Position Objective

The Senior Buyer will play a pivotal role in the advancement and strengthening of our 3rd party relationships to maximize realized value and minimize risk through effective category and performance management. The candidate will be responsible for the development and management of one or more indirect spend categories with a key focus on relationship-building with strategic suppliers. This is not a regular full-time role but will be a contract position. This position will afford you opportunities to employ, learn, and/or improve a wide breadth of competencies, as you progress through different stages of supplier lifecycle and category management:

1. Technical/Functional competencies: spend management, category management, supplier and market analysis, project management, contracting and negotiating, and risk management;

2. Relational or Developmental competencies necessary to build and maintain crucial relationships: change management, leadership, influencing, customer/ supplier orientation, innovation, team building, and continuous improvement.

Role & Responsibilities:

• Consistently employs best practices that enable achievement of supplier relationship management objectives: developing and managing partnerships, leveraging supplier capabilities, delivering cost savings or improved value, and reducing supply risk exposure;

• Proactively manage supplier performance based on supplier segmentation models using disciplined and collaborative scorecard evaluations and/or other appropriate performance management techniques;

• Communicate supplier policy and provide a point of escalation for the business for supplier issues;

• Lead supplier performance programs of assigned categories, monitoring compliance to contractual terms and conditions, assess supplier financial health, and develop risk mitigation plans for critical and preferred suppliers

• Build, establish, and maintain relationships across the organization with financial and operational teams to ensure full understanding and support of SRM initiatives

• Lead strategic sourcing projects from start to finish, including process steps such as supplier research, category/market research, market index analysis, data analysis, baseline development, RFx development, bid management, negotiations, offer analysis, and scenario development;

• Perform complex data analysis to identify new sourcing and other cost optimization opportunities in order to generate cost savings for categories managed;

• Actively manage supplier base optimization, recommending the ideal number and sufficient capabilities of suppliers to meet the needs of the business without excess;

• Help develop and execute an annual category management plan to identify and prioritize supplier relationships, sourcing initiatives, and other tactics to maximize realized supplier value and minimize risk; ultimately setting up the Mobile Retail team for success in achieving its vision and objectives;

• Build reputation as a subject matter expert for assigned product and service areas; and

• Works collaboratively across the organization with cross-functional internal stakeholders to identify, facilitate, optimize, and execute the purchase, and or management of, assigned indirect spend categories, such as commodities, professional services, office supplies, equipment, business process outsourcing, various marketing activities, general construction, and repairs and maintenance.

Minimum Qualifications

• A Bachelor's Degree in Supply Chain, Finance/Accounting, Business Administration, or a related field from a four-year college or university;

• 8 years of experience (or equivalent) in a Category Management, Strategic Sourcing and/or supplier management role;

• Proven collaborator with the ability to work with all levels and functions;

• Knowledge and understanding of multi-step Category Management, and Strategic Sourcing processes;

• Managing projects and the ability to assess impact of a given project: planning, organizing, and prioritizing multiple complex assignments and projects;

• Strong multi-tasking skills along with excellent analytical, negotiation, written and oral communication skills;

• Proven ability to influence others and drive meaningful change results;

• Must have a data driven approach to solving problems, demonstrating an ability of being highly organized, extremely detail oriented with strong leadership skills;

• Must be a strong team player and demonstrate adept interpersonal and excellent collaborative skills in order to maintaining excellent working relationships with multiples levels within the company;

• Ability to work independently, take initiative, and strong prioritization skills to manage multiple projects simultaneously and keep high level of focus; and

• This position demands a high degree of ethics and professionalism to ensure control of the company’s expenditures

Highly Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in business and/or supply management;

• Industry recognized credentials or certifications (CPSM, ACSM, etc.);

• In-depth use and knowledge of MS Excel, Word, PowerPoint; Access, and SAP a plus.