Procurement Buyer

Who is Water Mission?

Water Mission is a Christian engineering nonprofit that builds sustainable, safe water solutions for people in developing countries, refugee camps, and disaster areas. Since 2001, Water Mission has served more than 8 million people in 59 countries, sharing safe water and the message of God’s love. Water Mission’s global headquarters is in North Charleston, SC, and the organization has more than 450 staff members based in Africa; Asia; North, South, and Central America; and the Caribbean. Charity Navigator has awarded Water Mission its top four-star rating 15 years in a row, a distinction shared by only 1% of the charities rated by the organization. Working at Water Mission is as much a calling as it is a career, and we are searching for people with the courage, passion, and drive to help us change the world. Read more about What We Believe, our Statement of Faith, and our Christian Mission.

What is the opportunity?

The Procurement Buyer will conduct purchasing activities and ensure that purchased items are cost-effective and of good quality. The Procurement Buyer’s responsibilities include maintaining positive supplier relations, evaluating supplier options, negotiating supplier pricing, and maintaining accurate records. This position will help develop and manage various processes such as change management and vendor key performance indicators. This position will be responsible for maintaining and updating the procurement views in the ERP system and updating the contract Management Database. A successful candidate will be able to conduct market studies on various commodities, analyze the data, and implement product changes. The position will work closely with internal (domestic and international) teams as well as external vendors to ensure Water Mission is receiving the correct cost and quality while maintaining the desired delivery. This full-time position that can be based in Charleston, SC, or remotely, and will report to the Procurement Manager.

A successful Procurement Buyer will:

• Maintain a strong Christian witness to job candidates, colleagues, vendors, donors, charitable beneficiaries, and public.

• Engage and participate in prayer before and after team meetings.

• Lead and participate in biblically based staff devotions.

• Source product and negotiate with vendors as needed to support Water Mission.

• Work closely with the engineering team to support new product introduction and change management.

• Support projects within various country programs to establish a Total Cost of Ownership model and evaluate purchases.

• Provide support during disasters to help expedite product or services as needed.

• Regulate the compliance of procurement policies and procedures.

• Create new vendors as needed in the ERP system.

• Setup new and update existing procurement and finance views for components in the ERP system.

• Create a framework for purchase orders as needed to support vendor contracts.

• Assist with contract management database maintenance.

• Manage the open invoice process and support finance to resolve issues.

• Work with logistics to establish component min/max level and adjust as needed.

• Assure the capture of gift-in-kind for new products (direct and indirect).

• Other duties as designated by management.

What is required?

• Personal and growing relationship with Jesus Christ.

• Alignment with Water Mission’s Statement of Faith and core values of Love, Excellence, and Integrity.

• Associate's degree required; Bachelor's degree preferred; APEX or contract Management Certification is preferred.

• Fluency in English required; proficient in Spanish preferred.

• 3-5 years of purchasing experience required, including at least 1 year of negotiation; International experience preferred.

• Working knowledge of an ERP system, NetSuite preferred.

• Knowledge of procurement best practices.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to clearly articulate ideas and feedback in a constructive way.

• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively with a team.

• Ability to lift 50lbs and stand for long periods of time in hot and cold environments.

• Ability and willingness to travel up to 10% of the time to domestic and/or international locations. Trips will be up to three (3) weeks in length.

• Legal authorization to work in the United States without sponsorship.

• Commitment to the values and mission of the organization and ending the global water crisis.