global markets: energy, security & defence, space & aerospace, and general industrial. Listed on the London Stock Exchange, Smiths employs approximately 16,000 colleagues in over 50 countries. 

Adhere to daily Standard Work for purchasing team members – See Key Accountabilities

Effective Supplier Management

• Liaise with internal and external suppliers to expedite delivery where required to meet business needs
• Act as the point of contact/liaison between suppliers and internal stakeholders where required
• Track and manage supplier delivery performance to meet JC targets and requirements

Data Management

• Ensure new pricing and supplier data is updated in ERP system consistently, accurately, and regularly.
• Act as a recognized system expert for SAP P2P

Duties & Responsibilities

• PR to PO Turnaround
• Purchase order ageing
• MRP exception msg status
• Purchase order acknowledgements obtained
• PPV

•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 in accordance with the 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 purchase transaction automation through the ERP

•Drive positive commercial impact:

•Conduct basic RFQ’s as required to identify supplier and price for requirements

•Build collaborative relationships with internal customers, suppliers and global team members

•Work with the supply market and internal customers to optimize lead times and inventory for JC in line with agreed targets

•Collection of Vendor Master Data for supplier onboarding or supplier management purposes

• 5+ years of experience working within a purchasing department
• Understanding of MRP driven procurement (SAP ideally)
• Able to read and understand technical drawings
• Analytical skills - Good knowledge of Microsoft programs, Power BI data extraction and analysis including Excel v-lookup and pivot tables
• Process-driven approach and “systems thinking”
• Ability to solve problems and make improvements to process with support and in a structured way (e.g. A3), able to use data to inform decisions
• Excellent communication and relationship management skills
• Ability to project a positive and professional image on behalf of the organization, always promoting ethical procurement

With colleagues stretching across the globe, we are proud of our diversity. To foster inclusivity, we run employee resource groups (ERGs) to provide a safe space for employees to connect and support each other. Our cross-business ERGs include Veterans, Pride Network, Black Employee Network, Women@Work Network, and Neurodiversity. 

Across our company, we recognize excellence, culminating in the Smiths Excellence Awards, our annual celebration of the most extraordinary activities, people, and projects that best showcase our strengths and help drive our business forward. We announce these on our annual Smiths Day, a global celebration of Smiths around our network. 

Join us for a great career with competitive compensation and benefits, while helping engineer a better future. 

We believe that different perspectives and backgrounds are what make a company flourish. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment regardless of 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 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 - Smiths Group plc)