Senior Sourcing Manager
About The Position
The University Business Partner is the primary relationship owner for an assigned portfolio of Duke University schools, research units, administrative departments, central services (Finance, HR, IT, etc.), and other University clients. This position serves as the front door to Enterprise Supply Chain, translating business needs into sourcing, procurement, contracting, supplier management, and operational solutions.The role blends strategic sourcing expertise with consultative business partnership to improve the client experience, strengthen supplier performance, ensure policy compliance, reduce operational friction, and identify measurable opportunities for savings, cost avoidance, risk reduction, and operational improvement. The position functions as a senior individual contributor who influences outcomes through collaboration, data-driven decision making, and cross-functional leadership. The senior role also serves as category leader, mentor, coach and operational resource for group.
Requirements
- Work requires a Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Supply Chain management, or any other related areas.
- Requires a minimum of seven years experience in strategic sourcing/ procurement/contract management in various Professional Services categories such as Food and Nutrition Services, Facilities Services, Patient Support Services, Consulting and Advisory Services, Business Services, Financial Services, Human Resource Services, Revenue Cycle Services, Office Supplies, Print Management Services, and Leasing and Rental Services.
- Experience in data analysis and the development of contract terms and Standards.
- Knowledge of contract terms and conditions.
Nice To Haves
- Demonstrated success working in a complex, matrixed organization with multiple stakeholders.
- Experience supporting higher education, healthcare, academic research, or similarly decentralized organizations.
- Professional certification such as CPSM, CPSD, CPM, or equivalent.
- Experience with ERP, eProcurement, and spend analytics platforms.
Responsibilities
- Serve as the primary Supply Chain Business Partner for an assigned client portfolio.
- Build trusted relationships with University leadership and key stakeholders.
- Develop stakeholder engagement plans, communication cadences, issue logs, and escalation pathways.
- Understand each client's strategic priorities, purchasing patterns, supplier dependencies, funding environment, and operational objectives.
- Lead competitive sourcing initiatives and develop sourcing strategies that leverage institutional buying power.
- Negotiate supplier agreements and evaluate bids and proposals.
- Coordinate contract development, renewals, amendments, implementation, and adoption.
- Partner with Contracting Services to ensure agreements comply with University policy and applicable laws.
- Support research purchasing, grant-funded acquisitions, audit readiness, federal compliance, and warehousing coordination
- Partner with HomeGrown and economic mobility resources to identify candidate spend, upcoming bids, local supplier opportunities, operational barriers, and appropriate Durham, Triangle, or North Carolina supplier pathways.
- Manage supplier relationships throughout the contract lifecycle.
- Monitor supplier performance, resolve service issues, coordinate corrective actions, and support supplier onboarding.
- Facilitate dispute resolution and promote contract compliance.
- Coordinate resources across Procurement Operations, Purchasing, Analytics, Shared Services, Warehousing, Research Administration, and other Enterprise Supply Chain functions.
- Partner to bring resolution to purchasing issues involving requisitions, purchase orders, invoices, suppliers, receiving, and payments.
- Identify recurring operational issues and recommend sustainable process improvements.
- Develop and manage a portfolio pipeline of savings, cost avoidance, supplier consolidation, contract utilization, spend optimization, demand aggregation, and risk reduction opportunities.
- Use spend analytics, supplier intelligence, and stakeholder feedback to prioritize improvement initiatives.
- Prepare executive-ready reports, Quarterly Business Reviews, sourcing pipeline updates, issue summaries, and portfolio performance metrics.
Benefits
- comprehensive and competitive medical and dental care programs
- generous retirement benefits
- a wide array of family-friendly and cultural programs
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
