Strategic Sourcing Leader

The Strategic Sourcing Leader manages the Strategic Sourcing team of Commodity Managers whose responsibility is to develop and execute a pipeline of savings projects, leading and coaching commodity managers, reviewing and/or leading the strategy for projects and establishing “should be” pricing for targeted commodities. You and your team will spearhead high-impact negotiations and cost-saving initiatives. While others within the company are involved in deal negotiations, your expertise and leadership will drive the company’s growth through strategic sourcing, supplier partnerships, and delivering savings across key commodities. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with internal stakeholders and suppliers, with the goal of driving significant cost savings.

• Execute strategic initiatives through comprehensive research, innovative supplier partnerships, and exploring new ideas.

• Teach and lead formal processes such as commodity strategies, RFPs, e-auctions, and other strategic procurement methods to optimize supplier agreements.

• Be a data-driven decision-maker, using analysis to identify savings opportunities and guide procurement strategies.

• Foster a high-energy, strategic, and resourceful team environment, encouraging creative problem-solving and cross-functional collaboration.

• Continuously learn, share ideas, and collaborate within the global team to advance cost-saving strategies.

• Coach and mentor your team, helping them develop into subject matter experts (SMEs) that drive even more substantial savings.

Primary Accountabilities:

Strategic (60%)

• Achieve in-year and annualized savings goals while researching a pipeline of future projects and deals.

• Strong strategic and analytical mindset with proven experience in procurement, supplier management, and cost-saving initiatives.

• Start a measurement and methodology for cost avoidance, but be consistent.

• Set strategy for commodities.

• Negotiate deals and support your team in negotiations.

• Select appropriate supplier partners, establishing high expectations and maintaining good business relationships

• Direct the research of goods and services to ensure competitive pricing and delivery of products and services.

• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of new products, services, suppliers and ways to save money by challenging the status quo and sharing new ideas.

Leadership (20%)

• Lead and grow a high-performing team that is efficient and effective.

• Develop your team into SME’s; by taking classes, talking with suppliers, listening to webinars, attending conferences, etc.

• Train team in methods of Strategic Sourcing, e-auctions, RFP’s, etc.

• Provide insights and training and guidance to internal stakeholders on upcoming contracts expiration, anomalies in supplier dashboards, etc

• Teach, guide, and share with internal stakeholders the supplier dashboards and business Intelligence tools.  

• Responsible for selection and hiring of qualified associates, ensuring an effective onboarding, and providing comprehensive training and regular feedback.

• Accomplishes team results by communicating job expectations; planning, monitoring and appraising job results; coaching, counseling, and disciplining employees; developing, coordinating, and enforcing systems, policies, procedures, and productivity standards.

• Establishes annual targets and objectives for the department based on the organization’s strategic priorities.

• Responsible for achieving organizational performance and retention goals, including timely completion of performance evaluations.

Operational (20%)

• Lead and/or participate in the implementation of projects and deals.

• Report savings progress.

• Lead and/or project manage all savings projects.

• Review contracts for business related deliverables.

• Establish, lead and/or participate in supplier reviews (weekly, monthly and/or quarterly).

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in business, supply chain, engineering or related field.

• 15+ years of related experience; or any equivalent combination of experience and training that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to complete the major responsibilities/essential functions of the position.

• Experience leading Commodity Managers and/or indirect commodity projects on a large scale.

• Experience leading e-auctions over multiple Indirect categories; such as Legal, Marketing, HR, Finance, Insurance, IT (hardware or software), Warehouses, etc.

• Worked in Global Industrial / Manufacturing related company; such as: automotive, pharmaceutical, etc with very developed Global Procurement Organizations and understands potential of a tactical and strategic team

• Proficient with Microsoft Office and/or Google suites.

• High energy, creativity, and resourcefulness with a passion for continuous improvement and learning.

• Ability to travel overnight up to 25% to collaborate with team members, visit key sites, and attend other work-related functions.

Individual Competencies:

• Integrity:  Gains the trust of others by taking responsibility for own actions and telling the truth. Follows through on commitments and agreements; Respects confidentiality; Maintains confidentiality regardless of pressure from others.

• Personal Credibility:  Demonstrates concern that one be perceived as responsible, reliable, and trustworthy.

• Teamwork:  Builds relationships and works cooperatively with others, inside and outside the organization, to accomplish objectives to build and maintain mutually beneficial partnerships, leverage information and achieve results.

• Adaptable:  Responds to change with a willingness to learn new ways to accomplish work objectives with a positive attitude.

• Analytical and Critical Thinking: Ability to tackle a problem by using a logical, systematic, sequential approach.

• Problem Solving: Gathers and analyzes information to generate and evaluate potential solutions to problems, issues and challenges while weighing the accuracy and relevance of the facts, data and information.

• Communication:  Giving and receiving messages and information in written, oral, and visual formats concisely for a complete understanding of meaning and intent.

• Collaboration: Works collaboratively with others to achieve group goals and objectives.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an associate to successfully perform the major job responsibilities (essential functions) of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the major job responsibilities. This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications associated with the job. Duties responsibilities and activities may change, or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.

While performing the duties of this job, the associate is:  

• Regularly required to use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools or controls, and reach with hands or arms.

• Regularly required to talk or hear and read instructions on a computer monitor and/or printed on paper.

• Occasionally required to stand, kneel or stoop, and lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

• Regularly required to view items at an extremely close range and must be able to adjust and readjust focus.

• Occasionally required to remain in a stationary position.

As an Inmar Associate, you:

• Put clients first and consistently display a positive attitude and behaviors that demonstrate an awareness and willingness to listen and respond to clients in order to meet their short-term and long-term needs, requirements and exceed their expectations. 

• Treat clients and teammates with courtesy, consideration and tact; you also can perceive the needs of internal and external clients and communicate effectively with the objective of delighting and retaining the client. 

• Build collaborative relationships and work cooperatively with others, inside and outside the organization, to accomplish objectives, develop and maintain mutually beneficial partnerships, leverage information and achieve results. 

• Set and attain achievable, yet aggressive, goals with a sense of urgency and accountability. 

• Understand that results are important and focus on turning mission into action to achieve results following the principles of agile, dynamic execution while consistently complying with quality, service and productivity standards to meet deadlines and exceed expectations by giving our clients the best possible outcome.

• Support a safe work environment by following safety rules and regulations and reporting all safety hazards.

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We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/vets.