Karen Jualo

Procurement Manager with 14 years' experience in both indirect and direct material procurement.

Procurement Manager at Summit Publishing Co., Inc. (2025-08 – Present)

• Responsible for sourcing, negotiating, contracting, and managing suppliers of out-of-home advertising inventory and related services.
• Ensures cost efficiency, optimal media placements, compliance with company policies, and strong vendor relationships while supporting marketing and media objectives.
• Works closely with Media Planning, Marketing, Finance, Legal, and Operations teams to deliver effective and measurable OOH campaigns across traditional and digital formats.
• Verify that purchase orders align with budgetary constraints.
• Oversee the status of purchase orders to ensure timely delivery.
• Analyze pricing proposals and quotations from suppliers to identify cost-effective options.
• Seek opportunities for cost reduction and cost savings in the procurement process.
• Monitor and manage expenses within the assigned budget.
• Ensure procurement activities comply with company policies and relevant regulations.
• Maintain accurate and organized procurement records and documentation.

Procurement Officer-Freelance at Summit Publishing Co., Inc. (2025-06 – 2025-08)

• Identify and evaluate potential suppliers based on quality, cost, reliability, and other criteria.
• Establish and maintain strong relationships with suppliers.
• Negotiate terms and conditions with suppliers.
• Create and process purchase orders accurately and in a timely manner.
• Verify that purchase orders align with budgetary constraints.
• Monitor and track the status of purchase orders to ensure timely delivery.
• Analyze pricing proposals and quotations from suppliers to identify cost-effective options.
• Seek opportunities for cost reduction and cost savings in the procurement process.
• Monitor and manage expenses within the assigned budget.
• Ensure procurement activities comply with company policies and relevant regulations.
• Maintain accurate and organized procurement records and documentation.

Procurement Buyer at Omicron Trading Corporation (Member of REBISCO group of Companies) (2021-06 – 2025-04)

• Lead and manage sourcing and accreditation of Indirect, packaging and raw Materials (Imported)
• Consolidate volume of requirement across the group for better negotiation to principal sources and determine its feasibility for importation
• Develop supplier base specifically for high spend categories for resiliency and cost competitive advantage
• Co-lead key projects like savings and supplier capability
• Coordinate transactions up to payment and logistics
• Ensure that suppliers adhere to quality deliveries at best price possible
• Endorse PO issuance to satellite buyers
• Review and evaluate supplier performance according to price, quality and delivery service based on agreed SLA.

Procurement Supervisor at Philippine Batteries Inc. (2018-02 – 2020-12)

• Lead and manage sourcing of operating supplies and stock items for food group (KFC, Tokyo Tokyo and Mister Donut)
• Sourcing of plant consumables and MRP stocks
• Lead and execute RFX (RFI, RFQ, RFP) and subsequently prepare award recommendation
• Develop supplier base specifically for high spend categories for resiliency and cost competitive advantage
• Maintenance of material master and ensure data encoded in SAP is accurate
• Contract Management- Diesel, LPG and fast moving consumables (stainless steel sheets, caustic soda and garnet)
• Co-lead key projects like savings and supplier capability
• Ensure that suppliers adhere to the Procure-to-Pay policy and sees to it that they will be paid on time
• Generate procurement related reports in SAP

Direct Materials (RM) Procurement Support at SL Temps Inc. (deployed to Unilever Philippines) (2016-09 – 2017-09)

• Maintenance of Procurement Master Data – Contract, Scheduling Agreement, Master Recipe, Source List and PIR. Ensure accuracy of data encoded in SAP.
• Ensure that all contracts/agreements and PO's are approved within the agreed SLA.
• Maintain central filing system of all contracts- Legal, internal and external.
• Regular review of Agreements validity and open target quantity.
• Generate procurement related reports in SAP
• Contribute to defining and establishing internal Control procedures related to SAP transactions.
• Suggest and drive improvements for encoding of SAP transactions.

3PM Procurement Assistant at SL Temps Inc. (deployed to Unilever Philippines) (2012-06 – 2016-09)

• Maintenance of Procurement Master Data for conversion cost contract. Ensure accuracy of data encoded in SAP.
• Encode agreed contract in SAP
• Route contract for approval to authorized signatories and maintain a contract tracker.
• Regular review of Agreements validity and open target quantity.
• Generate procurement related reports in SAP
• Document and safekeep tolling contracts awarded to 3rd party manufacturers of Unilever

Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering – Bulacan State University (2010)

Secondary – Team Mission Christian School (2005)

Elementary – Team Mission Christian School (2001)