Assoc Mgr Strategic Sourcing

Staples•Framingham, MA

18h

About The Position

Staples is a business-to-business company. The Associate Manager, Strategic Sourcing will lead complex sourcing initiatives to improve product costs, strengthen supplier performance, protect continuity of supply, and create lasting value. The role partners across Merchandising and the broader business, translating market intelligence, cost analysis, and supplier insights into sourcing decisions and executable plans. The position develops sourcing strategies and leads sourcing events from initial scope through supplier recommendation, award, and implementation. It evaluates suppliers and sourcing risks, negotiates costs and commercial terms, manages supplier performance, and identifies opportunities for cost reduction, value creation, supply optimization, and risk mitigation. The role also leads cross-functional workstreams, communicates recommendations and project status to stakeholders and leadership, and guides less-experienced team members.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, Operations, Engineering, Finance, Economics, or related work experience.
At least 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, including the ability to turn complex cost, market, supplier, operational, and risk information into practical recommendations.
Sound judgment and composure when navigating ambiguity, competing priorities, supplier challenges, and time-sensitive decisions.
Effective negotiation and influencing skills, with the ability to build alignment and accountability without direct authority.
Strong project-management capabilities, including disciplined organization, follow-through, and ownership of multiple concurrent initiatives.
Clear written, verbal, presentation, and facilitation skills tailored to different audiences.
Ability to build productive relationships with suppliers, cross-functional partners, regional teams, and leaders.
Proactive approach to identifying supplier capabilities, manufacturing technologies, sourcing markets, analytical tools, and process improvements that strengthen competitiveness and supply resilience.

Nice To Haves

Experience sourcing private-label, retail, consumer-product, or manufactured-goods categories, including work 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, including 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 establishing 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.