Buyer

Sidley Austin LLP • Chicago, IL

1d • $70,000 - $90,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Buyer will support the Firm’s day-to-day Procurement operations with a focus on driving efficiency, value, and alignment with Firm-wide sourcing and spend management objectives. Reporting directly to the Head of Procurement, this role will have an opportunity to manage competitive sourcing events, supplier relationships, and purchasing activity while contributing to the continued enhancement of the Firm’s Source-to-Pay (S2P) processes and tools.
In addition to core procurement responsibilities, the Buyer will have the opportunity to take on expanded responsibilities in the strategic management of spend categories — applying data-driven insights, supplier performance analysis, and process improvements to support the Firm’s long-term procurement strategy. The incumbent will have strong analytical skills, a collaborative mindset, and an ability to connect day-to-day procurement execution with broader strategic goals.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in either Accounting, Business Administration, Economics, Finance or equivalent
• A minimum of 3 years of experience in a procurement-oriented role with at least 2 years supporting S2P platforms such as SAP Ariba, Coupa, Oracle Cloud, or similar tools.
• Prior experience performing detailed comparative financial analysis and present findings in logical, concise manner.
• Effective communicator with strong collaboration and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong understanding of S2P process design and optimization.
• Technical aptitude with cloud-based procurement tools and data analytics.
• Strong organizational skills
• Strong attention to detail
• Good judgment
• Strong interpersonal communication skills
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Able to work harmoniously and effectively with others
• Able to preserve confidentiality and exercise discretion
• Able to work under pressure
• Able to manage multiple projects with competing deadlines and priorities

Nice To Haves

• Certified Procurement Manager (CPM) or Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM)
• Highly organized with excellent attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment.
• Past customer-service experience

Responsibilities

• Manage day-to-day purchasing activities, including requisition review, competitive sourcing (RFI, RFP, RFQ), and purchase order development and tracking.
• Evaluate supplier proposals and make recommendations to leadership based on total cost of ownership, service quality, and overall value.
• Support the strategic management of smaller spend categories, identifying opportunities for cost savings, supplier optimization, and process efficiency.
• Conduct supplier onboarding, qualification, and performance reviews to ensure compliance with Firm standards and continuous improvement.
• Assist in the negotiation and management of supplier agreements, ensuring pricing, service levels, and risk mitigation align with business objectives.
• Partner with Procurement leadership, Accounting, and IT to support ongoing enhancement and optimization of the Firm’s S2P tools and processes.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to drive process improvements and promote the use of preferred sourcing channels and procurement best practices.
• Provide training and guidance to end users on procurement procedures and system functionality.
• Support procurement reporting, spend analysis, and data-driven insights to inform sourcing decisions and category strategies.
• Lead or contribute to departmental initiatives that enhance procurement operations, governance, and efficiency.
• Ensure all procurement activities comply with Firm policies, procedures, and internal controls.
• Strong understanding of Source-to-Pay (S2P) systems; with experience supporting system enhancements and process improvement initiatives, and a desire to develop or further expand expertise in Procurement and AI-enabled technologies.
• Analytical thinker with the ability to interpret spend and supplier performance data to support strategic decisions.
• Demonstrated ability to manage sourcing activities and vendor relationships across indirect spend categories.

Benefits

• Our compensation package also includes bonus eligibility and a comprehensive benefits program.
• Benefits information can be found at Sidley.com/Benefits.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees