Principal Purchasing Specialist

KBR Careers; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401K with company match

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Paid time off

Flexible work schedule

Job summary

KBR Sustainable Technology Solutions (STS) is seeking a Principal Purchasing Specialist to support large EPC projects by managing end-to-end procurement, negotiating terms, and driving cost efficiencies across commodities. The role requires coordinating with operations, maintenance, warehouse, and engineering teams to ensure timely material flow.

Ideal candidates will have an undergraduate degree in a relevant field and 9+ years of procurement experience with a global EPC player, strong

Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in Supply Chain Management or Business, and/or extensive procurement experience.
• Experience in bid, evaluate, award cycles, contract execution, and price/schedule negotiations.
• Proven track record in cost reduction programs.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills.
• Experience using e-procurement tools (e-bidding/e-auctions).
• Ability to work in a complex, schedule-driven environment.
• Strong analytical skills and proficiency with MS Office; quick to learn new software.
• Strong negotiation skills with cost reduction and control.

Responsibilities

• Executes cradle-to-grave purchasing activities for a specific commodity group or Project.
• Negotiates favorable terms, volume discounts and long-term contracts with suppliers.
• Drives cost reduction initiatives for a specific Project or Category.
• Forecasts key cost drivers and market factors for assigned Category group.
• Develops category-specific sourcing strategies aligned with engineering.
• Identifies corrective actions for quality or schedule issues with suppliers.
• Works closely with Engineering and the project management teams.
• Ensures timely reporting of issues to projects and senior procurement management.
• Locates, analyzes, and consolidates supplier base to meet current and future needs.
• Creates mutually beneficial long-term supplier partnerships and continuous improvement.
• Provides input to drive improvements in procurement processes and tools.
• Manages orderly closeout of procurement operations including settlements.

Skills

Procurement strategy

Negotiation

Cost reduction

Vendor management

MS Office

E-procurement tools

Analytical skills

Supply chain management

Communication

Education

Undergraduate degree in Supply Chain Management or Business

Tools

MS Office

E-procurement tools

Job description

Principal Purchasing Specialist

KBR Sustainable Technology Solutions (STS) provides holistic and value-added solutions across the entire asset life cycle. These include world-class licensed process technologies, differentiated advisory services, deep technical domain expertise, energy transition solutions, high-end design capabilities, and smart solutions to optimize planned and operating assets.

KBR is seeking a Principal Purchasing Specialist to support large EPC projects by managing the procurement of goods and services under direct supervision. This role is responsible for negotiating supplier terms, securing cost efficiencies, resolving delivery or quality issues, and coordinating closely with operations, maintenance, warehouse, and engineering teams to ensure the timely and efficient flow of materials.

Functional job responsibilities will include but are not limited to:

• Under limited direction, executes and supervises cradle to grave purchasing activities (including bid, evaluate, award cycle, execution of agreements, execution of changes, price and schedule negotiations) for a specific commodity group or Project.
• Negotiates favorable terms, volume discounts and long-term contracts with suppliers for the procurement of goods, services and supplies.
• Drive cost reduction initiatives for a specific Project or Category.
• Understand, track, and forecast the key cost drivers and market factors for assigned Category group.
• Assist in developing a Category specific sourcing strategies to support corporate and divisional objectives, providing the company competitive advantage in the areas of materials, supplies, and services and ensure the alignment with Engineering.
• Identify corrective actions and measures in case of quality or schedule issues with suppliers.
• Works closely with Engineering and the project management teams.
• Assures that problems are reported timely to the projects and senior procurement management.
• Locate, analyze, and develop a consolidated supplier base to meet current and future Project needs.
• Create and maintain mutually beneficial long-term partnerships with suppliers to foster feedback and continuous improvement.
• Provide input to drive continuous improvement in all aspects of the procurement process, procedures and tools.
• Conducts the orderly closeout of Procurement operations, including settlement of claims and back-charges, and resolving punch list items assigned to Procurement.
• Leads price and claim negotiations for their scope of procurement.

Required Education, Experience, & Skills

• Skills required for this job are typically acquired through the completion of an undergraduate degree, preferably in Supply Chain Management or Business, and/or 9+ years of Procurement and Supply Chain Management experience with a global EPC company executing contracts in key industries, such as Refining, LNG, petrochemical, chemical, etc.
• Experience in purchasing including bid, evaluate, award cycle, execution of agreements, execution of changes, price and schedule negotiations, and commercial strategy a plus.
• Proven Track Record in cost reduction programs.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills in order to flow goals and directives and effectively communicate commercial solutions and concepts to procurement personnel and non-procurement personnel.
• Experience using E-procurement tools, such as e-bidding or e-auctions.
• Ability to work in a complex schedule driven work environment.
• Candidates must have strong analytical skills, proficiency in MS office products, and the ability to learn new software quickly.
• Strong negotiation skills with a proven track record in cost reduction and control.
• Experience in Lumpsum Procurement environments.

Preferred Education & Skills

• Ability to speak Mandarin a plus.
• Experience with international project locations is preferred.

Decarbonization – Energy Transition – Sustainability

• Decarbonization – Energy Transition – Sustainability

• KBR offers a selection of competitive lifestyle benefits which could include 401K plan with company match, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, AD&D, flexible spending account, disability, paid time off, or flexible work schedule.
• We support career advancement through professional training and development.

KBR Benefits We Deliver – Together.

Belong, Connect and Grow at KBR At KBR, we are passionate about our people and our Zero Harm culture. These inform all that we do and are at the heart of our commitment to, and ongoing journey toward being a People First company. That commitment is central to our team’s philosophy and fosters an environment where everyone can Belong, Connect and Grow. We Deliver – Together.

KBR is an equal opportunity employer.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, union status and/or beliefs, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

We Value Our People – We create diverse, inclusive environments in which each person can feel safe, respected and valued, and where everyone has opportunities to grow and reach their full potential.

KBR — Delivering Solutions, Changing the World.

KBR brings together the best and brightest to deliver science, technology and engineering solutions that help governments and companies around the world accomplish their most critical missions and objectives. In everything we do, we are guided by our ONE KBR Values: We Value Our People – We create diverse, inclusive environments in which each person can feel safe, respected and valued, and where everyone has opportunities to grow and reach their full potential. We Deliver – We are uncompromising in our commitment to deliver innovative, high-quality, technology-led solutions for our customers and exceptional, sustainable value for all our stakeholders. We Are People of Integrity – We value honesty, trust, courage, fairness, prudence and tenacity. We believe doing what’s right for the planet, the communities where we work, and our people is good for business. We Empower – We empower our people with a shared purpose, the right tools and the supportive culture they need to be proactive decision-makers, to be adaptive to change, and to succeed. We Are a Team of Teams – We have a will to succeed, but we value the achievements of our team of teams over individual accomplishments. Our collective focus makes us a better, stronger, more effective company. We have also embedded environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles in every business operation and corporate function. Not only are we committed to operating safely, sustainably and equitably, but we are also committed to using our capabilities and expertise to help our customers accomplish their sustainability goals. Worldwide, KBR employs a diverse workforce approximately 29,000 people strong, with customers in more than 80 countries and operations in 40 countries. At KBR, We Deliver.