Technology Procurement Specialist

Client: College Board

Title: Strategic Sourcing Generalist - Technology

Duration: Long Term

Location: 100% Remote

Profile: the team wants a 3–5-year profile with strategic sourcing experience within the technology category. The selected candidate will manage deals under $100k in addition to other support. The ideal candidate is in the career level stated with RFP/RFI strategies, strong communications and be able to think big picture and tactical. Solid sense of commercial procurement strategies and contract negotiations. Not ideal for buyer profile or those over-qualified.

About the Role

·        The Strategic Sourcing Generalist will support procurement initiatives and contract management activities across multiple categories of spend for contracts

·        These activities may include, but are not limited to contract negotiation and execution, market research, and identifying opportunities for vendor consolidation.

·        The Strategic Sourcing Generalist will partner closely with cross-functional stakeholders, including Legal, Finance, and any stakeholders related to the categories they support.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Sourcing & Category Management

·        Lead the development and execution of sourcing strategies to optimize spend, reduce risk, and enhance value and is aligned with organizational objectives.

·        Identify, evaluate, and make recommendations on selection of suppliers and technologies across areas such as Software, Cloud and Hosting, Cybersecurity, Emerging Tech and other Technology related services.

·        Understand the current supplier landscape and identify opportunities to consolidate demand and drive cost savings while maintaining service quality.

·         Proactively update sourcing strategies based on market analysis and risk assessment, aligning with organizational goals and industry trends

Supplier & Contract Management

·        Lead supplier selection, performance management, and relationship development in partnership with internal stakeholders for contracts >$100K

·        Lead negotiations of commercial terms, service-level agreements (SLAs), and licensing models to achieve favorable cost, risk, and performance outcomes.

·        Partner with Legal, GRC and Information Security teams to ensure all security and business term requirements are included in contracts.

·        Manage ongoing supplier relationships, performance reviews, and escalation processes.

Cross-Functional Leadership & Collaboration

·        Serve as a trusted advisor to business units on category related procurement and sourcing matters for their respective scope.

·         Proactively engage with stakeholders to understand their goals and planned initiatives.  

·        Facilitate cross-functional collaboration to improve contract compliance, supplier performance, and policy adherence.

Data & Process Excellence

·        Gather and analyze spend data to benchmark and identify opportunities for savings and efficiency.

·         Create category specific cost models, including TCO analyses, to support data driven sourcing recommendations and track impact against organizational goals and metrics

·        Adopt and leverage existing Procurement tools and platforms, as well as enterprise AI tools, to deliver value driven insights and recommendations

Qualifications

·        Bachelor’s degree required; MBA or advanced degree preferred.

·        3+ years of experience in strategic sourcing, procurement, or supplier management, with at least 3 years focused on either:

o   Technology category sourcing

o   Marketing and Professional Services Category sourcing

·        Familiarity with ERP systems, supplier management systems, and contract lifecycle management tools.

·        CPSM, PMP, Lean/Six Sigma, or ISM certification preferred

Skills & Attributes

·        Basic knowledge of sourcing categories: Technology or Marketing & Professional services, including suppliers, market trends, etc.

·       Strong analytical, financial, and strategic problem-solving skills, including ability to deliver data-based insights to support strategic recommendations

·        Excellent communication and presentation abilities, with experience influencing stakeholders.

·        Demonstrated ability to build and maintain collaborative relationships across diverse teams.

·        High level of integrity, initiative, curiosity, and organization.

·        Comfort with fast-paced, cross-functional mission-driven environments.