Buyer, Purchasing, Project Management

Jill Arcade

Cell: 201-***-**** Email: ***********@*****.*** 74 Bayberry Drive Mahwah, NJ 07430

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillarcade

Purchasing and Procurement

Experienced Purchasing professional with a proven track record in implementing cost saving strategies, resulting in 20-50% in cost reductions, while meeting and exceeding objectives and maintaining integrity and quality of work. Effectively lead teams and foster solid working relationships. Handle high volume under tight deadlines. Core competencies include:

Purchasing/Buying Vendor Sourcing/Management Project Management Asset Management

Cost Control Training/Leadership Scheduling Product Packaging Excellent Customer Relations

Professional Experience

RockTenn (now WestRock), Totowa, NJ 2013 - 2015

Sales Project Manager

•Manage projects, such as retail displays and packaging, with Account Sales Representatives for various Fortune 500 company customers.

•Manage customer account data from concept development through fulfillment.

•First point of contact for customer requests for Design and Pricing and account inquiries.

•Workflow management, including providing quote letters and proofs to customers, requesting purchase orders, and providing schedules.

•Provide specification packages to Estimating for pricing estimates. Update estimates as needed.

•Submit work orders to Production Project Manager and Assembly Project Coordinator to schedule production.

•Maintain customer order records AS400 system to ensure all associated costs are accurately captured.

•Work collaboratively with cross-functional counterparts to respond to customers, complete orders, improve processes, and enhance company performance.

Pearson Inc., Hoboken, NJ, 1995 - 2013

Senior Procurement Specialist

•Coordinated diversified purchasing for manufacturing products and order placement.

•Monitored projects from inception at manufacturing to completion at warehouse level, to the trafficking of different components. Typically handled 40-80 active projects at a given time.

•Managed projects with multiple components, including 1-4 color packaging.

•Issued approximately 1500 purchase orders per year.

•Determined which packages were to be printed on a weekly basis, based on style, approved proofs, quantity and deadlines. This streamlining resulted in a 20 - 50% cost reduction per unit.

•Calculated cost reductions and submitted report to management on a monthly basis.

•Analyzed costs between various vendors and provide this report to management so that contract could be awarded to most cost efficient vendor.

•Hired most reliable vendor to handle each project component, considering price and time management, from a vendor base of 5 - 20 depending on type of product.

•Seamlessly transferred art files, masters and proofs of up to 100 projects when transitioning main vendors.

•Interfaced with production, design and editorial departments serving as key project advisor to ensure timely and cost effective product manufacturing. This entailed working with teams of 3- 10 people per project.

•Track and report project specifics including schedules and invoices to the project team, keeping information up to date and transparent.

•Collaborated in launch meetings for new projects to establish dates, specifications, and budgets.

•Worked closely with editorial department to create cost effective package styles based on their particular needs.

•Prudently monitored all financial facets including project estimates and budgets of up to $300, 000.

•Maintained cohesive vendor relations, collaborating throughout each production phase, coordinated scheduling, negotiated best pricing, initiated quotes and purchase orders.

•Trained, mentored and monitored four staff members on purchasing “best practices”, ensuring all internal standards and brand building lead to effective business unit that valued the company’s vision.

•Promoted a team-oriented culture cross-departmentally within the company, leading team meetings, utilizing excellent interpersonal skills with strength in maintaining and building productive relationships that inspired performance, drove improvement, and produced results.

•Constantly evaluated techniques to streamline efficiency, to provide employees with appropriate training in order to create a collaborative, reliable, and efficient streamline of work to maximize productivity.

Most Notable Achievements:

•Successfully completed production of over 700 projects per year.

•Appointed to oversee and direct company-wide manufacturing run for packaging resulting in $6 million in annual savings.

•Established standardized packages that print in tandem to decrease costs; integral key member with research, instituting cost savings program to monitor print runs.

•Reviewed generic inventory count at 6 month intervals ensuring adequate on-hands; ordered sufficient quantity based on forecasts and past usage to regulate pricing and cost control.

•Managed the package printing seamless transition to a new vendor for dramatic cost cutting.

•Participated in the Design Workflow Committee to streamline packaging options, for greater cost efficiencies.

•Served as committee member to advise the company on the proprietary system creation and the maintenance of system updates, to promote automation and increased efficiency.

John Wiley and Sons, Hoboken, NJ, 1994 – 1995

Production Assistant

•Administered general support directly to Production Manager and Managing Editor, identifying and addressing urgent matters, insuring proper and timely follow through.

•Facilitated quality control by proofreading galleys, pages, and guiding reproduction at each stage of production.

•Performed accurate data entry and efficiently filed electronic and physical documents.

•Maintained multiple databases to insure most up to date information to customer service.

•Articulately and diplomatically handled numerous phone calls, face-to-face communications and written correspondence, while building positive rapport and quality customer service.

•Streamlined responsibilities prioritized and implemented productivity ensuring operations.

•Prepared vouchers to pay freelancers and compositors.

Most Notable Achievements:

•Trained and selected to lead book production project from start to finish.

Education and Certificates

Master of Arts, Communication William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ

Bachelor of Arts, Communication William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ

Supply Chain Management Certificate William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ

Microsoft Office Certificate William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ

Computer Proficiency

Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), SAP, and various proprietary systems

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