Procurement Specialist HR Services

Confidential Careers; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Confidential Careers seeks a Senior Consultant with proven experience in Professional Services, especially HR services sourcing, to lead strategic intake, demand shaping, and category alignment. You will drive RFx/projects, conduct rigorous supplier evaluation, and negotiate terms to maximize long‑term value.

The role requires 3+ years in sourcing/procurement with HR benefits experience, strong stakeholder management, and an ability to navigate cross‑functional teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred.
• 3+ years hands-on sourcing or procurement experience, including commercial evaluations and contract execution.
• Minimum 2 years direct sourcing experience in HR Benefits categories.
• Strong background collaborating with legal, finance, and global category teams.
• Proven ability to manage senior stakeholders and suppliers across regional and cultural boundaries.
• Skilled in negotiation, financial analysis, market intelligence, and supplier management.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Intake, Requirement Gathering & Demand Shaping: define business needs, scope, timelines, budgets, success criteria; shape HR-related demand.
• Category Strategy Alignment & Optimization: ensure HR sourcing aligns with strategy, suppliers, frameworks, and rate cards; update strategy based on market trends.
• Strategic Sourcing Approach: design sourcing strategies for HR services; evaluate alternative delivery models (RPO, MSP, managed services, consulting, hybrid).
• RFx Creation & Management: lead complex RFIs/RFQs/RFPs with advanced scoring; drive alignment across stakeholders.
• Bid Evaluation & Analysis: analyze proposals on cost, capability, methodology, risk, diversity, innovation, compliance; identify supplier-led innovation opportunities.
• Financial Analysis & Cost Modeling: perform rate benchmarking, cost validation, scenario comparison, TCO, ROI, and risk assessments; lead negotiations.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Negotiation

Financial analysis

Market intelligence

Supplier management

Strategic sourcing

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain, Finance, Economics, or related field

Job description

We are seeking a highly client‑focused Senior Consultant with proven experience in Professional Services, especially HR Services sourcing such as:

• Talent Acquisition & RPO
• Payroll & Benefits Administration
• HRIS / HCM solutions
• Learning & Development / Training Services
• Talent & leadership consulting
• Assessment, coaching, and other HR‑related services

Main responsibilities include

Strategic Intake, Requirement Gathering & Demand Shaping

• Working with stakeholders to define business needs, project scope, timelines, budgets, and success criteria
• Challenging and shaping HR-related demand before requirements are finalized
• Translating business objectives into multi‑year sourcing roadmaps for Professional Services, including HR

Category Strategy Alignment & Optimization

• Ensuring HR sourcing requests align with Professional Services category strategy, preferred suppliers, frameworks, and rate cards
• Supporting updates to category strategy based on market trends and client needs
• Conducting deep market analysis across HR services (labor trends, pricing drivers, delivery models, etc.)
• Building and refining a high‑performing supplier ecosystem, including niche and strategic HR providers

Strategic Sourcing Approach

• Designing sourcing strategies for HR services that maximize long‑term value
• Evaluating alternative delivery models (RPO, MSP, managed services, consulting, hybrid)

RFx Creation & Management

• Leading complex RFI/RFQ/RFP processes, including advanced scoring frameworks
• Driving alignment across client and internal stakeholders

Bid Evaluation & Analysis

• Analyzing proposals across cost, capability, methodology, risk, diversity, innovation, and compliance
• Identifying supplier‑led innovation opportunities in HR

Financial Analysis & Cost Modeling

• Performing rate benchmarking, cost validation, scenario comparison, TCO, ROI, and financial risk assessments
• Facilitating evaluation workshops and preparing recommendation decks
• Communicating sourcing outcomes, tradeoffs, and long‑term value
• Leading commercial and operational negotiations with HR suppliers
• Covering pricing, rate cards, deliverables, SLAs, milestones, and performance‑based incentives

Contract Development & Redlining

• Managing SOWs, MSAs, and contract redlines
• Aligning commercial terms and resolving legal and operational issues

Stakeholder Governance & Approvals

• Managing alignment with business stakeholders, finance, legal, and governance boards
• Overseeing execution, archiving, PO creation, and transition to vendor management and operations teams

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain, Finance, Economics, or related field (advanced degree preferred)
• 3+ years of hands‑on sourcing or procurement experience, including commercial evaluations and contract execution
• Minimum 2 years of direct sourcing experience in HR Benefits categories
• Strong background collaborating with legal, finance, and global category teams
• Proven ability to manage senior stakeholders and suppliers across regional and cultural boundaries
• Skilled in negotiation, financial analysis, market intelligence, and supplier management