Senior Strategic Sourcing Manager

Brown University•Searchlight, NV

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Strategic Sourcing Manager is the lead sourcing role on the Strategic Sourcing team in Brown University’s Office of Strategic Procurement & Contracts (SPC), reporting to the Director of Strategic Sourcing & Contracts. The position owns the University’s research and science category end to end, overseeing approximately $30 million in annual spend across laboratory supplies, equipment, and services supporting biomedical, physics, chemistry, and other research departments. The role develops and executes category strategy, leads competitive RFP events, and negotiates and drafts contracts, with particular attention to federal grant and Uniform Guidance compliance. The position is category-agnostic and requires independently taking on unfamiliar categories, including secondary IT contracting work supporting the Office of Information Technology (OIT). It sets standards and provides guidance and training to team members and end users on the RFP process and e-sourcing tools. It also provides commercial and contractual support to decentralized University departments, resolving day-to-day contract, purchase order, invoice, and supplier issues. The position is a regular, full-time employee role with a hybrid work location and a scheduled 37.5-hour workweek. A criminal and education background check is required. Applicants must include a cover letter. The position is not eligible for visa sponsorship.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of experience and education in an applicable field.
At least 3 years of relevant experience in strategic sourcing, procurement, category management, or supply chain.
Demonstrated strategic sourcing experience beyond general purchasing, including independently running competitive processes.
Proven ability to negotiate, draft, and administer contracts directly, preferably using a contract lifecycle management system.
Strong analytical skills, including developing and reporting metrics and quantifiable savings.
Ability to take on unfamiliar categories and resolve complex issues independently.
Ability to build relationships and influence internal stakeholders and suppliers, with a strong internal customer-service orientation.
Clear written and verbal communication skills and sound judgment.
Criminal and education background check required.
Applicants must submit a cover letter.
Not eligible for visa sponsorship.

Nice To Haves

Experience sourcing research, scientific, or laboratory categories.
Knowledge of Uniform Guidance and federally funded purchasing.
Experience with automated procurement or e-sourcing systems.
CPP or CPPM certification.
Experience in a university setting.
IT procurement knowledge.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute category strategy for the approximately $30 million research and science portfolio across supplies, equipment, and services.
Run competitive RFP events end to end.
Negotiate supplier pricing, terms, and agreements.
Establish contracts and punch-out relationships where spend currently has no agreement, and encourage compliance and preferred-supplier adoption among departments.
Negotiate, draft, and redline contract terms directly, including non-standard terms, without dedicated legal or paralegal support.
Review purchases for compliance with University policy and Uniform Guidance for federally funded purchases.
Build relationships with research departments and principal investigators and earn the opportunity to lead their sourcing.
Support IT contracting in coordination with OIT and SPC contracting specialists.
Take on other categories and SPC special initiatives as assigned.
Set standards and train team members and end users on the RFP process and e-sourcing tools.
Respond to and resolve day-to-day contract questions, purchase order and invoice issues, and supplier escalations.