Job Summary
Executes and implements effective procurement strategies, from initial identification of procurement needs through delivery, for indirect goods and services. Develops short-term and long-term strategies that align with the Company goals for reducing costs and meeting financial expectation, while managing vendor relationships and new product innovation.
Responsible for negotiating, coordinating, and assuring that assigned indirect spend categories and services are purchased at the lowest possible cost. Assesses near-term and long term plans to establish that supplier priorities are balanced with business needs; consults with Sr. Management, and other subject matter experts to develop alternative solutions; advises on options, risks, total cost of ownership, and business impacts.
Provides oversight of work quality and constructive feedback to direct and indirect reports, where applicable.
Job Responsibilities
- Direct and execute strategic sourcing strategies, best practices, and initiatives that support aggressive improvements in supplier quality, total cost effectiveness, enhanced service levels, improved coordination, delivery, pricing, lead-times, payment, risk compliance and other areas as identified.
- Executes category sourcing strategies including development and execution of RFI’s and RFP’s, documents bid events through correspondence to suppliers; develops selection criteria and drives the selection of suppliers in collaboration with a cross-functional teams; conducts supplier negotiations and ongoing supplier management.
- Actively seeks ways to streamline business processes; researches and provides information on industry category trends and best practices. Provide procurement input to maximize procurement leverage, optimize project design and minimize project durations and cost.
- Develop negotiation strategies, gain alignment from stakeholders, lead cross-functional, category-based negotiation teams, and implementing appropriate supplier risk analysis. Directly negotiate with suppliers that require a detailed strategic plan and have a direct correlation with companies operational needs and goals.
- Use current spend information/data and business knowledge to identify sourcing projects for individual subcategories, and developing an overall cost reduction plan. Demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of business requirements and category ownership by creating and defending category strategies and decisions with sound analytics. Delegates analytic tasks to key support functions; and synthesizes results.
- Develops supplier score card to measure supplier performance against agreed upon key performance indicators; tracks compliance and supports formal management reporting to director and other members of senior management. Benchmark, track, and analyze annual performance metrics and sourcing trends against budget on a monthly basis to demonstrate continuous improvement and progress against strategic objectives. Implement supplier management programs with key suppliers including metrics, performance goals, and improvement initiatives.
- Monitor supplier performance to ensure that delivery dates and technical and contractual requirements are met. Participate in strategic meetings with suppliers and business leaders to ensure execution of defined strategies. Manages day-to-day on-going category supplier relations and seeks out growth or revision opportunities within supply base. Acts as the internal point of contact for supplier management and complaint resolution; conducts regular supplier meetings and implements improvement strategies with suppliers. Creates, nurtures, and enhances supplier relationships.
- Aggressively manages category performance by adhering to internal Savings goals and reviewing financial models for commodity type items. Ensure spend portfolio for reoccurring managed spend is balanced through coordinated sourcing waves and leveraged with Capital project sourcing activities.
- Drive consolidation of spend and seek out synergies across Business Units where applicable, by forming and leading cross-functional strategic sourcing teams to develop and implement category/commodity strategies and to drive cost from individual spend sub-categories. Champions weekly category review meetings with cross-functional teams to manage category performance.
- Cultivates team morale, motivation, and loyalty through continuous training and mentorship, setting obtainable performance goals, proving clear communication and constructive feedback.
Qualifications Basic Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree and at least 5 years of procurement /retail/catalog experience OR High School equivalent and 8 years of experience in procurement/retail/catalog.
- Knowledge of the procurement lifecycle and professional procurement best practices.
- Experience in supplier negotiations and developing/executing sourcing strategies.
- Experience collaborating with internal and external resources to develop strategies that meet department goals within budget and established timelines.
- Experience managing people, projects and/or cross functional teams.
- Intermediate level skill in Microsoft Excel (for example: using SUM function, setting borders, setting column width, inserting charts, using text wrap, sorting, setting headers and footers and/or print scaling).
- Intermediate level skill in Microsoft PowerPoint (for example: applying a theme, formatting character spacing, inserting a picture, changing slide layout and theme colors, adding transitions, customizing slide numbers, changing chart style and/or formatting font).
- Intermediate level skill in Microsoft Word (for example: inserting headers, page breaks, page numbers and tables and/or adjusting table columns).
- Willing to travel up to 10% of the time for business purposes (within state and out of state and internationally).
Preferred Qualifications
- MBA or other advanced degree or CPM certification.
- At least 1 year experience in direct or indirect management of team members, including assisting in the development, training and assignment of work/projects to other team members.
- At least 3 years of experience in negotiating deals.