Manager, Strategic Sourcing

WM•Houston, TX

About The Position

I. Job Summary Leads the strategic sourcing process for assigned enterprise categories—including but not limited to chemicals, rental equipment, and small parcels—by developing and implementing category strategies, managing supplier relationships, and executing RFx events on behalf of the enterprise. The Manager, Strategic Sourcing does not directly purchase goods or services, but acts as the primary owner of the sourcing process and supplier management for their categories. The chief metrics for sourcing are quality, delivery, and price. The ideal candidate demonstrates exceptional critical thinking, intellectual curiosity, and a strong drive to deliver results. Success in this role also requires strong interpersonal skills, the ability to foster effective team collaboration, and a partnership mindset with functional owners and business stakeholders. The Manager is expected to act as a steward of the supply chain within the business, identifying opportunities for improvement in process, cost, or other areas, and ensuring alignment with enterprise objectives. II. Essential Duties and Responsibilities To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Other minor duties may be assigned.

Requirements

Strong critical thinking and analytical skills.
Demonstrated intellectual curiosity and drive to deliver results.
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with a proven ability to build relationships and collaborate across teams and functions.
Familiarity with commodities indices and their impact on sourcing and price negotiations.
Experience in chemicals, rental equipment, small parcels, or similar categories preferred.
Education: Bachelor’s Degree (accredited), or in lieu of degree, High School Diploma or GED (accredited) and 4 years of relevant work experience.
Experience: 5 years of relevant work experience (in addition to education requirement), preferably in strategic sourcing or category management for enterprise categories.

Nice To Haves

Six Sigma Training

Responsibilities

Develops and implements category strategies aligned with enterprise objectives, in close collaboration with cross-functional teams.
Leads RFx events (RFI, RFP, RFQ) for assigned categories, including bid preparation, evaluation, and supplier selection.
Manages supplier relationships, including performance reviews, issue resolution, and ongoing communications, while building strong partnerships with internal and external stakeholders.
Analyzes data and market trends—including commodities indices—to inform sourcing decisions, price negotiations, and strategy development, with a focus on quality, delivery, and price.
Collaborates with internal stakeholders to understand business needs and ensure alignment of sourcing strategies.
Partners with business units and functional owners to identify and drive opportunities for process, cost, or operational improvements, leveraging category expertise and a collaborative approach.
Negotiates major contracts and agreements, ensuring value, quality, delivery, and price compliance.
Researches and develops a pipeline of qualified suppliers for assigned categories.
Designs and applies supplier evaluation techniques to assess quality, reliability, and performance.
Tracks and reports on category performance, supplier effectiveness, and cost savings.
Maintains currency with respect to technical, analytical, and industry skills by attending training, seminars, and industry events as needed.