SHEA HOMES HOUSTON
Position Title: Sr. National Purchasing Specialist
Reporting Relationships: National Director of Purchasing
FLSA Status: Exempt
Salary Range: $105,000 - $115,000
Description:
The Senior National Purchasing Specialist (SNPS) is responsible for the procurement and cost management of assigned trade categories. The NSPS leads a national category management team where they work with peers to manage assigned trade costs at a national level. This includes identifying new trades, performing due diligence and working with Divisional Operations leaders to qualify, approve and onboard new Trades. The SNPS is responsible for competitive bidding, analyzing, negotiating, and awarding contracts to Trades who are approved by both Purchasing and Division Operational leaders (i.e. the Approved Bid List). In addition to procurement duties, the SNPS is responsible for assembling and maintaining budgets, preparing documents for inclusion into trade contract agreements, special projects and other duties assigned by the NDP. The SNPS assists the NDP in mentoring, developing and motivating the Specialists and Assistant Specialists within their assigned NPO Hub.
The National Purchasing Hubs provide important services to the divisions; it is the SNPS’s responsibility to respond timely to division needs and perform to established service standards and metrics.
Summary of Position Requirements:
Purchasing Policy Compliance
- Assist National Purchasing Director (NDP) in maintaining a bidding workload schedule for all communities. Aid in developing a competitive bid schedule for new communities including determining when it is appropriate to bid out or re-price contracts for in-progress communities.
- Collaborate with NDP and Operational leaders to assure bid, signature authority, contract, insurance, etc. policies are followed.
Specifying
- Research new products, features and amenities for cost effectiveness and marketability
- For each new community, obtain the specifications, amenities, features and specifications for from Division Associates.
- When specifying, review and apply all exclusive national accounts.
- Participate in value engineering, preliminary architectural reviews, feature & specification meetings, and model walks as directed by the NDP.
- Always pursue the objective of simplicity (good = base house, better = option level #1, best = option level #2) when participating in specification feature reviews, etc.
- After the contract is awarded, assemble and distribute product specification notebook to the Division
Budgeting - Assist in the preparation of the proforma direct construction cost estimate
- Assemble information necessary to complete the indirect cost estimate
- Assist in the preparation of the Pre-bid, line item budget, estimate
- Provide cost and trade information to Purchasing Administrator to maintain accurate budgets in E1 and report budget adjustments to the division or business unit.
- Review budgets and maintain a Revised Budget estimate (based on actual costs to date) compared to the Original Budget (at time of contract award) with the NDP and Division Business Leaders.
- Update monthly the Direct Construction Cost (DCC) report and provide a 30/60/90 cost outlook.
Bidding
- Obtain an Approved Bid list with multiple qualified bidders per trade signed by the Divisional head of operations.
- Establish and hold trades accountable for meeting bid due dates
- Prepare and distribute all onsite bid sheets and packages, including latest architectural plans, consultant reports, cover letter with bid due date, standard trade requirements, list of options, specific trade requirements, material specifications and sequence sheet.
- Obtain unitized pricing for each of the 4 buckets (material quantities, material SKU level pricing, labor rates and hours required for each labor rate to complete scope of work).
- Obtain written bids for all quotations including production, option and alternate pricing, bid concessions, model home discounts, and sales complex upgrades.
- Obtain, analyze and negotiate option costs before awarding base house contracts.
Analyze, Qualify, Negotiate
- Spread and compare bids for the cost of base house and optional offerings using historical or projected product mix and option frequencies to determine weighted average costs associated with each bid.
- Identify and resolve bid discrepancies with each bidder.
- Review and consider proposed substitutions.
- Obtain Division approval for all substitutions, revise and update scopes and feature specifications to incorporate approved substitutions.
- Review all substitutions or scope of work changes with each bidder.
- Identify lowest qualified bidder and compare to line item budget estimate.
- Negotiate with Trades to achieve costs that are at or below budget.
Award Contract
- Prepare bid analysis / award recommendation summarizing the final bids for each qualified bidder. Review award recommendations with the NDP. Approve and obtain NDP signature approval to achieve the required two person sign off.
- Advise successful trade of award decision, notify all other bidders of award decision.
- Transmit complete and accurate award package to the contract administrator for processing.
- Prepare and review for accuracy all contract documents.
- Forward contract documents to responsible manager for counter signature.
Contract Management
- Assemble required information to process contract change orders for substitutions, scope of work changes, code updates, etc.
- Transmit complete and accurate change order package to contract administrator for processing
- Forward change order documents to responsible manager for counter signature.
Cost Reduction / Management
- Track costs for needed building materials, services, prevailing labor rates, and other related cost components for each assigned trade category.
- Require 60-day notice on all price increases. The 60 days starts when supplier/trade has provided all required supporting documentation. See contract.
- Request documentation for any proposed price increase including the 4 buckets (material quantities, material SKU level pricing, labor rates and hours required for each labor rate to complete scope of work). This will include before/after invoices for materials.
- Request cost drivers for any proposed price increase. For material price increases, compare change in cost driver to change in before/after invoices by comparing the more recent date of either the last increase or the original contract date.
- Contact Field Manager to see if he/she has observed extra material on the jobsite, has access to any ship quantity tickets, etc.
- For labor increases, request the Field Manager observe labor hours to complete scope of work. Ask Trade workers for current hourly rates.
- Negotiate with supplier/trade to avoid price increases by comparing their 4 buckets with market level as well as national level data from other trades performing the same scope of work.
- Competitive bid to avoid price increase.
- Negotiate lower percentage increase, backlog protection, no increase for high frequency plans, delayed effective date and other methods to minimize the annual impact of the price increase.
- Advise NDP immediately of substantive changes or variation from the approved Direct Construction Cost and Indirect Construction Cost budget.
Administrative
- Obtain required information (cut-sheets, samples, specs, etc.) from manufacturers, suppliers, and trades to facilitate the work of contract administrators, sales, field supervision, and others served by the NPO.
- Check all work products for accuracy
Trade Relations - Identify trade contractors whose performance and capacity make them strategically important to the division.
- Assist construction management in resolving Trade issues.
- Maintain professional, win-win working relationships with Trades through honest and open exchange of information and ideas.
- Maintain arms-length transactions with trades. It is the SNPS’s responsibility to pursue Shea’s best interest.
- Participate in Trade/Safety Council meetings and committees as required.
- Assist SHPIP administrator in gaining Trade adherence to insurance requirements
Mentor and Manage
- Assist the NDP in mentoring, developing and motivating the Specialists and Assistant Specialists within their assigned NPO Hub.
- Monitor adherence to purchasing practices, procedures and standards in keeping with Shea Homes policies and values
- Lead a national category team that includes all Shea markets. This will include facilitating team calls, coordinating data collection for national accounts, guiding team members on price increases and other assigned special projects.
- In the event the NDP is out of the office, the NSPS will step in attend meetings, submit reports, and lead the NPO team.
Performance Standards - Achieve objectives and goals as outlined by the NDP
- Complete personal goal objectives
- Complete on time and in keeping with quality requirements the work associated with all position requirements listed above.
Knowledge / Experience - College degree or equivalent combination of education and experience
- Previous experience in a continuous improvement environment a plus
- Mainframe and personal computer proficiency, including Microsoft Office Suite: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, E1/JDEdwards
- Five years experience in the homebuilding industry
- Three years experience in residential purchasing
- Multi-family purchasing experience a plus
- Field construction experience a plus
Skills/Abilities - Must have a passionate drive to learn and improve. Self motivated
- Professional demeanor: projects positive and professional image
- Productivity: excellent attendance, excellent work quantity and quality, positive contributor; ability to work successfully in a team environment, strong people skills, works well with others at all levels
- Innovation: seeks new opportunities and growth challenges, contributes ideas, helps resolve problems, and develops new procedures and methods
- Honesty: truthful and trustworthy, does what needs to be done and what is right; is fair and objective, has personal integrity and treats others in a mature, responsible manner
- Loyalty: has commitment toward the goals and values of the organization, respects its efforts, defends its good name, gives the job the best effort and sincerity
- Initiative: ability to think, work and make independent decisions based on sound judgment
- Excellent written and verbal communications skills
- Understanding of basic measurement and team tools and continuous process improvement methodology and practices
- Must possess a strong internal/external customer service orientation and commitment
- Excellent time management, organization and follow-up skills
- Ability to manage competing priorities and assignments
- Must be comfortable working in a fast-paced environment where continuous improvement is expected
- Must be able to consistently achieve high work standards
- Demonstrates flexibility and adaptability to rapid change
- Creates good will within department and interdepartmentally
- Ability to read, understand and apply the requirements of architectural and consultant drawings and reports, including:
- Title 24 reports
- Acoustical reports
- Soils reports
- Post tension drawings
- Precise grading plans
- Ability to understand construction terminology
- Ability to define and apply specific and standard trade requirements
- Ability to analyze Supplier/Trade bids for accuracy and completeness
- Ability to comprehend construction processes and sequence of work
- Ability to understand consumer expectations within defined market segments and relate to specification levels
- Ability to negotiate agreements that benefit Shea
- Ability to understand and utilize Shea measurement tools
Physical Demand/Work Environment
The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an associate to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the associate is regularly required to talk and hear. The associate frequently is required to walk and sit, and occasionally is required to stand. The associate must occasionally lift and/or move up to approximately 25 pounds. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet to moderate.
Professional Development Statement
This position is expected to maintain a program for his/her own professional development and shall do so by creating, maintaining and executing his/her Professional Development Plan per company standards.
