Assistant Director, Strategic Sourcing & Category Manager

Brown University • Searchlight, NV

71d

About The Position

Reporting to the Director of Strategic Sourcing, the Assistant Director, Strategic Sourcing and Category Manager plays a critical role in optimizing the university's procurement processes and maximizing value across its supply chain. This position is responsible for leading strategic sourcing initiatives, developing and implementing category management strategies, and negotiating complex contracts to achieve best-in-class results. The ideal candidate will be a skilled negotiator, a strategic thinker, and an experienced professional with a deep understanding of the full procurement lifecycle. This role requires a high degree of collaboration with University stakeholders, faculty, and staff to ensure that procurement activities align with institutional goals and support academic and research missions. This person will work closely with the Director of Strategic Sourcing to provide leadership to the Strategic Sourcing Team to include performing spend analysis, providing guidance to other team members, and leading special projects as assigned. This position will have responsibility for multiple categories and will work collaboratively with assigned category stakeholders to influence campus buying behaviors with the goal of reducing costs, improving provider service levels and increasing efficiencies. Position will lead competitive bid processes and negotiate contracts to consolidate, reduce, and drive spend to strategic supplier suppliers. This position will be responsible for analyzing spending, assessing business needs, and conducting market research to identify savings opportunities. Position will implement category strategies to achieve savings targets and will execute strategic sourcing events in partnership with campus stakeholders, track and report on savings and other key metrics. Position will also facilitate business reviews with strategic suppliers to elevate performance and support supplier relationship performance management efforts. Success in this position requires the ability to multitask while balancing the responsibilities of the Assistant Director role as well as assigned category manager responsibilities. Position will initiate and execute clearly defined category strategies that align with SPC directives and priority initiatives while meeting target goals and measurable positive impact metrics. Critical success factors include continually monitoring and reporting on key metrics; establishing collaborative stakeholder relationships and influencing buying behaviors to gain buy-in for process improvements and recommended strategies; developing and maintaining category subject matter expertise, negotiating competitive University-wide contracts and managing supplier relationships. Maintaining open communication and collaboration between key stakeholders and Strategic Sourcing will be critical to ensure continued strategic procurement effectiveness and success.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent combination of experience and education in an applicable field such as supply chain management, business administration, finance, logistics or other related field.
• 7 years of direct experience developing category strategies, managing competitive bid processes utilizing strategic sourcing methodologies, negotiating contracts and building consensus with stakeholders.
• Proven track record of successfully leading sourcing projects and achieving significant cost savings.
• Strong negotiation skills and contract management experience with ability to effectively assess risk and pursue appropriate commercial terms.
• Strong analytical skills and experience developing and reporting on metrics and quantifiable savings.
• Critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build and maintain relationships with diverse stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to influence without authority.
• Experience with data analysis using an ERP/WMS (integrated work management systems).
• Experience in sourcing and category management across diverse categories of spending.
• Knowledge of procurement in a university setting strongly preferred.

Nice To Haves

• Professional certifications in strategic sourcing, supply chain, procurement – strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage all aspects of the strategic sourcing process, from needs assessment and market analysis to supplier selection and contract award.
• Manage the evaluation of supplier proposals and presentations, ensuring a fair and transparent selection process.
• Coordinate with department representatives and/or committee members through review & selection process.
• Develop and execute sourcing strategies for high-spend and critical categories, including Request for Proposals (RFPs), Request for Information (RFIs), and other competitive solicitations.
• Conduct comprehensive market research to identify potential suppliers, emerging technologies, and industry trends.
• Analyze spending data and stakeholder requirements to identify opportunities for cost savings, process efficiencies, and value creation.
• Collaborate with University departments to gain an understanding of unique service level requirements and availability of resources to define requirements and develop clear, concise sourcing documents.
• Develop key performance indicators for chosen suppliers and negotiate to award strategic contracts with measurable SLA metrics that result in cost reductions and improved service levels.
• Promote the inclusion of socially responsible and inclusive procurement practices in the University’s bid process.
• Support supplier and contract transition processes, maintaining continuity of service during transition from one supplier to another.
• Develop, implement, and manage multi-year category strategies for assigned spend categories that meet the University’s business needs.
• Act as the primary subject matter expert for assigned categories, providing guidance and insights to stakeholders on market trends, supplier capabilities, and best practices.
• Conduct spend analysis and demand forecasting to inform category strategies and identify opportunities for consolidation or optimization.
• Establish and maintain strong relationships with key University stakeholders to understand their needs and ensure category strategies are aligned with their objectives.
• Monitor and report on the performance of category strategies, including savings achieved, risk mitigation, and supplier performance.
• Lead and execute negotiations with suppliers to secure favorable pricing, terms, and conditions.
• Edit, review, and finalize a wide range of procurement contracts, including master service agreements, statements of work, and non-disclosure agreements.
• Collaborate with legal counsel, risk management, and other internal departments to ensure contract terms are legally sound and mitigate University risk.
• Manage new contract requests, contract renewals and amendments; ensuring all changes are properly documented and approved within the University’s contract management system.
• Resolve contract disputes and issues in a timely and effective manner.
• Lead the execution of the University’s supplier performance management program within assigned categories, including the establishment of key performance indicators (KPIs) and regular performance reviews for required suppliers.
• Actively support the University’s community engagement initiatives by participating in key initiatives aimed at promoting opportunities for small, local and diverse suppliers.
• Develop and deliver training and presentations to University staff on procurement policies, procedures, and best practices.

Benefits

• Information on the Benefits of Working at Brown can be found here.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees