Senior Procurement Associate

Bain Capital•Boston, MA

About The Position

With approximately $215 billion of assets under management, Bain Capital is one of the world’s leading private investment firms. We create lasting impact for our investors, teams, businesses, and the communities in which we live. Over four decades we have strategically grown our platform to focus on Private Equity, Growth & Venture, Capital Solutions, Credit, and Real Assets. Today, our team includes 1,985+ employees in 24 offices on four continents. We partner differently to help people and companies embrace possibility and realize potential. Founded as a private partnership in 1984, we have fostered a culture of innovation, entrepreneurialism, and agility, empowering our people to define and own their career trajectories. Today, our partnership approach enables us to pursue strategic growth, build enduring relationships with a robust external network, and collaborate across our integrated platform to connect the deep and diverse expertise that unlocks breakthrough insights. Our people are the heart of our advantage. Colleagues at all levels have a seat at the table as they tackle business challenges with a principal investor mindset. By asking incisive questions, respectfully challenging one another, and remaining intellectually agile, we work together to achieve exceptional outcomes. This individual will serve as a senior member of the Procurement team with responsibility for several categories of indirect spend, including Communications, ESG, Compliance, and HR, with the potential to collaborate on additional categories. The ideal candidate is an experienced procurement professional who has led category strategies, managed stakeholder relationships at a senior level, and is accustomed to operating with a high degree of autonomy—someone who thrives in a high-performance, client-service-oriented environment and brings the depth and judgment to take on broad ownership from day one. This individual will have several key areas of responsibility: Category Lead – Own end-to-end procurement support for the Communications, ESG, Compliance, and HR categories, including sourcing, contracting, supplier management, stakeholder partnership, and issue management. Potential to expand into additional indirect spend categories over time. Category coverage may be adjusted based on team needs and candidate expertise. Contract Review – Lead contract review and negotiation for assigned categories, partnering closely with Legal counsel to ensure quality and adherence to Bain Capital standards. Purchase Order Process Lead – Partner with Accounts Payable to support stakeholders and suppliers throughout the P.O. process. Take an active role in improving and expanding PO usage across the firm as a payment tool, working with leadership to drive efficiency and enhance reporting capabilities. ERP Management – Serve as a key user and process owner within the firm’s ERP system, ensuring data integrity and supporting expanded adoption and best practices across the procurement function. Sourcing & RFPs – Partner on strategic sourcing projects and RFP initiatives, contributing to the full sourcing lifecycle from needs assessment through award and supplier onboarding. General Procurement Projects – Provide ad-hoc support across a broad range of procurement initiatives. Collaborate with team members on process improvement, reporting, and cross-functional projects with Legal, Vendor Risk, and Compliance. The selected candidate will manage multiple contract negotiations and sourcing initiatives simultaneously, partnering with stakeholders globally at all levels. They will document results, manage escalations, and surface concerns to relevant parties including Legal, Vendor Risk, and Compliance. We are a truly collaborative team and culture that values strong project management, attention to detail, strategic thinking, and the grit to get the tough work done—all with a good-natured spirit. We are proud of what we accomplish and motivated to keep learning, stretching, and supporting each other. A truly unique and rewarding opportunity.

Requirements

Degree qualified in a relevant discipline or equivalent work experience
6+ years of procurement experience, with meaningful time in sourcing and category management roles
Strong client service orientation with a demonstrated ability to partner effectively with senior stakeholders, including Partner- or C-suite-level audiences
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; comfort presenting to and engaging with senior leadership
Fluency using AI tools to support analysis, research, contract review, and other procurement workflows
Hands-on experience managing and working within an ERP system; demonstrated ability to support expanded ERP and P.O. adoption
Working knowledge of standard contracting terms; experience leading contract negotiations with limited supervision
Excellent negotiation skills with the ability to build and manage supplier relationships
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills; ability to prioritize and manage multiple complex initiatives simultaneously
Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite; comfort creating and delivering presentations in PowerPoint to stakeholders and leadership
Knowledge of indirect category management principles, procurement policies, applicable laws, and competitive solicitation practices
Strong business acumen, collaborative spirit, and desire to contribute to team development and knowledge-sharing
Comfortable with ambiguity and demonstrates the initiative and judgment appropriate for a role positioned for career growth into management

Nice To Haves

Experience in financial services, private equity, or other industries with a comparable operating environment strongly preferred
Experience with enterprise procurement platforms supporting sourcing, supplier management, and end-to-end procurement operations preferred

Responsibilities

Serve as category lead for Communications, ESG, Compliance, and HR; collaborate on additional indirect spend categories as opportunities arise
Lead the contract review and negotiation process for assigned categories; partner with Legal counsel to ensure adherence to Bain Capital standards
Identify, establish, and maintain relationships with key internal stakeholders, including senior leadership and Partner-level audiences
Execute sourcing initiatives and partner on RFPs based on identified opportunities across assigned and adjacent categories
Serve as a subject matter expert and key process owner for the firm’s ERP system as it relates to procurement operations; maintain data integrity across designated spend areas and ensure the system accurately reflects procurement activity, supplier records, and contract commitments
Apply deep knowledge of ERP best practices to advise on system usage, establish procurement workflows, and support configuration or process improvements that enhance efficiency, visibility, and spend controls; partner with IT and Finance stakeholders to drive ongoing platform improvement and expanded adoption across the firm
Collaborate with Accounts Payable to support the end-to-end P.O. process and identify opportunities to improve efficiency and controls
Create informed, innovative category strategies; drive continuous improvement activities to optimize supplier services, pricing, and internal demand
Identify areas of rogue or maverick spend and pursue consolidation opportunities, globally as appropriate
Conduct diligence on new suppliers and project manage onboarding
Contribute to the documentation of initiatives and supplier records in Procurement’s systems
Contribute to the development and improvement of the department’s strategic, operational, and tactical processes

Benefits

competitive base salary
discretionary annual bonus based upon factors such as individual impact, team and firm performance
competitive benefits package designed to support employees’ health, financial security, family needs, and overall well-being

Stand Out From the Crowd

Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.

Upload and Match Resume