Director, Procurement

Newmark•Chicago, IL

2d•$125,000 - $150,000

About The Position

The principal purpose of the Category Manager- Indirect is to oversee all Category Management, Strategic Sourcing as well as Supplier Management performance and relationship management activities for IT, Marketing, and Research Subscriptions. We are a growing team and are seeking an individual to work in partnership with indirect leaders globally as they leverage third party resources to deliver the business requirements supporting our technology enabled services. The Category Manager will be responsible for driving performance from the supply base and internal procurement team, which include competitive market analysis; supplier identification and relationship management; execution of the RFI/RFP and competitive bid process; contract and price negotiations; and the day-to-day management of assigned programs to drive savings, improve business processes and comply with all corporate, legal and regulatory policies. Category Manager will lead and drive cross-functional sourcing agenda and drive alignment between category strategies and the needs and requirements of the business. The Category Manager will function as an individual contributor and will collaborate with both manager and individual contributor resources within the Global Procurement Organization. In addition, the Category Manager will work closely with business unit leadership and will lead or participate on cross functional teams to develop strategic procurement strategies and solutions that align to the business unit strategies. To accomplish this, the Category Manager will need to collaborate and build relationships with both internal and external stakeholders.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree
The ideal candidate will have spent some time as a consultant or worked for a corporate organization in which they contributed to the development of a new function or product offering
Additionally, candidate will have spent time delivering cost savings initiatives in the IT and Marketing categories and has a strong understanding of software-as-a-service, managed service, and subscriptions sub-categories
Corporate Experience: At least 5 years in a Procurement Category Manager, Sourcing Manager or Center of Excellence role managing Corporate / Indirect categories
Consulting Experience: At least 3 years working in a General Business Consulting or Supply Chain Management practice at a reputable consulting firm, delivering third party, cost savings initiatives
Proven experience in working with, presenting, and influencing all levels of the organization
Professional certification e.g., CPSM, CIPS, C.P.M., PMP, or evidence of continued professional growth
Proven track record of executing cost savings initiatives in the IT, Marketing and Research spend categories
Ability to develop a savings pipeline over time
Understanding of procurement best practices, policies, and procedures
Building and managing diverse relationships
Analytical and Financial acumen
Effective Communication (both verbal and written)
Creative problem solver
Ability to make decisions
Negotiations
Interface with all levels in the organization

Nice To Haves

Experience working for a top Commercial Real Estate Services firm a plus

Responsibilities

Defines category and demand profile for respective subcategories
Assesses the supply market
Develops category strategy and plans that encompass creative and well thought out insights and solutions
Executes plan and realizes benefits
Refines and refreshes category management strategies and plans based on monitoring progress toward results
Manages supplier relationships, risks, performance
Serves as the interface between the functional team members to ensure effective definition of and delivery of category management activities
Builds strong working relationships with business unit stakeholders in order to ensure requirements and considerations are being incorporated into category management and sourcing plans
Works with the business units to prepare project plans for proposed Procurement activities and makes sure all stakeholders understand timelines and assignments
Manages communications with business unit stakeholders, including regular project updates and executive updates as needed
Develops and maintains strong relationships with business units and penetrating the organization by continually demonstrating value and breaking down resistance in order to effectively manage spend
Collaborates with business unit stakeholders to establish strong working relationships
Meets or exceeds business unit expectations, looks for ways to improve the working relationship and experience, creates a unified team environment and team goals, and ensures all stakeholders understand the connection between the Procurement category strategies and the overall business objectives and strategies
Drives for results by consistently achieving goals and pushing to complete tasks by their deadlines
Pursues professional growth and provides developmental opportunities for others by soliciting and acting on performance feedback; building collaborative, cross-functional relationships; hiring, training, and developing talent for growth opportunities; delegating tasks and decisions; fostering open dialogue amongst team members; working closely with employees to set goals and provide open feedback and coaching to drive performance improvement
Manages designated work stream to meet customer and business needs by translating business plans into strategic opportunities and tactical action items; communicating goals and objectives; overseeing work assignments; aligning team efforts; building accountability for and measuring progress in achieving results; identifying and addressing improvement opportunities; assuming responsibility for decision making