Tactical Buyer

Job content

Location: Tubize, Belgium

Thales people architect solutions at the heart of the defence-security continuum. Interoperable and secure information and telecommunications systems for defence, security, and civil operators, are based upon innovative use of radiocommunications, networks, and cybersecurity. We are ground breaking new digital technologies such as 4G mobile communications, cryptography, cloud computing and big data for use in physical protection systems, and critical information systems.

Thales Belgium SA, Belgium competence center of Thales, is a company located on 2 sites, one in Tubize (near Brussels) and the other one in Herstal (near Liège). Thales Belgium, which employs more than 230 collaborators, is specialized in the design, development and supply of critical information systems for customers in the sectors of Defense, Security (including Cyber), Transport and Aerospace.

Thales Belgium SA (Tubize site) is looking for a :

Tactical Buyer

Thales Belgium is currently looking for a Tactical Buyer, who will report to Entity for performance, evaluation, support/assistance, arbitration and escalation. You are the first point of contact between Thales and its suppliers.

You are responsible and authorized to create, issue, manage and eventually close Purchase Orders on behalf of Thales. You have end to end responsibility and ownership of each purchase order you place, including monitoring the timely deliveries of the products and services they order, expediting late deliveries, resolving invoicing errors and maintaining accurate data and records in Thales’s systems.

The Tactical Buyer plays an important role in how Thales delivers value to customers. She/he contributes directly on the ability to meet internal and external customers expected service levels by transforming purchase requisitions into purchase orders autonomously and in the right amount of time, with the right supplier and for the right price.

Maintain close relationship with Requestors, Suppliers and other Tactical Buyers. Interface with Supply Chain, Category Buyers, Procurement Project Managers, Supplier Performance Managers, Export Control Officers, Finance personnel, etc.

The position is located in Tubize, with regular visit at Herstal plant.

Main Responsibilities

• Support requestor in the process of PR construction and support the execution of Thales’s procurement strategy;
• Verify that purchase requisition data (supplier approval status, part no., export control status, GL Account/Project no., etc.) is complete & exact;
• Verify contract & price list validity and/or match with quotation and purchase requisition data including price, incoterms, delivery location & date;
• Under delegation of authority, obtain quotations from In-Policy suppliers, analyze and evaluate quotations and place purchase order based on best negotiated quotation;
• Transform purchase requisitions into purchase orders, obtain & include required documentation, review for overall quality and send purchase order to supplier;
• Obtain purchase orders acknowledgement & export control documents from suppliers & attach to purchase orders
• Follow-up and expedite purchase orders/purchase orders with acknowledged dates past due
• Manage purchase order cancellations
• Manage shortages or delivery delays as soon as informed, escalate when required; manage returns
• Manage purchase order modifications and keep information systems up to date with latest information & parameters
• Resolve invoicing problems relating to ordered products or services/Handle disputes that prevent the billing of orders under her/his responsibility
• Prepare documents or obtain relevant information/data to support claims made by Thales on suppliers with whom he/she places/has placed orders
• Manage her/his Order Book, Order Book reviews and Forecast management reviews with suppliers & Category Buyers for items under his/her responsibility
• Review & validate Excess/Useless reports for items under his/her responsibility
• Obtain and/or provide necessary information to develop/support performance indicators, purchasing strategy or other procurement reports
• Ensure ERP is configured with optimal parameters, including support just-in-time or pulled flows deliveries when required
• Close purchase orders when all items are delivered and accepted
• Applies and enforces the Thales Code of Ethics
  

Your profile

Education

• Master or Bachelor degree in business, logistics, economics, pure or applied sciences.
• Minimum of 3-5 years’ experience in purchasing or materials management experience
• Fluent in French or Dutch, and in English
• Completed or ongoing MCIPS (CIPS), CIPM, CSCP or SCOR-P certification (ASCM, ex- APICS) or other (APS; CDAF, ex-ESAP; BME; etc.) equivalent certification or qualification is a plus
  

Knowledge And Skills

• Ability to develop and expand internal and supplier relationships (assistance, escalation...)
• Ability to challenge, pressure or push back on suppliers
• Professional use of commercial contracts & terms and conditions
• Advanced use of office productivity applications (Excel) and ERP purchasing tools (materials mgt)
• Good understanding of order management processes
• Be proactive and have very good communication skills
• Professional-level interpersonal & communication skills
• Well developed sense of priorities and accurate self-evaluation
• Ability to take a step back & build perspective
• Able to anticipate, be proactive and to bring added value
• Able to mobilize and convince resources outside of his function
• Acts in coherence with Thales ethics rules and values in all circumstances
  

At Thales we provide CAREERS and not only jobs. With Thales employing 80,000 employees in 68 countries our mobility policy enables thousands of employees each year to develop their careers at home and abroad, in their existing areas of expertise or by branching out into new fields. Together we believe that embracing flexibility is a smarter way of working. Great journeys start here, apply now!