Manager, Sourcing Category Management - Operations

SECU • Raleigh, NC

8d

About The Position

Manager, Sourcing Category Management - Operations

If you are motivated and believe in the credit union philosophy of "People Helping People," join our team! This role involves utilizing the Strategic Sourcing Process (SSP) Methodology and robust Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) practices and tools to source and manage assigned spend categories. The position requires leading, supervising, and developing team members as needed. A key aspect of the role is working with internal teams to understand requirements for new engagements and ensure contractual obligations are met. This includes leading RFP engagements, evaluating bidders, creating RFP packages, reviewing supplier submittals, and negotiating to mitigate risk and guarantee supplier performance. The role partners with Business Owners, Third Party Risk Management (TPRM), and Legal to establish standards for contract language, negotiations, management, and dispute resolution. It also involves reviewing new and existing contracts, agreements, and statements of work to achieve optimal terms, pricing, and risk mitigation. The position contributes to organizational goals focused on identifying, qualifying, developing, and managing a diverse supply base. It leads all phases of contracting from initiation to review, driving Sourcing and Procurement initiatives at the business level. Developing timelines for contractual reviews, providing status updates, and managing escalations are also key responsibilities. Leveraging interpersonal relationships with business partners, suppliers, and internal teams is crucial. Ensuring Service Level Agreements (SLAs) are well-documented and trackable, and that stakeholders understand contract scope, risks, termination clauses, and performance guarantees is essential. Proactive contract management includes maintaining contract term dates, renewal clauses, termination details, and managing non-disclosure agreements, issues, and escalations. The role is responsible for achieving and exceeding metrics such as cost savings and avoidance, cycle time, customer service, invoicing compliance, and total cost of ownership. It involves working with Business Owners to establish standards for company, product, service, and integration protocols, and resolving local supply and supplier-related issues. Training employees on procurement systems and processes, and using interpersonal strengths to manage disputes and drive change in supplier behaviors are also part of the role. Finally, it requires working effectively with cross-functional teams to find opportunities for improved supplier/contract management and drive continuous process improvement.

Requirements

• Practical experience with spend management (e.g., Ariba, ZYCUS, Bravo Solution, Analysis & Reports) and/or procurement enterprise resource planning systems and tools (e.g., Workday/Scout/SAP/Oracle).
• Demonstrated experience and highly skilled at time management, prioritization, project management, negotiations, risk management, communications, and change management.
• Independent thinker, able to adapt and shift paradigms while executing aggressively, handling challenges and ability to work with minimal supervision in cross-cultural and diverse environments.

Nice To Haves

• Prior Strategic Sourcing Process (SSP) Methodology and robust Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) practices experience is desirable.
• Certifications in accounting, purchasing, procurement, project management, and/or process improvement methodology would be highly beneficial. (CPA, CFA, CPSM, C.P.M., PMP, Lean/Six Sigma Green Belt or higher, etc.)

Responsibilities

• Utilize Strategic Sourcing Process (SSP) Methodology and robust Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) practices and tools to source and manage the assigned spend categories.
• Lead, supervise & develop team members as required.
• Work with internal teams to understand overall requirements and assumptions related to new engagements to ensure the contractual obligations are aligned.
• Leads RFP engagements, understanding project requirements, evaluating potential bidders, and creating the RFP package for submission, reviews supplier submittments, and proactively takes steps in the negotiation process to mitigate risk and guarantee performance by the suppliers.
• Partner with Business Owners, Third Party Risk Management (TPRM) and Legal to establish standards for contract language, supplier negotiations, overall management, and dispute resolution.
• Ensures all agreements are reviewed, following appropriate approval processes and approved by Legal.
• Review of new and existing contracts, agreements for assigned categories, and statements of work to achieve optimal terms and pricing as well as mitigate overall risk and ambiguity.
• Contribute to and support organizational goals focused on identification, qualification, development, and management of a diverse supply base.
• Leads all phases of contracting from initiation, negotiations, maintenance, and regular review, proactively driving Sourcing and Procurement’s company-wide initiatives at the business level.
• Develop timelines for contractual reviews based on complexity and provide overall status of contract reviews and escalations.
• Leverage interpersonal relationships with business, suppliers and internal partners.
• Ensure that SLAs are well documented and can be accurately tracked.
• Ensure documents and agreements are filed appropriately and ensure stakeholders understand scope, risks, termination clauses and performance guarantees.
• Proactively manages all contracts to ensure maintenance of contract term dates, renewal clauses, termination details and non-disclosure agreement dates, issues and escalations with status and resolution dates.
• Achieve and exceed metrics including, cost savings and avoidance, cycle time, customer service, invoicing compliance, and total cost of ownership.
• Works with Business Owners to establish standards for company, product, service, and integration protocols.
• Resolve local supply and supplier related issues.
• Train employees in our procurement systems and processes.
• Leverage interpersonal relationship strengths to manage disputes and drive change in supplier behaviors.
• Works effectively with cross-functional teams to find opportunities for improved supplier/contract management and drive continuous process improvement.

Benefits

• equal employment opportunity to all qualified persons regardless of race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other classification protected by law.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager