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Role Definition:
The Capital Buyer leads the strategic sourcing and procurement of capital equipment, engineering services, and construction scope in support of major capital projects (new plants, expansions, upgrades, and turnarounds). The role partners closely with Procurement Commodity Team, Engineering, Project Management, Operations, and Finance to deliver projects on time, on budget, and to specification—while managing complex, high-value contracts and long-lead procurement.
The incumbent balances total installed cost, schedule adherence, quality, and risk, acting as the commercial owner of capital spend across the project lifecycle from FEED (Front-End Engineering Design) through commissioning and closeout.
Role Deliverables
1. Capital Sourcing Strategy & Project Alignment
- Develop and execute capital sourcing strategies aligned to project scope, schedule, and budget (aligned to stage-gate/FEL processes).
- Engage early in the project lifecycle (FEL 1–3) to influence Procurement & contracting strategy.
- Balance total installed cost (TIC) and total cost of ownership (TCO), not just purchase price.
2. Strategic Sourcing & Contracting
- Lead E2E sourcing for high-value capital packages: RFI/RFP/RFQ, technical-commercial bid evaluation, and award.
- Structure & negotiate complex contracts - lumpsum, reimbursable, unit-rate & hybrid models; balancing risk & value.
- Develop contracting strategies suited to project risk profile and market conditions.
3. Commercial Negotiation & Value Delivery
- Negotiate pricing, payment milestones, warranties, liquidated damages (LDs), retention, and performance guarantees.
- Drive cost savings, cost avoidance, and value engineering without compromising safety, quality, or schedule.
- Manage currency, escalation, and commodity-linked pricing in long-duration contracts.
4. Supplier & Contractor Management
- Qualify, evaluate, and manage OEMs, fabricators, EPC contractors, and engineering firms.
- Conduct capability, capacity, and financial-health assessments for critical vendors.
- Manage supplier performance through expediting, inspection, and progress monitoring across the delivery cycle.
5. Risk, Compliance & Governance
- Identify and mitigate schedule, quality, financial, and single-source risks on the critical path.
- Ensure compliance with capital approval (AFE) processes, delegation of authority, safety, and regulatory standards.
6. Cross-Functional Collaboration & Reporting
- Partner with Engineering, Business, Legal, Finance, and Operations to align procurement with project milestones.
- Provide executive-ready summary on capital commitments, savings, cash-flow and procurement risk (Power BI/Excel).
- Support project audits, cost forecasting, and closeout activities
Required Qualification:
Education Bachelor’s in engineering, Supply Chain, or Business (MBA / technical Master's preferred)
Experience 8 - 10 years in procurement, with 6+ years in managing Capital Buying
Certifications CSCP / CPSM (preferred) /PMP or project-management exposure (preferred)
Domain Knowledge Engineered equipment, construction contracts, EPC/EPCM models, Incoterms
Technical Skills SAP / SRM, Excel, Power BI etc., Office 365
Commercial E2E Strategic Sourcing, Complex contract structuring, claims/variation management, TIC/TCO modeling.
Key Result Areas (KRAs)
- Capital cost savings & value engineering delivered vs. target
- Total installed cost performance vs. budget (AFE adherence)
- On-time delivery of critical-path and long-lead equipment
- Contract compliance and effective claims/variation management
- Supplier/contractor performance (quality, schedule, safety)
- Procurement cycle time across project stage-gates
Key Competencies
- Strategic & commercial acumen – structures high-value deals balancing cost, risk, and schedule.
- Project fluency – understands stage-gate, critical-path, and engineering-driven timelines.
- Contract mastery – navigates lump-sum vs. reimbursable, LDs, warranties, and change control.
- Risk management – anticipates and mitigates supply, schedule, and financial exposure.
- Stakeholder influence – earns credibility with engineers, project leaders, and executives.
- Assertive negotiation – drives outcomes in complex, high-stakes contractor negotiations.
Employee Benefits:
- Competitive Rewards & Benefits.
- Opportunity to contribute to DuPont's Global Mission.
- Exposure to Leading Technology Platforms in Procurement.
- Environment to Learn & Grow Professionally.
- Hybrid Work Culture (80:40 – WFO: WFH).
- Company Transport.
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DuPont is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability or any other protected class. If you need a reasonable accommodation to search or apply for a position, please visit our Accessibility Page for Contact Information.
DuPont offers a comprehensive pay and benefits package. To learn more visit the Compensation and Benefits page.
