Procurement Operations Specialist

Job description

We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Procurement Operations Specialist to play a critical role in enabling the rapid development and production of our autonomous vehicle technology. This position is central to ensuring our procurement processes are efficient, scalable, and resilient, directly supporting our engineering and R&D teams in bringing groundbreaking AV solutions to market.

You will be the backbone of our procurement system operations, ensuring seamless workflows and providing essential support to our global teams and supplier network. This role requires a unique blend of technical proficiency in procurement systems, a deep understanding of the autonomous vehicle supply chain, and a proactive, problem-solving mindset.

What You'll Do:

• Optimize Procurement System Operations: Manage and optimize our Coupa system, handling user provisioning and configurations, and providing expert support to all internal users, including our engineering and R&D teams. You'll troubleshoot complex issues to ensure seamless workflows and data integrity.
• Enable Strategic Supplier Relationships: Support the onboarding of critical AV technology suppliers, guiding them through our processes and ensuring successful engagement within Coupa.
• Drive Workflow Efficiency for AV Tech: Develop and refine procurement workflows tailored to the unique demands of cutting-edge AV hardware and software, including rapid prototyping and high-value, low-volume components. You'll streamline processes to support our fast-paced innovation cycle.
• Ensure Compliance and Risk Mitigation: Help enforce our compliance standards and mitigate supply chain risks specific to the autonomous vehicle industry, ensuring all procurement activities meet our stringent requirements for quality and safety.

Requirements

What You'll Bring (Required Experience & Skills):

• Proven Experience (5+ years preferred) with Coupa and Procurement Operations: Demonstrated expertise in managing, configuring, and supporting a Coupa environment, including user management, workflow design, and troubleshooting.
• An understanding of complex, multi-tiered supply chains, ideally in high-tech or automotive industries
• Experience with Niche Procurement Categories: Practical experience procuring software licenses, data sets for AI/ML, cloud services, and/or highly technical/engineered components.
• Strong Problem-Solving Skills: Ability to analyze complex issues, identify root causes, and implement effective, sustainable solutions, especially in a fast-paced R&D environment.
• Exceptional Communication & Interpersonal Skills: Ability to effectively communicate technical information to non-technical audiences, train users, and build strong relationships with internal teams (engineering, finance, and R&D) and external suppliers.
• Risk Management & Compliance Acumen: Understanding of supply chain risks, quality assurance principles, and the importance of compliance in a safety-critical industry.
• Adaptability and Agility: Ability to thrive in a dynamic, rapidly evolving environment, adapting procurement strategies to technological changes and evolving product roadmaps.
• Familiarity with the Autonomous Vehicle (AV) ecosystem and supply chain is highly preferred: Awareness of the AV supplier landscape, including Tier 1/2 automotive suppliers and emerging tech companies.

Bonus Points (Nice to Have):

• Experience with other procurement or ERP systems in addition to Coupa.
• Familiarity with PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) systems.
• Background in electronics manufacturing, automotive, or high-tech industries.
• Experience with data analytics tools for procurement insights.

Commitment: This is a full-time, 3-month contract position staffed via Client's. It is onsite and available to candidates local to the Mountain View, CA area.

Ops Check Questions:

1. What s your experience working with procurement in high-tech or automotive supply chains?
   
   1. Follow-up: Have you worked with multi-tiered suppliers in those industries?
      
2. Can you walk me through your experience managing and configuring Coupa?
   
   1. Follow-up: What specific modules have you worked with (e.g., sourcing, invoicing, catalogs)?
      
   2. Have you used any other procurement or ERP systems? If so, which ones?
      
3. Tell me about a time you troubleshoot a complex Coupa issue. What was the problem and how did you solve it?
   
4. Have you procured any of the following: AI/ML datasets, software licenses, cloud services, or highly engineered components?
   
   1. Follow-up: How did you evaluate vendors in these niche categories?
      
5. What steps do you take to ensure supplier compliance with company and industry standards?
   
6. Describe a time when you had to develop or refine a procurement process to meet unique engineering requirements.