Purchase Supervisor

H.B. Fuller Company; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 300,000 - 400,000; Full time

Job summary

A global adhesives provider is seeking a Purchase Supervisor in Johannesburg to manage procurement processes and ensure timely deliveries of finished goods. The ideal candidate should have 5-8 years of experience in procurement and be skilled in MRP systems and coordination with cross-functional teams. Communication and teamwork skills are essential for success in this role.

Qualifications

• Min. 5-8 years job experience in procurement or similar.
• Fluent in English, both spoken and written.
• In-depth knowledge of procurement and inventory management.

Responsibilities

• Implement procurement processes to ensure timely delivery of Finished Goods.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure smooth supply chain operations.
• Utilize MRP systems to optimize inventory levels.

Skills

Teamwork

Reliability

Communication

Customer Focus

Time Management

Tools

SAP

Microsoft Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Outlook

Job description

As the largest pureplay adhesives company in the world, H.B. Fuller’s (NYSE: FUL) innovative, functional coatings, adhesives and sealants enhance the quality, safety and performance of products people use every day. Founded in 1887, with 2023 revenue of $3.5 billion, our mission to Connect What Matters is brought to life by more than 7,000 global team members who collaborate with customers across more than 30 market segments in over 140countries to develop highly specified solutions that enable customers to bring world-changing innovations to their end markets.

Job Title: Purchase Supervisor

Location: Johannesburg, South Africa

Position Overview

This position reports to the Supply Chain Manager – India & Africa Region and is responsible for the Planning of Finished Goods and the Procurement of Direct and Indirect Goods & Services for South Africa region. This role requires close coordination with cross-functional teams including Warehouse, Customer Service, Finance, Sales, Sourcing, and Intercompany teams to ensure smooth and seamless supply chain operations.

Primary Duties

Purchasing

• Implement robust procurement processes to ensure on-time delivery of Finished Goods (FG) in alignment with the demand plan and confirmed Sales Orders.
• Sustain business process implementation in the Supply Chain with strict adherence to global and local quality standards.
• Collaborate with Global Sourcing and S&OP teams for centrally purchased products to ensure supply alignment and availability.
• Manage FG supply (both imported and local) in compliance with customs, excise, import regulations, and H.B. Fuller global policies, including coordination with the EIMEA Sourcing team.
• Oversee customs clearance and logistics coordination for both import and local shipments.
• Ensure timely processing of purchase invoices and submission of all necessary documents to the Accounts department.
• Follow up on vendor payments while ensuring full compliance with the defined payment processes.
• Implement EXIM processes in the Purchasing function, ensuring adherence to all applicable Excise, Customs, and Import laws.
• Coordinate with vendors to ensure timely deliveries, address material quality issues, and handle supplier claims as needed.
• Prepare and maintain key MIS reports such as Open Purchase Orders and EXIM reports for internal and external stakeholders.

Planning

• Develop optimal procurement plans based on customer orders, safety stock levels (MTO/MTS), batch size requirements, and delivery timelines.
• Monitor end-to-end order movement from entry to actual dispatch from the source location.
• Operate in alignment with defined Service Level Agreements (SLAs) to maintain customer satisfaction.
• Utilize MRP systems to optimize inventory levels and meet targeted Days on Hand (DOH) inventory goals.
• Generate demand forecasts using statistical methods and ensure alignment of supply to meet forecasted demand.
• Regularly review and act upon slow-moving and obsolete inventory to minimize financial impact.
• Support South Africa site’s Inventory and SIFOT (Shipped In-Full On-Time) targets by deploying best-in-class planning practices.
• Take personal accountability for skill development through participation in internal training programs.
• Ensure ISO documentation related to the Purchase function is updated and maintained as per standards.

ACCOUNTABILITY

Cooperation with customer service, quality control, production planners, warehouse & purchasing, to ensure in-time availability of material; communication above interfaces to follow up on customer orders proactively.

In-depth knowledge of the production planning process, Procurement process & Inventory management.

Min. 5-8 years job experience in procurement, S&OP, customer service, EXIM process, or similar.

Language skills English fluently spoken and in writing.

Computer skills: familiar with SAP, Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook.

Personal skills: teamwork, reliability, persistent, good communicator, customer focused, very good sense of time; ability to work under time pressure, prioritize & managerial courage.

H.B. Fuller is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and proud to have created a collaborative culture where employees around the world are seen, heard, and respected. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability, or marital status or status as a protected veteran, or any other legally protected classification.

H.B. Fuller does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters, employment agencies, or staffing firms. To conduct business with H.B. Fuller, a written service agreement must be executed by Human Resources prior to submitting any information relating to a potential candidate. Without a signed service agreement, H.B. Fuller shall not be obligated for payment of any fee or compensation.

About Us

For 130 years, H.B. Fuller has been a leading global adhesives provider focusing on perfecting adhesives, sealants and other specialty chemical products to improve products and lives. H.B. Fuller’s commitment to innovation brings together people, products and processes that answer and solve some of the world’s biggest challenges. Our reliable, responsive service creates lasting, rewarding connections with customers in electronics, disposable hygiene, medical, transportation, clean energy, packaging, construction, woodworking, general industries and other consumer businesses. And our promise to our people connects them with opportunities to innovate and thrive.