Procurement Manager

Brightspeed; United States; Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 155,000; Full time

Job summary

Brightspeed is seeking a Procurement Manager to drive end-to-end category strategy across IT, Indirect, and Direct spending. You will partner with senior leaders to align procurement with business goals, lead transformational deals, and optimize supplier performance while advancing best practices.

You will manage complex negotiations, develop category roadmaps, and influence decisions across a matrix organization, including involvement with procurement systems and processes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience.
• 7+ years of relevant work experience in Category Management, Strategic Sourcing, consulting, or comparable function.
• Experience with program and change management.
• Advanced category experience and proven experience in leading transformational change.
• Experience creating collaborative relationships and developing category strategies or long-term strategic plans.
• Experience developing process improvements and policy implementation and oversight.
• Supplier performance management experience including reviews.
• Results/Metrics driven with strong financial base.
• Industry benchmarking experience.
• Self-motivated with ability to work independently.
• Strong negotiation skills with a proven track record of delivering value.
• Ability to navigate complex matrix organizations.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with senior business partners to drive end-to-end category strategy.
• Serve as Trusted Advisor and Business Leader with category expertise.
• Plan and propose strategies that support the business and drive performance in contract negotiation and management.
• Lead negotiations, vendor reviews, and RFx bidding where needed.
• Help eliminate unnecessary spend and maximize value across the procurement process.
• Stay current with industry best practices and technology trends to drive world-class standards.
• Assist with development of Procure to Pay processes and procurement systems.

Skills

Category management

Strategic sourcing

Negotiation

Vendor management

Change management

Stakeholder management

Financial acumen

Strategic thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

Brightspeed has an exciting opportunity for a Procurement Manager to join our team! Reporting to the Manager, Strategic Sourcing, you will focus on developing the vision and direction within the IT, Indirect, and Direct categories across the Brightspeed enterprise. The successful candidate will play a lead role in aligning with Brightspeed's business goals and driving end-to-end category strategy, performance effectiveness, efficiency, value, and contract negotiation. You will build collaborative relationships with internal business partners as well as strategic relationships with external suppliers. You will have demonstrated experience in defining and driving industry best practices and develop recommendations for enhanced business performance. You will also actively manage multiple, time-sensitive projects and interface with all levels of management to negotiate and drive transformational/complex deals. Come join the team that will build the fastest fiber‑optic network in America!

As Procurement Manager, your duties and responsibilities will include:

• Collaborate closely with senior level business partners to understand their priorities, strategies, challenge and, assess and manage expectations and drive alignment on end-to-end category strategy
• Earn the business partner's respect and serve as a Trusted Advisor and Business Leader by demonstrating proven category expertise
• Plan and propose strategies that best support the business, create efficiencies, and provide outstanding performance. Areas of focus include contract negotiation, contract management, supplier management, and RFx bidding activities as needed.
• Partner with the business to eliminate unnecessary spend, maximize value, and lead process workflow to include guiding and influencing toward best practices, lead negotiations and execution, and define benchmarks and program performance
• Stay current and leverage the industry best practices, game-changing strategies, and technology trends to drive World Class standards.
• Assist with the development of Brightspeed's Procure to Pay process and associated procurement systems including testing participation as needed.
• Drive continuous optimization of supply base with input on performance management measures and process enhancement
• Drive strategy implementation to enhance efficiency, process and performance improvement and build foundations for trusted partnerships
• Oversee management of business and financial issues (budget, annual scopes, staffing and annual contracts/addendums, renewals etc.) and effectively develops relationships to meet the needs of the business
• Ensure operational excellence and effective communications with internal and external partners
• Coordinate appropriate Supplier reviews focused on performance, opportunity, and innovation

WHAT IT TAKES TO CATCH OUR EYE:

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent work experience
• 7+ years of relevant work experience specifically in the areas of Category Management, Strategic Sourcing, consulting, or comparable functional experience
• Experience with program and change management
• Advanced category experience and proven experience in leading transformational change
• Experience creating collaborative relationships and developing category strategies or longer-term strategic plans/initiatives
• Experience developing process, process improvements and policy implementation and oversight
• Supplier performance management experience including reviews
• Results/Metrics driven with strong financial base
• Industry benchmarking experience
• Self-motivated /self-starter with ability to work independently
• Passion for research, insight generation and strategic thinking
• Empathetic, collaborative mindset that can navigate/influence a complex matrix organization to solve problems
• Strong negotiation skills with a proven track record of delivering value and results
• Ability to navigate through complex/matrix organization
• Excellent written and oral communication skills and ability to influence senior leader audiences
• Ability to articulate and simplify complex initiatives in a concise, effective manner to senior leaders

BONUS POINTS FOR:

• Advanced proficiency in building leadership PPT presentations (visually telling a story)
• Extensive Professional & Supplier network
• Intermediate to Advanced Excel skills

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WHY JOIN US?

We aspire to contemporary ways of working.

We are committed to being a leader in defining a new way to work because we recognize the changing mindset of today's workforce. We meet you where you are...wherever you are, by providing sensible remote and hybrid work arrangements. Why? Because our purpose is to reimagine how people work, learn, play and connect!

• We offer competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits.
• Our benefits and paid time off programs reflect our underlying belief in promoting overall wellness through physical, emotional and financial health.
• We are committed to building a team as diverse as the customers we serve.
• Diversity, equity and inclusion