Procurement Specialist/Project Manager

The Procurement Specialist/Project Manager is responsible for sourcing, specifying, estimating, and buying commercial print and direct mail services, and for managing those jobs from concept through mail date. This position owns the print and mailshop supplier base, negotiating pricing and terms, writing and issuing print specifications, analyzing competitive bids, and driving production schedules so that every job prints on budget and every campaign mails on time and in full postal compliance.

What You Will Do

The Procurement Specialist/Project Manager will source, qualify, and manage commercial print vendors, mailshops/letter shops, data processing bureaus, paper merchants, bindery, and fulfillment partners. They will write and issue print specifications and requests for quote (RFQs), analyze and compare competitive bids, negotiate pricing, and buy across a range of formats.

Why It Might Be a Fit

The ideal candidate will have 5-7+ years of commercial print buying or print production experience, with direct mailshop/letter shop experience required. They will have a strong understanding of print manufacturing, USPS regulations, and list processing concepts. The candidate will be proficient in Excel, have experience with procurement or ERP systems, and have excellent analytical, negotiation, and communication skills.

Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent required
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, Marketing, Graphic Communications, or a related field preferred
• 5-7+ years of commercial print buying or print production experience
• Direct mailshop/letter shop experience required
• Working knowledge of USPS regulations, rate categories, presort and commingle, drop shipping, permits, and postal documentation
• Strong understanding of print manufacturing: offset and digital presses, prepress and proofing, paper, ink, coatings, and bindery
• Experience writing print specifications, issuing RFQs, and evaluating competitive bids
• Familiarity with list processing concepts — merge/purge, CASS, NCOALink, suppression, segmentation, and variable data printing
• Proven project management skills managing multiple concurrent jobs against fixed mail dates
• Strong analytical, negotiation, and communication skills
• Proficiency in Excel
• Experience with procurement or ERP systems (Sylogist preferred) and Contract Lifecycle Management systems (ContractWorks preferred)

Benefits

• Standard office equipment
• Normal range of hearing and vision
• Ability to sit at a desk and/or computer for a minimum of 7.5 hours per day
• Manual dexterity enough to operate standard office machines
• Good command of the English language
• Ability to adapt well and react favorably to changing work situations