Job Overview
The Sourcing Lead is responsible for developing and executing strategic sourcing and category management strategies across assigned spend categories locally to deliver cost savings, improve supplier performance, optimize working capital, and mitigate supply chain risks. The role leads end-to-end sourcing activities, including spend analysis, market intelligence, supplier selection, negotiations, contract management, and supplier relationship development. Working closely with Operations, Finance, Legal, and other stakeholders and support functions, the Sourcing Lead ensures sourcing strategies align with business objectives, procurement governance, quality, sustainability, and operational requirements.
Responsibilities
- Develop, implement, and continuously update spend, costs and category sourcing strategies based on business requirements, market intelligence, demand forecasts, and company objectives.
- Analyze spend, supplier markets, and categories spend trends to identify cost optimization, supplier consolidation, quality improvement, and efficiency opportunities.
- Establish and execute sourcing roadmaps and project pipelines aligned with cost, quality, delivery, sustainability, and risk management objectives.
- Conduct make-or-buy assessments and total cost of ownership (TCO) analyses to support sourcing decisions.
- Lead end-to-end local RFI, RFQ, and RFP processes, including specification alignment, supplier evaluation, competitive bidding, benchmarking, and award recommendations.
- Negotiate pricing, commercial terms, payment conditions, service-level agreements, and contract terms to achieve best-value outcomes.
- Support supplier onboarding, qualification, compliance, performance improvement, and issue resolution.
- Develop supply continuity and risk mitigation strategies, including dual sourcing and arrangements where appropriate.
- Build and maintain strategic relationships with key suppliers to improve performance, service delivery, quality, and cost competitiveness.
- Monitor supplier KPIs covering cost, delivery, quality, service levels, and compliance; lead corrective actions and supplier development initiatives.
- Lead quarterly business reviews with critical suppliers and participate in supplier audits, HSE assessments, quality reviews, and inspections.
- Collaborate with Legal and relevant stakeholders to negotiate, establish, administer, and renew contracts and master service agreements (MSAs).
- Maintain accurate sourcing records, contract documentation, renewal schedules, and category contract repositories.
- Partner with Operations, Finance and other functions to understand business requirements, align sourcing priorities, and drive adoption of category strategies.
- Deliver annual cost-saving targets through strategic sourcing, supplier rationalization, productivity improvements, and process efficiencies.
- Track and report sourcing performance, managed spend, savings realization, working capital improvements, contract compliance, and sourcing pipeline progress.
- Support budgeting, forecasting, business estimates, and spend planning, ensuring appropriate ownership and validation of cost reductions.
- Ensure sourcing activities comply with company policies, applicable regulations, ethical standards, and audit requirements.
- Drive standardization, automation, digital sourcing adoption, and continuous improvement across sourcing processes and transaction methods.
- Lead, coach, and mentor procurement team members, promoting accountability, collaboration, and best practices.
Skills
- Strategic sourcing and category management, including the development and execution of sourcing strategies and roadmaps.
- Supplier market intelligence, spend analysis, demand forecasting, benchmarking, and total cost of ownership assessments.
- RFI, RFQ, RFP, tender management, competitive bidding, supplier evaluation, and award recommendation.
- Commercial negotiation, contract management, pricing analysis, and supplier relationship management.
- Supplier performance management, KPI monitoring, supplier development, audits, and corrective action implementation.
- Supply chain risk assessment, mitigation planning, supplier rationalization, and supply continuity management.
- Cost optimization, savings identification and validation, productivity improvement, and working capital management.
- Contract compliance, governance, procurement policies, ethical sourcing, and audit readiness.
- Data analysis, reporting, sourcing pipeline management, budgeting, and forecasting.
- Stakeholder engagement and management, influencing, cross-functional collaboration, and conflict resolution.
- Team leadership, coaching, project management, strategic thinking, and decision-making.
- Excellent written, verbal, communication, and presentation skills.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and deliver results in a dynamic business environment.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in supply chain management, Business Administration, Engineering, or a related discipline.
- 8–10+ years of experience in strategic sourcing, procurement, category management, or supplier management.
- Demonstrated success managing complex spend categories and delivering measurable cost savings and supplier performance improvements.
- Experience working in multinational organizations and managing suppliers across diverse markets is preferred.
- Strong knowledge of sourcing methodologies, category management practices, supplier development, and contract execution.
- Proven experience leading complex negotiations, tender processes, supplier performance reviews, and contract management activities.
- Experience managing sourcing KPIs, cost-saving initiatives, budgets, forecasts, and sourcing pipelines.
- Professional certifications such as CIPS, CPSM, PMP, or Lean Six Sigma are an advantage.
- Previous experience leading, mentoring, or developing team members is preferred.
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