Associate Project Administrator

A Brief Summary of This Position:

This individual contributor position is the main coordinator between Valmont and our customers in areas of requests for quotations, accepting and processing orders, computing accurate prices, maintaining management directed margins, negotiating price and delivery to obtain orders, handling all quote and order related issues for our customers.

Essential Functions:

• This position reports to a Project Administrator Supervisor or Manager and has no direct reports

• This role should have the ability to collaborate effectively with other functional areas such as: Sales, Engineering, Drafting, Industrial Engineering, Marketing, Legal, Manufacturing, Production Control, Purchasing, Shipping, Traffic, Accounting, Certifications, and remote manufacturing locations

• Process quotes and/or orders on a timely basis and monitor flow through various departments, including expediting when required

• Maintain a complete understanding of the quote and order entry systems and all the process and procedure changes that occur

• Build and manage front-end project schedules to ensure production facilities receive work timely

• Establish and maintain a reliable working relationship with the Valmont manufacturing plants

• Expeditiously resolve problems as they occur both internally and externally

• Verify orders received against quote and contract documents; enter and schedule orders and maintain open communication with representatives and customers as to the progress of orders

• Establish and maintain customer master files on all assigned accounts to provide timely information, minimize quotation and order turnaround time, and to maximize accuracy and effectiveness

• Carry out all special assignments as requested by Manager/PA Supervisor

Other Important Details about the Role:

The Associate Project Administrator deals frequently with representatives and customers on an individual order basis and regarding general policies in the areas of terms of sale, order costing, order processing, order expediting, customer complaints, and product liabilities.  The Associate Project Administrator is responsible for all order related tasks, including: 

• Order processing

• Comparison of total purchase order terms to Valmont terms and pricing policy

• Contract review of product, price, and delivery

• Maintain two-way flow of information between company departments and the various external contacts on Division-related orders

• Calculate margins and commissions

• Determine which manufacturing site an order will be built

• Provide production control with input for order scheduling

• Order expediting through all internal departments

• Credit-related functions

• Provide pertinent information to Engineering and Drafting teams on individual order basis

• Use available drafting systems to determine production part numbers for new orders and ship shortages

• Provide feedback as requested by the Sales Department on general territories and individual customer orders

Required Qualifications of Every Candidate (Education, Experience, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities):

• Preferred Bachelor’s in relevant field or Associates Degree in relevant field with 3+ years of experience or 5+ years of relevant experience

• Demonstrated strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills

• Demonstrated ability to use independent judgment and discretion

• Demonstrated ability to keep a positive, professional attitude in a high volume, fast-paced environment subject to specific deadlines which must be met

• Must possess advanced problem-solving skills, with attention to detail and a number/math orientation

• Ability to work in, and be an integral part of, a team environment

• A strong working knowledge of Microsoft Excel, Word, and Outlook 

• Self-starter with excellent organizational skills in planning and organizing to handle multiple tasks concurrently

• High level of attention to detail and knowledge of the customer's specification requirements as well as a thorough understanding of the end use of the product and the manufacturing processes used to make the product

Highly Qualified Candidates Will Also Possess These Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree with an emphasis in Business, Project Management, Engineering, Construction Management, Supply Chain, or related field  

• Prior work experience in Order Management, Project Management, Customer Service or Support, Account Management, Drafting or Engineering

• Ability to understand and analyze engineering details, project plans, and specifications

• A high level of knowledge of the Valmont quote, order entry and related software systems and programs

• Knowledge of Utility industry and products highly preferred