Category Specialist

Job Title: Indirect Category Specialist

Duration: 6 Months

Shift: 8:00am to 5:00pm

Location: Bedford, MA 01730 (Remote)

Pay Rate: $36.76/Hour on W2

Job Description:

• Seeking a highly motivated individual with proven records, 3 to 5 years of experience in a fast-paced and innovative sourcing environment.
• In this position, the indirect category specialist will handle procurement projects for multiple indirect procurement categories.
• Must have knowledge of the following indirect categories but not limited to: HR, Facilities, and Travel.
• Can demonstrate his/her analytical and negotiation experience.
• The specialist will engage with Mid to Senior level stakeholders, promote the procurement department values and provide solutions to noncompliance.
• The ideal specialist can influence without authority, bring a strategic perspective to the ongoing process improvement, and vendor selection methodologies.
• He or she is expected to remove any barriers for the sourcing team by building strong relationships with key stakeholders’ plans, lead and execute procurement activities without or limited oversight but in sync with the Director’s leadership.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Support the procurement operations for multiple indirect categories
• Manage suppliers and contract relations including performance measurement and improvement plans (e.g., contract renegotiations, price indexation etc.).
• Identify specific sourcing opportunities and their potential financial impact.
• Prepare & solicit quotes or competitive bids from vendors.
• Lead supplier selection and negotiate pricing and contracts with selected vendors.
• Approve and qualify new vendors prior to vendor selection or set-up.
• Ensure that preferred vendor pricing, service levels and agreed upon terms are being honored by vendors in transactions.
• Manage vendor relationships and serve as a point of escalation for stakeholders.
• Assist in the development and implementation of procurement plans, policies, and procedures.
• Strategize, lead, and execute strategies through short/long-term objectives, change management, performance goals, and metrics for each of his/her indirect categories.
• Document and communicate procedures for all sourcing processes.
• Manage renewals, determine what needs to be bid and act pro-actively.
• Lead the sourcing 7 phases process from when the need is identified until contract is signed.
• Proactively run spend analytics for each of the categories, recommended consolidation and/or routinely engage in negotiations based on spend increases.

Skills:

• ISM Certified or other related professional certification is desired
• The ideal candidate will have 3 to 5 years of procurement experience and/or indirect procurement spend management experience.
• Proven track record and demonstrated ability to prioritize and manage multiple concurrent projects and deadlines.
• Responsive to both internal and external stakeholders.
• Excellent organizational, communication, collaborative, and interpersonal skills to foster respect and teamwork with internal and external partners.
• Collaborative, problem solver, solution-focused, strong communication and organizational skills.
• Strong Leadership competencies, ability to inspire and motivate team and cross functional teams to embrace the procurement processes.
• Preferably worked in a global environment where they understand cultural challenges, language barriers but also a subject matter expert to lead projects with global stakeholders and across continents.
• Demonstrate both “Can Do” and “We Win as a Team” attitudes.
• Highly organized and very strong, proven project management skills.
• A Critical thinker who brings new/innovative ideas to the sourcing and business teams.
• Knowledge of legal process, contract review and understating of commercial and legal terms.