Assoc Mgr Strategic Sourcing

Staples Canada•Framingham, MA

About The Position

Staples is hiring an Associate Manager, Strategic Sourcing to help develop a competitive, resilient global supplier network. The role leads complex sourcing initiatives that improve product costs, strengthen supplier performance, protect continuity of supply, and create lasting value. The Associate Manager partners across Merchandising and the broader business, using market intelligence, cost analysis, and supplier insights to develop practical sourcing decisions and executable plans. The position manages sourcing events from scope definition through supplier recommendation, award, and implementation; develops sourcing strategies, business cases, project plans, supplier recommendations, and implementation roadmaps; and performs bid evaluations, cost-driver and total-cost analysis, scenario modeling, market research, and risk assessments. It evaluates suppliers, negotiates commercial terms and commitments, identifies cost-reduction and value-creation opportunities, and manages supplier relationships and performance. The role also monitors supply-chain and market developments, coordinates risk mitigation, communicates recommendations and analyses to stakeholders, leads cross-functional workstreams, and guides less-experienced team members.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, Operations, Engineering, Finance, Economics, or a related field, or related work experience.
5+ years of experience in strategic sourcing, procurement, supplier management, cost analysis, manufacturing, product development, merchandising, or supply chain.
Experience independently managing at least two components of a sourcing event, such as RFP/RFQ development, bid analysis, supplier evaluation, negotiation, or implementation.
Experience developing recommendations from cost, market, supplier-performance, or risk data and negotiating costs, commercial terms, and capacity or performance commitments.
Proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint for cost analysis, sourcing scenarios, and stakeholder recommendations.
A recognized sourcing, procurement, or supply-chain certification, such as CPSM, CPIM, CSCP, or CPM.
Strong analytical and structured problem-solving skills, judgment, negotiation and influencing skills, project-management capabilities, collaboration, communication, presentation, and facilitation skills.
Ability to manage ambiguity, competing priorities, supplier challenges, time-sensitive decisions, and multiple concurrent initiatives.

Nice To Haves

Experience sourcing private-label, retail, consumer-product, or manufactured-goods categories.
Experience working with international suppliers or multi-country regional sourcing teams.
Experience with should-cost models, commodity tracking, supplier scorecards, or e-sourcing platforms.
Demonstrated, measurable improvements in cost, supplier performance, value creation, risk, or supply continuity.

Responsibilities

Lead complex sourcing events (RFIs, RFPs, and RFQs) from scope definition through supplier recommendation, award, and implementation.
Develop sourcing strategies, business cases, project plans, supplier recommendations, and implementation roadmaps for assigned categories, suppliers, and initiatives.
Conduct bid evaluations, cost-driver and total-cost analysis, scenario modeling, market research, and risk assessments.
Evaluate current and prospective suppliers on cost, quality, service, capacity, innovation, financial stability, manufacturing capability, technology, geographic reach, and growth potential.
Negotiate product costs, commercial terms, service requirements, capacity commitments, and performance expectations within approved strategies.
Identify and execute opportunities for cost reduction, value creation, supplier consolidation, supply optimization, supplier development, and risk mitigation.
Manage supplier relationships and performance, resolving issues involving cost, quality, service, availability, capacity, compliance, business continuity, and transitions.
Monitor commodity, supplier, geopolitical, operational, and supply-chain developments; identify exposures and coordinate mitigation or escalation.
Partner with Merchandising, Vendor Management, Category and Product Development, Project Management, Quality, Finance, Operations, Supply Chain, and regional sourcing teams to execute sourcing plans.
Communicate project updates, sourcing recommendations, supplier insights, financial analyses, risks, and decisions to leadership and stakeholders.
Lead cross-functional workstreams by setting scope, milestones, responsibilities, decision points, schedules, and communication plans.
Guide and train less-experienced team members on sourcing processes, supplier assessments, cost analysis, and negotiation preparation.