Technical Buyer - Materials

Company:

Interested in joining a winning team? A team whose employees share in the ownership of the business and are empowered to make a difference?

Organizational context
and job purpose

**This role is 100% on-site at our Marina View Corporate offices in League City, TX.

INEOS Organization:

INEOS is a global manufacturer of petrochemicals, specialty chemicals and oil products. It comprises 15 businesses each with a major chemical company heritage. Its production network spans 65 manufacturing facilities in 16 countries throughout the world. INEOS products make a significant contribution to saving life, improving health and enhancing standards of living for people around the world. Its businesses produce the raw materials that are essential in the manufacture of a wide variety of goods: from paints to plastics, textiles to technology, and medicines to mobile phones - chemicals manufactured by INEOS enhance almost every aspect of modern life.

Business Context:

INEOS Oxide is one of the most diverse, dynamic and successful businesses within INEOS. We operate 4 manufacturing sites in Europe and North America (Antwerp BE, Köln DE, Lavéra FR, Plaquemine US) and are in the process of acquiring a new one in Bayport (TX), US. We produce a broad range of 200+ products which spread across five key value chains (Ethylene Oxide, Propylene Oxide, Oxoalcohols, Acetic Acid, and ENB), and on many of our products we are the European market leader. Our total manufacturing capacity is above 3 million tonnes per annum generating an annual EBITDA of ~300 M€. INEOS Oxide is an energetic business which is growing actively on a global level, with projects to extend our production base to new sites in North America and Asia in addition to continued investment on our existing platforms. We are committed to resourcing the Procurement team accordingly to deliver on this ambitious growth agenda.

Purpose of the Job:

The Technical Buyer is a member of the INEOS Oxide US Procurement team and will lead all materials acquisition technical procurement activities for the Bayport (TX) site.  The Technical Buyer will ensure that the Bayport site has the correct materials available to meet the site production plans and CAPEX portfolio focusing on safety and optimal value. The incumbent will provide warehouse team management.

The key objectives of the role fall into two broad categories:

• To deliver the strategic development, negotiation, delivery and ongoing management of materials vendors
• To lead the warehousing organization.

The Technical Buyer must have technical knowledge of the chemical manufacturing operations and the mechanical needs of those operations. This position requires integrating the technical requirements of those who maintain the processing equipment and the contractors who provide the materials for the site. The Technical Buyer must have a good understanding of plant maintenance and construction practices as they evaluate supply proposals from a broad cross section of contractors.

The position requires a detailed understanding of contract law and what value the terms and conditions hold in a contract negotiation. These legal concepts include seller indemnifications, limitations of liability, warranties and guarantees (length and monetary value) and legal remedies.

In addition to having a base of technical knowledge skills, the Technical Buyer must have a broad base of interpersonal skills that leads a diverse group of technical and managerial personnel through a complex decision making process as strategic sourcing decisions are made.

Job performance and delivery in this role is defined by the successful negotiation of major materials acquisition for maintenance/repair & operation. This is not only measured by lowest total overall cost but includes the successful negotiation of favorable contract terms and conditions that provide more than adequate protection for the assets of INEOS including indemnities, liabilities, warranties, guarantees and remedies.  Managing robust and rigorous bidding processes is essential to this role’s success.

Internal Factors: 

Executing this role’s wide-ranging remit at both a tactical and strategic level will require the post-holder to interface directly with, and influence, the organization far beyond the immediate Bayport procurement team.

• Strategy & Projects Team – provide technical procurement support to business growth projects.
• Site Operations – understand requirements, monitor vendor performance, and provide commercial support when performance issue, support CFC and CAPEX target delivery.
• Technical Procurement Europe and Plaquemine – network, share and look at leverage opportunities.

External Factors:

Executing this role effectively will require a similarly wide-ranging engagement with parties in the external market:

• Vendors – seek offers, launch RFQs, negotiate, and pursue strategic partnership opportunities.
• Other INEOS business – network, share and look at leverage opportunity.

Responsibilities And Accountabilities

Role Dimensions:

• Annual spend: 10m€
• #vendors: >300 (~100 direct and >200 with direct reports)
• Number of direct report: 1
• Number of indirect reports: 1 + 1 contractor
• Opportunity cost saving: 1-2m$ per annum

Accountabilities:

• This position – and all positions – with the INEOS Oxide US organization requires the incumbent to commit to learning, following, and practicing INEOS 20 Principles of Process & Behavioral Safety as applicable to the position.  These Principles are posted throughout each Oxide facility and each employee must also commit to following INEOS’ Life-Saving rules on a daily basis.  These are also posted within each Oxide facility.
• Ensure that supply for materials is safe, compliant, to the correct technical specification and on schedule to meet operational requirements.
• Produce and manage RFQs (Request for Quotations) Supervise warehouse Store Clerks.
• Lead negotiations with vendors to secure best commercial terms for the business; achieve lowest total cost of ownership.
• Identify and recommend new vendors to the businesses that can offer a commercial or technical advantage to mitigate project or asset schedule risks.
• Provide expert advice on procurement related risks, including in depth market knowledge both commercial and technical to the wider organization.
• Ensure accurate and timely management of SAP material master data and agreements.
• Process purchase requisitions; aid requisitioners on best practices in developing their requisitions.
• Produce timely and complete POs (Purchase Orders)
• Maintain stock inventories for the site. Continually assure that inventory is available in a timely manner to support tight manufacturing, maintenance, and TAR schedules.
• Implement best practices in warehouse operations that allow for optimal site reliability yet drives out unnecessary inventory thus reducing working capital.
• Onboard new vendors, vet them and get them approved for onsite work or services (as well as offsite supplies of materials)

Skills/Competencies:

Level of Education & Experience in general

• 5+ years of front-line technical procurement experience within the chemical industry.
• Contract negotiation experience required.

·Experience of leading teams in a diverse working environment.

• BA/BS degree; having a technical background would be considered a plus.
• Fluency in English essential.

Technical Skills

• Commercial acumen, deep understanding of cost drivers in contracts.

• Advanced negotiation skills.

• Advanced analytical and economic analysis skills.

• Understanding of chemical manufacturing processes and practices, incl. site safety standards and legislation.

• Knowledge of contract law and ABC regulations.

• Knowledge of business accounting principles and practice

• Ability to work with MS-Office and SAP IT tools efficiently and effectively.

Behavioral Skills

• Decisive and tenacious in pursuit of objectives, demonstrating a proactive mentality and bias for action.
• Ability to think innovatively and strategically and to work independently.
• Strong influencer.
• Challenge old ways of doing things and continuously improve and streamline processes.
• Highly numerate with an analytical mind-set, and attentive to detail.
• Calm under pressure, able to make quick, clear and reasoned decisions in a dynamic environment.
• Leader of people, effective at engaging others in working together towards a common goal.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, natural relationship builder.

ADA Physical requirements, visual acuity requirements and environmental conditions

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit and perform tasks requiring repetitive use of hands.  The employee must occasionally walk, stand and travel by car, airplane or other means.   Exert up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects.

Employee must have the ability to see written documents, computer screens, and to adjust focus.

Hearing: Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction.   Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication and to make discriminations in sound.

Work Environment:  This job is performed mainly in a temperature-controlled office environment.

PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

Measurement and success along with improvements will be monitored by the Manager. Following are the Primary Key Performance Indicators for this position:

• SHE Performance: Zero incidents, ZERO Life Saving Rules Breach
• Fixed Cost Budget met at 100% or less.
• Total cost savings, cost avoidance
• Delivery & Quality– On-time Delivery, Delivery to promise date – Delivery to (original) schedule date. % Supplier OTIF (on time and in full), % Supplier Returns, % Suppliers Meeting SLAs (service Level Agreements)
• Supplier diversification: #of new successfully introduced vendors, #of new vendors introduced in bid process, # of bid with 3 or more vendors.
• Effectively manage stores working capital within business objectives
• Departmental Goals & Objectives ≥ 99%
• 100% compliance: ISO, EPA, GMP, DOT, OSHA, etc
• Meet all departmental annual training and progression goals: individual and direct/indirect reports as defined in annual performance assessment / previously listed in individual annual goals.

Our culture is one of honesty and integrity with an emphasis on safety, health and environmental performance.On our team, people are acknowledged for embracing new practices that help create real value for customers.