Procurement Specialist ERP and Supplier Negotiations

Deborah Abernathy-Smith

Procurement Specialist Supplier Negotiation, ERP Systems, Contract Administration

***********@*****.***.*** 770-***-**** Acworth, GA

SUMMARY

Procurement Specialist with 8+ years managing supplier negotiations, ERP implementations, and procure-to-pay operations across healthcare, aerospace, and manufacturing. Delivered 40% cost reductions through strategic sourcing and redirected $1M in spend while maintaining FAR compliance.

EXPERIENCE

Leidos – Grants Peer Reviewer – Remote, North Bethesda, MD - 2020 – Present

Evaluate federal grant applications totaling more than $7M for compliance, financial stewardship, and risk mitigation.

Assess financial controls, program feasibility, and funding recommendations supporting federal award decisions.

WellStar Health Systems – Buyer / Purchasing Specialist (Contract) – Remote, Marietta, GA -2024 – 2025

Supported enterprise-wide procurement operations during Workday implementation and Augusta Medical Center integration. Configured Workday procurement modules, developed custom workflows and reports, and trained end users on procure-to-pay processes.

Managed procure-to-pay activities supporting clinical, operational, and capital purchasing requirements.

Processed and validated ~1,000 PO line items weekly across multiple hospitals and clinical departments.

Coordinated emergency and expedited purchases to prevent disruptions to patient care and hospital operations.

Resolved purchasing discrepancies, backorders, invoice issues, and inventory shortages by coordinating across receiving, suppliers, operations, finance, and clinical teams.

Built Excel-based exception reports using VLOOKUP, reducing manual review time by70% and improving procurement team productivity.

Reduced PO processing time by 75% by standardizing templates, automating approvals, and implementing batch processing in Workday.

Identified continuous improvement opportunities to simplify procurement processes and improve purchasing efficiency.

Interroll Atlanta LLC – Procurement Buyer – Hiram, GA

2021 – 2023

Supported procurement activities for custom conveyor systems serving distribution, airport baggage handling, and automated material handling customers.

Managed procurement of raw materials, fabricated components, electrical components, MRO supplies, and engineered parts supporting production.

Negotiated supplier agreements from $75K to $1M+ using competitive bidding, supplier benchmarking, and multi-round negotiations. Secured 25% cost savings through volume bundling, contract extensions, improved payment terms, and value-added services.

Managed approximately 20-25 domestic suppliers while supporting multiple production projects simultaneously.

Partnered closely with engineering, quality, operations, and suppliers to qualify new domestic suppliers following COVID-related international supply disruptions.

Localized sourcing from European to U.S. suppliers, reducing procurement costs by ~40% while improving supply continuity and cutting lead times.

Supported major customer projects including Amazon distribution system installations.

Conducted annual supplier assessments using QCDM criteria (Quality, Cost, Delivery, Management) to drive pricing reviews and performance improvements.

FDS Avionics – Supply Chain Specialist (Contract) – Alpharetta, GA - 2020 – 2021

Supported aerospace manufacturing operations producing aircraft display systems.

Managed procurement of electronic boards, display assemblies, framing components, MRO materials, and production-related supplies.

Worked directly with the CFO and cross-functional leadership on annual sourcing strategies and procurement planning.

Managed approximately 40 suppliers supporting production schedules and customer delivery requirements.

Negotiated supplier agreements up to $200K in FAR-compliant aerospace procurement.

Partnered with production, engineering, suppliers, and logistics teams to resolve shortages and maintain uninterrupted production.

Honeywell Aerospace (Compunnelt) – Buyer / Procurement Specialist (Contract) – Atlanta, GA 2018 – 2019

Supported aerospace engine manufacturing by procuring engine components, electronic assemblies, inspection services, and production materials.

Managed about 100 domestic and international suppliers across the United States and Europe, including strategic suppliers in Italy.

Negotiated contracts, RFPs, SOWs, MSAs, SLAs, and NDAs ranging from $75K to $5M.

Redirected ~$1M in spend to preferred suppliers, generating ~30% cost savings through supplier rationalization and improved demand forecasting.

Worked directly with production, engineering, quality, and supplier inspection teams to maintain continuity of supply.

Evaluated supplier performance and consolidated temporary suppliers into long-term strategic supplier relationships.

Maintained FAR/DFAR compliance across SAP procurement operations and supplier management.

State Roads & Tollway Authority (Kelly Services) – Procurement & Purchasing Specialist (Contract) – Atlanta, GA - 2017 – 2018

Developed RFQs, RFPs, ITBs, and procurement documentation supporting state transportation projects.

Managed supplier onboarding, contract administration, W-9 validation, EFT registration, and procurement compliance activities.

Increased electronic payment enrollment to ~95%, reducing invoice processing cycle time by 30 days.

Supported purchasing and contract administration for state-funded infrastructure initiatives.

Halyard Health (Formerly Kimberly-Clark Healthcare) – Global Marketing Administrator II – Alpharetta, GA

2013 – 2015

Supported procurement operations for global healthcare products and marketing organizations.

Managed purchasing of IT, software, maintenance services, professional services, and marketing materials.

Administered SAP purchasing, Concur expense management, supplier onboarding, contract administration, and P-Card programs.

Led sample ordering process redesign, eliminating duplicate shipments and reducing transportation costs by 75%.

Served as a Super User during Concur implementation, training end users and supporting enterprise adoption.

Created and coordinated Statements of Work (SOWs), Master Service Agreements (MSAs), Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs), and supplier contracts across multiple business functions.

SKILLS

Procurement & Sourcing: Strategic Sourcing, Vendor Management, Contract Negotiation, Supplier Evaluation, Procure-to-Pay Operations, Purchase Card Management, Request for Proposal (RFP), Supply Chain Optimization

Contract Administration: SOW, MSA, SLA, NDA, FAR/DFAR Compliance, Grant Review & Compliance Oversight, Regulatory Reporting

ERP & Procurement Systems: SAP, Ariba, Coupa, Workday, IBM Maximo, MS Dynamics, MMIS, PeopleSoft, Lawson

Financial Management: Budget Development & Financial Reporting, Cost Reduction Strategies, Annual Price Reviews, Travel and Entertainment Analysis, Concur

Process & Technology: Process Improvement, Workflow Optimization, Kaizen Methodologies, SQL Database, SharePoint, DocuSign, OnBase

Microsoft Office Suite: Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Access, Project, Visio, Teams, Outlook

Project Management

EDUCATION

MBA – Management & Strategy

Western Governors University

BS – Marketing Management

Western Governors University

United States Army

51R10 Interior Electrician, Drill Sergeant Logistics & Facilities Operations

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