Position Summary:

We are looking for an experienced sourcing and category Manager to join our strategic procurement team. You will have responsibility for the sourcing and category management of products and services across specific categories of non-merchandise spend. The procurement manager will drive value for The Children’s Place by building strong relationships across the business and implementing strategies to lower the total cost of ownership for the spend in their control. Our major spend areas are Marketing, Supply Chain and Information Technology working with the CMO, COO and CIO respectively.

Key Accountabilities:

• Review, understand and validate spend classification of non-merchandise spend through discussions with business and finance partners
• Collaborate with finance, business and other key stakeholders to develop a comprehensive multi-year pipeline of projects; Develop project charters with detailed timelines, key stakeholders and estimated project value to the organization; Review and validate baselines and savings estimates with finance
• Identify and capture key business and functional requirements, key metrics, SLAs, potential risks for each project.
• Develop category strategies to achieve cost savings and improve quality and service levels by identifying opportunity areas such as product standardization and supplier consolidation. Partner with business functions to gain agreement on category scope and strategies
• Provide category procurement subject matter expertise to the associated business / function group and sourcing specialists or seek out expertise from business / function when necessary
• Proactively identify improvement opportunities for assigned category areas and recommend key actions to the appropriate stakeholders
• Effectively work with functional and business groups as a trusted advisor to determine desired product/service specifications and projected demand when making recommended action plans
• Lead cross-functional teams to execute strategic sourcing projects for assigned category areas by assisting with sourcing strategy, negotiations, and supplier selection and overseeing project execution
• Develop Strategic Supplier Relationship Management programs to be executed by the Business / Function
• Build and maintain long-term relationships with vendors and suppliers
• Drive use of procurement best practices and standardization of procurement processes while minimizing supply risk
• Understand key business terms and category legal terms. Support the implementation of these into contracts and agreements

Education and Experience:

• Bachelors Degree in Science or Business (or other related degree programs). MBA preferred.
• 5+ Years of Strategic Sourcing/Procurement experience, Contract Negotiation, Project Management, Category Management, Business Analysis, Change Management experience, preferably in the retail, consumer goods or fashion sector
• Extensive Category Management experience
• Strong knowledge of category management, strategic sourcing, and supplier relationship management processes
• Proven track record in delivery of complex, cross-functional procurement initiatives on-time and on-budget
• Ability to interface at all levels of the organization and with suppliers to solve problems when facing evolving demands
• Demonstrated success in leveraging company-wide spend by ensuring the implementation of global/international agreements
• Strong leadership presence and negotiation/contract management experience
• Knowledge and experience with best practice processes, tools, and procurement/spend systems data and analysis
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail and ability to multi-task
• In-depth knowledge and experience of strategic sourcing processes, organization, technology required.
• Demonstrated ability to work as an individual contributor to define and drive projects from start to finish
• Proficient in the use of Excel and PowerPoint; experience in spend analytics and other P2P tools preferred

Skills and Behaviors

Strong understanding of procurement and in-depth knowledge of preparing and reviewing contracts and invoicing,

Strong negotiation and conflict resolution skills.

Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.

Excellent influencing and soft skills with a focus on driving change

Passionate about solving complex problems while driving change management in a decentralized organization

Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Management and leadership skills.

Multi-tasking and time-management skills, with the ability to prioritize tasks and work in a fast paced environment with shifting priorities.

Highly organized and detail oriented.