Procurement Specialist/Head of Supply Chain

Chemify Limited

About Chemify

Chemify is creating a future where the access to important molecules, drugs and new materials currently unimaginable are instantly accessible radically increasing the speed of innovation, quality of life, and reach of humanity. The company is building the infrastructure to digitize chemistry to design, make, and discover new molecules with the desired function and properties instantly and on-demand. Chemify has built a platform that combines purpose-built programming languages, robotics, AI, and the world’s largest and continuously growing database of chemical programs to accelerate chemical discovery to new, transformative heights.

Chemify is supported by some of the best investors from Silicon Valley and across the world, including Triatomic Capital, BlueYard ventures, DCVC, Founders Fund, and others.

Job Purpose

The Procurement specialist will establish the supply chain function at Chemify, building it into one of the most important pillars to ensure the success of the company by ensuring reliable, timely, and cost-effective supply of critical chemicals, solvents, parts, and other items required for Chemify to quickly iterate on its technology and provide services at the highest levels of quality and efficiency.

The successful candidate will work very closely with Chemists, hardware engineers, operations specialists, management, technicians, and other internal and external stakeholders to maintain, improve, optimize, and support supplies, inventories, and operational processes dedicated to Chemistry R&D and chemical manufacturing. The Procurement Specialist will be a critical team member ensuring rapid iteration times of product development, dynamic and rapid sourcing of unexpected items, and continuous supply of critical inventoried items.

The successful candidate will have experience establishing and/or running highly effective supply chain operations, thinking strategically about suppliers and supply agreements, be adept at negotiating a variety of contracts and items, and thoughtful in ensuring smooth business operation by doing whatever it takes to source and deliver on requested material. The Procurement specialist remains, at this stage of their career, extremely motivated to contribute to the development of a hyper-growth, silicon-valley style start-up by engaging deeply with other team members, and bringing both an owner’s mindset and a growth mindset to the company. Additionally, the Procurement Specialist will take on broad tasks on behalf of the team and company as they become necessary for the continuity of operations at Chemify.

As an early stage start-up employee, the Procurement Specialist will have the opportunity to work very closely with many stakeholders, including experienced laboratory and operations manager, to quickly establish best practices in supply chain, inventory management, sourcing, category management, and other adjacent functions; while experiencing the rapid pace of personal and professional growth offered at a technology platform company.

The ideal candidate will be a smart, enthusiastic, energetic, and ambitious individual excited to wear many hats and contribute to the overall success of the company in a variety of capacity as the needs evolve.

Key Responsibilities

• Work very closely with the chemistry team, engineering team, laboratory operations team, management, and other key stakeholders to establish a world-class supply chain and thus ensure the success of the overall business
• Manage reagents and consumable stocks
• Ensure engineering store maintains a critical stock level. Taking into account lead times for certain electrical or bespoke components
• Ensuring parts requiring quality control checks are quarantined before release to stock
• Work with finance to improve the controls, quality, audits, and efficiency of processes
• Work with the Quality and Operations department to implement and continuously improved business critical activities related to the supply chain
• Processing returns or supplier investigations for missing or damaged stock
• Quickly order reagents, consumables, hardware, and other equipment. Prioritize according to business need and deploy processes and energy to ensure critical commercial activities are always best provided for
• Ensure rapid shipment from vendor and effective delivery to purchaser at Chemify taking into account the quality of the products received
• Build strong working relationships with vendors
• Negotiate supply agreements with vendors to maximize savings on repeat purchases from high grossing vendors
• Negotiate purchases to maximize savings on one-off purchases of equipment or other hardware
• Organising service contracts for equipment ensuring both price and quality are considered to reduce downtime.
• Approving suppliers and maintaining the approved supplier schedule for purchase of chemicals used in manufacture
• Develop effective and stage-appropriate processes for order requests, fulfilment, and delivery
• Take-on growing responsibilities during the transformation of the company from an R&D-stage organization to a commercial power-house
• Work on additional tasks as the company needs

Requirements

• Must have Undergraduate degree in Logistics, or equivalent topic / work experience
• At least five years of professional experience within a procurement / buying position in an industrial organization; experience of regulatory requirements (ISO, etc ) is preferred, GMP/GLP experience is a strong plus
• At least two years of experience in a highly collaborative work environment, industry or otherwise
• Experience with Environment, Health, and Safety regulation and implementation thereof
• Experience and track record in successfully negotiating quotes, contracts, and other agreements as they relate to supply chain: purchases, supply agreements, etc
• Experience running and improving purchasing processes must; experience setting up efficient triple verification processes a plus
• Strong work ethic and positive predisposition to learn quickly and apply learnings
• Excitement at the opportunity to participate in the growth of a world-changing company from the early
• Exceptional written and oral communications skills including experience of preparing and following documented procedures
• Interest in and experience with chemistry a strong plus