Senior Category Procurement Manager - Logistics
About The Position
Leads a team in developing, executing, and implementing short- and long-term logistics procurement strategies, from identifying procurement needs through delivery. The strategies support company goals for cost reduction and financial performance while managing supplier relationships. The role oversees key logistics categories, including inbound transportation (ocean, drayage, truckload, LTL, intermodal, and parcel), fleet operations, final-mile delivery, warehouse automation, and maintenance services. The position negotiates and coordinates logistics services to achieve optimal cost, assesses supplier priorities against business needs, consults senior management and subject matter experts on alternative solutions, and advises on options, risks, total cost of ownership, and business impacts. It oversees work quality and provides feedback to direct and indirect reports. The successful candidate is a logistics leader with transportation knowledge, commercial acumen, and experience managing complex RFPs, contract negotiations, and supplier relationships. The role partners with senior stakeholders, provides market intelligence and industry best practices, leads strategic initiatives, develops team members, and promotes data-driven decisions. It requires analytical ability, executive-level communication, cross-functional leadership, and independent management of high-impact projects. This position is based in Walgreens’ Deerfield, Illinois office and is onsite four days per week. Travel of at least/up to 10% of the time for business purposes is required.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree and at least 4 years of experience in procurement, retail, catalog, finance, and/or banking; alternatively, a high school diploma/GED and at least 7 years of experience in those fields.
- Experience leading a business through procurement lifecycles and applying procurement best practices.
- Experience leading negotiations and developing and executing procurement strategies.
- Experience influencing internal and external resources to develop strategies that meet department goals within budget and established timelines.
- Experience managing people, projects, and/or cross-functional teams.
- At least 2 years of experience contributing to financial decisions in the workplace.
- At least 2 years of direct leadership, indirect leadership, and/or cross-functional team leadership.
- Willingness to travel up to/at least 10% of the time for business purposes, within and outside the state.
Nice To Haves
- Transportation and supply chain expertise across multiple modes.
- Strategic sourcing, RFP, and contract management experience.
- Supplier relationship and performance management experience.
- Experience coaching, mentoring, and training staff.
- Executive communication and presentation skills.
- Analytics, financial modeling, and data storytelling skills.
- Cross-functional stakeholder management experience.
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
- At least 5 years of experience negotiating deals.
- Intermediate skill in Microsoft Excel.
- Intermediate skill in Microsoft PowerPoint.
- Intermediate skill in Microsoft Word.
Responsibilities
- Lead team activity and execution across multiple categories, strategic sourcing strategies, best practices, and initiatives to improve supplier quality, total cost effectiveness, service levels, coordination, delivery, pricing, lead times, payment, and risk compliance.
- Provide leadership, oversee work quality, and give constructive feedback to direct reports.
- Collaborate with and influence leaders outside the category’s span of control.
- Execute category sourcing strategies, including developing and conducting RFIs and RFPs, documenting supplier bid events, developing selection criteria, selecting suppliers with cross-functional teams, negotiating with suppliers, and managing supplier relationships.
- Streamline business processes and research and share industry category trends and best practices; provide procurement input to maximize leverage, optimize project design, and minimize project duration and cost.
- Develop negotiation strategies, align stakeholders, lead cross-functional category negotiation teams, conduct supplier risk analysis, and negotiate directly with suppliers on strategically significant matters connected to Walgreens’ operational needs and goals.
- Use spend data and business knowledge to identify sourcing projects and develop cost-reduction plans; create and defend category strategies and decisions using analytics; delegate analytical work and synthesize results.
- Develop supplier scorecards and measure performance against agreed KPIs; track compliance and support management reporting; benchmark and analyze annual performance and sourcing trends against budget monthly; implement supplier management programs, metrics, performance goals, and improvement initiatives.
- Monitor supplier performance against delivery dates and technical and contractual requirements; participate in strategic supplier and business meetings; manage ongoing supplier relationships, complaint resolution, regular meetings, and supplier improvement strategies.
- Manage category performance against savings goals, review financial models for commodity-type items, and balance recurring managed spend through sourcing waves coordinated with capital project sourcing.
- Consolidate spend and identify synergies across business units by forming and leading cross-functional sourcing teams to develop and implement category and commodity strategies and reduce costs in subcategories.
- Lead weekly cross-functional category review meetings to manage performance.
- Build team morale, motivation, and loyalty through training, mentorship, clear communication, and constructive feedback.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
