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Strategic Sourcing Specialist
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Position Number: 5138604
Location: Denver, CO
Position Type: Business and Financial Management

Strategic Sourcing Specialist

University of Colorado Denver

Strategic Sourcing Specialist - 32716 University Staff Description

Who We Are:

System Administration, which also houses the Office of the President, is located in the uptown neighborhood of Denver with a few smaller offices located on the campuses. Many of our departments support the educational and research missions of the four University of Colorado campuses, but System Administration is not considered a campus. We provide diverse opportunities for professional development, innovation, and collaboration with talented staff and faculty. Learn more about CU System Administration.
The Procurement Service Center (PSC) provides leadership to the University of Colorado in the procurement of goods and services and in paying debts to vendors and travelers by combining sound business controls with efficient and timely service. The functional areas of the PSC include Purchasing Services, Strategic Sourcing, Supplier Relationship Management, Payable Services, Commercial Card Program, Travel Program, Small Business Program, Contract Services, and Procurement Systems. PSC is the system owner of CU Marketplace and Concur Travel and Expense.
Position Summary:

The University of Colorado's (CU) Procurement Service Center (PSC) is one of the leading higher education procurement offices in the nation. The PSC is dedicated to using technology to enhance the University's programs and create efficiencies within policies, procurement workflows, and the end user experience. The PSC supports the entire CU community, comprised of four campuses plus system administration, by assisting customers with their purchasing, spend management, procure-to-pay, and travel management responsibilities. The PSC partners with CU constituents and suppliers to provide collaborative, innovative, and leading practices that deliver high quality expertise, significant value, and excellent customer service.

The Strategic Sourcing Specialist provides University-wide strategy, contract management, strategic sourcing, procurement, and supplier management services under the University's strategic procurement program. This position facilitates collaborative supplier and campus stakeholder relationships, maintains subject matter expertise, manages enterprise-wide contracts and supplier relationships, and meets annual department and category goals. The Strategic Sourcing Specialist is integral in aligning PSC contracts, payables, purchasing, and systems staff around campus initiatives and strategic goals.

This position reports to the Senior Procurement Manager and is exempt from the State of Colorado Classified System.

Where You Will Work:

This position is approved for the following work arrangements: Remote & Hybrid

Hybrid - this role is eligible for a hybrid schedule, working some days from home and some days in office. Remote - this role is also eligible to work remotely within the United States.

Diversity and Equity:

The University of Colorado System Administration Office is committed to recruiting and supporting a diverse workforce. The university strives to promote a culture of inclusiveness, respect, communication and understanding. We encourage applications from women, ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities, persons within the LGBTQ+ community and all veterans.

Duties & Responsibilities:

Duties and responsibilities of the position include, but are not limited to:

Campus Engagement

Develops and maintains effective relationships with key University stakeholders to build a successful and collaborative partnership between Procurement and campus stakeholders
Works with stakeholders to identify campus-wide, multi-campus, and enterprise-wide sourcing and procurement opportunities, develop and monitor contracts, and maximize the value of the procurement process through industry and project knowledge
Creates, organizes and participates in cross-campus committees for the purpose of increasing and enhancing collaboration and strategic alignment between campus stakeholders
Acts as strategic liaison between campus customers, appropriate PSC teams, and suppliers for the categories assigned.
Create and maintain category related content for PSC website and customer newsletters.
Partners with university departments to understand current and future projects and roadmap. Identifies strategic overlap amongst campuses to drive collaborative efforts that maximize efficiency and fully leverage University spend with suppliers.
- Establishes and regularly communicates with campus stakeholder groups to solicit feedback and generate continuous improvement opportunities.
- Translates external campus engagement into cross-team PSC initiatives and continuous improvement opportunities.
- Creates and manages a pipeline of enterprise-wide sourcing and procurement opportunities based on customer feedback, spend analysis, and supplier relationships.

Category Strategy & Strategic Sourcing

Analyzes and prioritizes opportunity pipeline based on campus feedback, anticipated demand and contract renewal timing.
Responsible for development of short and long-term category portfolios focused on costs, savings, supplier optimization, and user experience.
Identifies sourcing opportunities using data analysis, market awareness, and subject matter expertise. Focus areas include total cost of ownership analysis, renewals, supplier consolidation, and services.
Works with appropriate Procurement staff to develop communication models that keep campus category stakeholders engaged in current and future category activities as well as identify continuous improvement opportunities throughout the procurement process.
Collaborates with PSC contracts, payables, systems, and procurement staff to achieve campus initiatives and strategic goals:
- Creates category strategy focusing on maximizing value and generating cost savings for the University.
- Establishes a framework for analyzing spend data to identify campus-wide, multi-campus, and enterprise-wide sourcing and procurement opportunities.
- Actively engages in campus-wide, multi-campus, and enterprise-wide sourcing opportunities that are generated from both the PSC and campus customers.
- Develops and executes plans of action for spend management and optimal spend behavior, within the assigned categories.
- Streamlines procurement processes in collaboration with the Procurement and Payables units.
- Collaborates with PSC teams to improve contracting and procurement processes based on category strategy outcomes.
Support overall strategic strategy goals by working with other strategic sourcing specialists to define overall strategic goals and methodologies.

Contract and Supplier Management

Facilitates contract execution with key suppliers and the PSC contracting team to ensure that contract terms and termination dates are tracked and managed.
Defines and establishes contract Service Level Agreements (SLA's), Key Performance Indicators (KPI's), and mutually agreed upon goals with suppliers.
Leads negotiation of business terms, pricing and structure for campus and enterprise agreements and provides support and consultation for department-level agreements and supplier engagements.
Provides continuous oversight of key supplier relationships and develops programs to effectively monitor, analyze, and manage supplier performance.
Assists departments in navigating supplier ecosystem in accordance with procurement rules to deliver the facilitate optimized solutions and pricing in alignment with University strategy.
Ensures continuous process improvement and innovation to further enhance the University-supplier relationship:
- Defines and establish contract SLAs and KPIs that align with strategic strategy.
- Develops methodology / framework for monitoring and managing supplier performance.
- Develops a methodology that defines supplier tiers to guide level of supplier engagement and performance management.
- Establishes meaningful and impactful goals with the key supplier base.
- Evaluates current contracts and spend under their management to meet changing University needs.
- Understands the enterprise spend for assigned categories and identifies opportunities to increase quality and improve value.
- Creates contract repositories to actively manage strategic contracts.

Special Projects

Executes special projects and completes other duties, as assigned, in support of the mission of the PSC and CU.

What We Offer:

Salary: The anticipated hiring range has been established at $77,000 - $83,000

CU System Administration takes into consideration a combination of the selected candidate's education, training and experience as it relates to the position, as well as the position's scope and complexity, internal pay equity and external market value when determining a salary level for potential new employees.

Benefits: With our unparalleled range of benefits, including top-notch healthcare, comprehensive wellness programs, enriching professional development, and a dynamic work-life balance, we ensure your holistic growth and happiness.

No-cost or low-cost medical & dental plan options, some inclusive of IVF assistance.
Disability, Life, Vision Insurance options.
Multiple retirement planning options including a mandatory 401(a) plan where CU contributes 10% of your gross pay, a 401k or 403b plan and a 457 deferred compensation plan.
Pre-tax savings plans, such as Health care and Dependent care flexible spending accounts.
Embrace a healthy work-life balance with ample sick and vacation leave, along with at least 12 paid holidays. This includes a dedicated week off for winter break.
4 weeks of parental leave to adjust to the joys of parenthood.
Tuition Benefit of 9 waived credits for eligible courses on any CU campus per academic year for employees, as well as options for your dependents.
Free RTD EcoPass and Free Onsite Parking at our 1800 Grant Street Office.
Many additional perks & programs with the https://apptrkr.com/get_redirect.php?id=5138604&targetURL=assigned.
Create and maintain category related content for PSC website and customer newsletters.
Partners with university departments to understand current and future projects and roadmap. Identifies strategic overlap amongst campuses to drive collaborative efforts that maximize efficiency and fully leverage University spend with suppliers.
- Establishes and regularly communicates with campus stakeholder groups to solicit feedback and generate continuous improvement opportunities.
- Translates external campus engagement into cross-team PSC initiatives and continuous improvement opportunities.
- Creates and manages a pipeline of enterprise-wide sourcing and procurement opportunities based on customer feedback, spend analysis, and supplier relationships.

Category Strategy & Strategic Sourcing

Analyzes and prioritizes opportunity pipeline based on campus feedback, anticipated demand and contract renewal timing.
Responsible for development of short and long-term category portfolios focused on costs, savings, supplier optimization, and user experience.
Identifies sourcing opportunities using data analysis, market awareness, and subject matter expertise. Focus areas include total cost of ownership analysis, renewals, supplier consolidation, and services.
Works with appropriate Procurement staff to develop communication models that keep campus category stakeholders engaged in current and future category activities as well as identify continuous improvement opportunities throughout the procurement process.
Collaborates with PSC contracts, payables, systems, and procurement staff to achieve campus initiatives and strategic goals:
- Creates category strategy focusing on maximizing value and generating cost savings for the University.
- Establishes a framework for analyzing spend data to identify campus-wide, multi-campus, and enterprise-wide sourcing and procurement opportunities.
- Actively engages in campus-wide, multi-campus, and enterprise-wide sourcing opportunities that are generated from both the PSC and campus customers.
- Develops and executes plans of action for spend management and optimal spend behavior, within the assigned categories.
- Streamlines procurement processes in collaboration with the Procurement and Payables units.
- Collaborates with PSC teams to improve contracting and procurement processes based on category strategy outcomes.
Support overall strategic strategy goals by working with other strategic sourcing specialists to define overall strategic goals and methodologies.

Contract and Supplier Management

Facilitates contract execution with key suppliers and the PSC contracting team to ensure that contract terms and termination dates are tracked and managed.
Defines and establishes contract Service Level Agreements (SLA's), Key Performance Indicators (KPI's), and mutually agreed upon goals with suppliers.
Leads negotiation of business terms, pricing and structure for campus and enterprise agreements and provides support and consultation for department-level agreements and supplier engagements.
Provides continuous oversight of key supplier relationships and develops programs to effectively monitor, analyze, and manage supplier performance.
Assists departments in navigating supplier ecosystem in accordance with procurement rules to deliver the facilitate optimized solutions and pricing in alignment with University strategy.
Ensures continuous process improvement and innovation to further enhance the University-supplier relationship:
- Defines and establish contract SLAs and KPIs that align with strategic strategy.
- Develops methodology / framework for monitoring and managing supplier performance.
- Develops a methodology that defines supplier tiers to guide level of supplier engagement and performance management.
- Establishes meaningful and impactful goals with the key supplier base.
- Evaluates current contracts and spend under their management to meet changing University needs.
- Understands the enterprise spend for assigned categories and identifies opportunities to increase quality and improve value.
- Creates contract repositories to actively manage strategic contracts.

Special Projects

Executes special projects and completes other duties, as assigned, in support of the mission of the PSC and CU.

No-cost or low-cost medical & dental plan options, some inclusive of IVF assistance.
Disability, Life, Vision Insurance options.
Multiple retirement planning options including a mandatory 401(a) plan where CU contributes 10% of your gross pay, a 401k or 403b plan and a 457 deferred compensation plan.
Pre-tax savings plans, such as Health care and Dependent care flexible spending accounts.
Embrace a healthy work-life balance with ample sick and vacation leave, along with at least 12 paid holidays. This includes a dedicated week off for winter break.
4 weeks of parental leave to adjust to the joys of parenthood.
Tuition Benefit of 9 waived credits for eligible courses on any CU campus per academic year for employees, as well as options for your dependents.
Free RTD EcoPass and Free Onsite Parking at our 1800 Grant Street Office.
Many additional perks & programs with the https://apptrkr.com/get_redirect.php?id=5138604&targetURL= the assigned categories.
Streamlines procurement processes in collaboration with the Procurement and Payables units.
Collaborates with PSC teams to improve contracting and procurement processes based on category strategy outcomes.

Support overall strategic strategy goals by working with other strategic sourcing specialists to define overall strategic goals and methodologies.

Contract and Supplier Management

Facilitates contract execution with key suppliers and the PSC contracting team to ensure that contract terms and termination dates are tracked and managed.
Defines and establishes contract Service Level Agreements (SLA's), Key Performance Indicators (KPI's), and mutually agreed upon goals with suppliers.
Leads negotiation of business terms, pricing and structure for campus and enterprise agreements and provides support and consultation for department-level agreements and supplier engagements.
Provides continuous oversight of key supplier relationships and develops programs to effectively monitor, analyze, and manage supplier performance.
Assists departments in navigating supplier ecosystem in accordance with procurement rules to deliver the facilitate optimized solutions and pricing in alignment with University strategy.
Ensures continuous process improvement and innovation to further enhance the University-supplier relationship:
- Defines and establish contract SLAs and KPIs that align with strategic strategy.
- Develops methodology / framework for monitoring and managing supplier performance.
- Develops a methodology that defines supplier tiers to guide level of supplier engagement and performance management.
- Establishes meaningful and impactful goals with the key supplier base.
- Evaluates current contracts and spend under their management to meet changing University needs.
- Understands the enterprise spend for assigned categories and identifies opportunities to increase quality and improve value.
- Creates contract repositories to actively manage strategic contracts.

Special Projects

Executes special projects and completes other duties, as assigned, in support of the mission of the PSC and CU.

No-cost or low-cost medical & dental plan options, some inclusive of IVF assistance.
Disability, Life, Vision Insurance options.
Multiple retirement planning options including a mandatory 401(a) plan where CU contributes 10% of your gross pay, a 401k or 403b plan and a 457 deferred compensation plan.
Pre-tax savings plans, such as Health care and Dependent care flexible spending accounts.
Embrace a healthy work-life balance with ample sick and vacation leave, along with at least 12 paid holidays. This includes a dedicated week off for winter break.
4 weeks of parental leave to adjust to the joys of parenthood.
Tuition Benefit of 9 waived credits for eligible courses on any CU campus per academic year for employees, as well as options for your dependents.
Free RTD EcoPass and Free Onsite Parking at our 1800 Grant Street Office.
Many additional perks & programs with the CU Advantage.

Additional taxable fringe benefits may be available.

For more information on benefits programs, please review our Comprehensive Benefits Guide.

Access our Total Compensation Calculator to see what your total rewards could be at CU. (This position is a University Staff position)

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications:

Please ensure your resume includes any and all relevant experience to be accurately assessed against these qualifications. You must meet all minimum requirements listed at the time of application to be considered for this role.

Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution of higher education, or equivalent professional experience (professional experience may be substituted for the educational requirement on a year-for-year basis)
Four (4) years' of experience in strategic sourcing, category management, supply management, procurement, or related field

Preferred Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution of higher education in supply chain management, business, or related field
Seven (7) years' of experience in strategic sourcing, supply management, category management, procurement, or related field;
Professional certification [e.g., such as certified purchasing manager (CPM), certified professional in supply management (CPSM), certified professional public buyer (CPPB), or certified public purchasing officer (CPPO)]

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

To be successful in this position, employees will need to know the following:

Knowledge of strategic procurement tactics and best practices
Understanding of category management
Knowledge of customer service principles and practices, including customer needs assessments, meeting quality service standards, and evaluating customer satisfaction
Knowledge of data management and reporting tools
Written, oral, and listening communications skills, including the ability to articulate goals, strategies, and direction as well as accurately interpret what others are saying
Skilled in the use of the Microsoft Office Suite (i.e. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, etc.)
Organizational skills, including the ability to set and meet goals and deadlines, manage appointments, create schedules, organize and facilitate meetings, and make decisions
Customer service skills, including the ability to actively listen, address customer needs, defuse tense situations, and maintain an open, flexible, and friendly demeanor
Ability to work independently and in a team setting
Ability to work under pressure, manage multiple concurrent tasks and responsibilities, and adapt to changing priorities while maintaining personal effectiveness
Ability to effect purchasing behavior changes at the individual, department, and institutional level
Ability to deliver a high level of commitment to customer service
Ability to analyze contract terms and conditions and explain them to others in a clear and concise manner

How to Apply:

For full consideration, please attach the following as separate documents to your application:

1. A cover letter identifying the job specific minimum qualifications you possess

2. A resume including any and all relevant experience to be accurately assessed against the qualifications listed in the posting.

Please ensure you check the "Job Specific Attachments" box next to each document on the "Required Documents" page of the application for the appropriate documents to be attached.

When to Apply:

For full consideration completed applications must be submitted by Sunday, March 10th, 2024. Reference checking is a standard step in our hiring process. You may be asked to provide contact information, including email addresses, for up to five references as part of the search process for this position. *Please note: All application materials must be submitted through CU Careers; emailed materials will not be considered.*

Sponsorship Statement:

We are unable to sponsor applicants for work visas for this position.

Background Check Statement:

The University of Colorado is committed to providing a safe and productive learning and living community. To achieve that goal, we conduct background investigations for all final applicants being considered for employment. Background investigations include a criminal history record check, and when appropriate, a financial and/or motor vehicle history. The Immigration Reform and Control Act requires that a verification of employment eligibility be documented for all new employees by the end of the third day of work. The University of Colorado is committed to diversity and equality in education and employment.

ADA Statement:

We are committed to an inclusive and barrier-free search process. We provide accommodations for applicants requesting accommodation through the search process such as alternative formats of this posting. Individuals with disabilities in need of accommodations throughout the search process should contact the ADA Coordinator at: systemhr@cu.edu.

Application Materials Required: Cover Letter, Resume/CV Job Category
: Business Services Primary Location
: Denver Department: S0001 -- System Administration - 52000 - Procurement Service Center Schedule
: Full-time Posting Date
: Mar 27, 2024 Unposting Date
: Mar 30, 2024, 5:59:00 AM Position Number: 00793691

To apply, please visit: https://cu.taleo.net/careersection/2/jobdetail.ftl?job=32716&lang=en