Senior Sourcing Specialist or Lead Sourcing Specialist

Duke Energy; Charlotte (NC); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Duke Energy is seeking a Senior Sourcing Specialist to lead strategic sourcing for potential new nuclear generation. The role spans opportunity assessment, category analysis, supplier evaluation, and high‑value contract negotiations, coordinating with Legal, Finance, Nuclear Operations, and project teams.

relocation assistance is offered for this position. The successful candidate will translate technical and project requirements into commercial strategies, manage supplier risk, and drive

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher with required experience in strategic sourcing.
• Experience leading strategic sourcing initiatives for complex/high-value categories.
• Ability to analyze supplier markets, risk, and total cost of ownership.
• Strong negotiation and supplier relationship management skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and present sourcing strategies for complex, high-value categories.
• Lead end-to-end sourcing activities: RFIs/RFPs, supplier evaluations, negotiations.
• Manage risk, compliance, and quality requirements across sourcing initiatives.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to align sourcing with project goals.
• Provide leadership and coaching to sourcing personnel and stakeholders.

Skills

Strategic sourcing

Negotiation

Stakeholder management

Cost reduction

Education

Bachelor's degree

Associate's degree

HS/GED

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

PowerPoint

Outlook/Teams

CoPilot AI

ERP systems

Job description

Build an exciting, rewarding career with us - help us make a difference for millions of people every day. Consider joining the Duke Energy team, where you'll find a friendly work environment, opportunities for growth and development, recognition for your work, and competitive pay and benefits.

Relocation assistance is being offered for this position.

Position Summary

This Senior Sourcing Specialist position is the third level of the Nuclear Sourcing classification hierarchy and is responsible for developing and executing strategic sourcing plans in support of evaluating potential new nuclear generation. This role provides an opportunity for an experienced sourcing professional to lead complex, high-value procurement activities supporting one of Duke Energy's most significant potential capital investment programs. The position supports sourcing of materials, equipment, long-lead items, engineering, construction, fabrication, testing, logistics, warehousing, and professional services required to evaluate and potentially develop new nuclear generation.

The Senior Sourcing Specialist will lead the full strategic sourcing lifecycle, including opportunity assessment, demand and category analysis, supply‑market assessment, sourcing strategy development, competitive bid events, supplier evaluations, negotiations, contract development, supplier readiness, and performance management. The position will manage complex and high‑value sourcing initiatives where commercial strategy, supplier capability, schedule, quality, and risk management are critical to project success.

A successful candidate will bring strong strategic sourcing and negotiation experience, commercial judgement, analytical capability, and the ability to influence stakeholders across a complex enterprise. The individual will work proactively with the Nuclear Business Unit, Project Management & Construction (PMC), Nuclear Operations, Engineering, Project Controls, Legal, Finance, Treasury/Tax, Cybersecurity, Credit Risk, Insurance, Quality/Nuclear Oversight, and supplier stakeholders to develop practical sourcing solutions and build alignment across organizations.

The ideal candidate is a proactive sourcing professional who can translate technical and project requirements into effective commercial strategies, challenge assumptions, identify opportunities, manage supplier and commercial risk, and communicate recommendations clearly to project and executive leadership. Employees at this level are fully competent in applicable sourcing concepts and procedures, work independently on most assignments, identify problems, develop solutions, and elevate unusual or complex issues appropriately.

Responsibilities

• Sourcing Strategy Development: Develop and present sourcing strategies for complex, high-value materials, equipment, engineering, construction, fabrication, testing, transportation, warehousing, and professional services. Evaluate competitive sourcing options, market conditions, supplier capabilities, project requirements, commercial alternatives, and risk to recommend sourcing approaches that support project schedule, quality, cost, and enterprise objectives.
• Strategy Execution and Governance: Lead end-to-end sourcing activities including RFIs, RFPs, competitive bid events, supplier evaluations, commercial evaluations, award recommendations, governance reviews, contract releases, purchase order releases, and supplier onboarding. Establish clear evaluation criteria, document sourcing decisions, coordinate required approvals, and ensure effective handoffs to contract management, supplier performance management, project controls, and execution teams.
• Negotiation and Commercial Value Delivery: Develop negotiation strategies and lead commercial negotiations with supplier management for high-value and complex contracts. Negotiate pricing, escalation, payment terms, schedule commitments, milestones, warranties, remedies, change management, intellectual property, confidentiality, audit rights, flow-down requirements, and other commercial provisions. Use should-cost models, market intelligence, commodity and escalation indices, historical benchmarks, competitive analysis, and total-cost-of-ownership approaches to support fact-based negotiations and deliver measurable commercial value.
• Risk, Compliance and Quality Requirements: Proactively identify and manage sourcing and supplier risks that could affect cost, schedule, quality, project execution, or regulatory compliance. Partner with Legal, Tax/Treasury, Credit Risk, Insurance, Cybersecurity, Engineering, Nuclear Oversight/Quality, and other subject matter experts to evaluate and address technical, contractual, financial, cybersecurity, domestic content, FEOC, IRA, prevailing wage/apprenticeship, logistics, quality, regulatory, and supplier capacity risks.
• Supplier Qualification, Performance, and Corrective Action: Lead commercial and supply-chain assessments of suppliers and sub-suppliers, including evaluation of capability, quality programs, delivery performance, financial stability, capacity, workforce readiness, manufacturing capability, supply-chain resiliency, geopolitical exposure, documentation/traceability, and ability to support project milestones. Monitor supplier commitments and performance, support corrective actions, resolve escalated commercial issues, and communicate supplier risks through appropriate metrics and governance forums.
• Business Partner, Project, and Stakeholder Management: Serve as a strategic supply chain partner to Nuclear Business Unit, Project Management & Construction (PMC), Nuclear Operations, Engineering, Project Controls, Legal, Finance, Tax, and project execution teams. Build strong internal and supplier relationships, translate technical and project requirements into effective sourcing strategies, facilitate cross-functional decision making, and develop solutions that balance technical, commercial, schedule, quality, and risk objectives.
• Change Management and Continuous Improvement: Identify opportunities to improve sourcing processes, supplier engagement, project visibility, governance, and execution. Support implementation plans, lessons learned, digital reporting, sourcing metrics, supplier readiness reviews, template, and tools that strengthen sourcing effectiveness and support consistent execution across potential new nuclear projects.
• Leadership and Knowledge Sharing: Provide cross-training, coaching, and guidance to sourcing personnel and business partners. Share sourcing best practices and develop practical job aids, sourcing templates, supplier evaluation criteria, negotiation strategies, and procedural guidance. Contribute to the continued development of New Nuclear Generation sourcing capabilities and a strong culture of commercial discipline, collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Required/Basic Qualifications

Senior Sourcing Specialist

• Bachelor's degree
• 5 years related work experience

• In lieu of Bachelor's degree(s) and 5 year(s) related work experience listed above, Associates degree and 7 year(s) or High School/GED and 9 year(s) related work experience

Lead Sourcing Specialist

• Bachelor's degree
• 7 years related work experience

• In lieu of Bachelor's degree(s) and 7 year(s) related work experience listed above, Associates degree and 9 year(s) or High School/GED and 11 year(s) related work experience

Preferred Qualifications

• Graduate degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, Finance, Construction Management, Project Management, or related field.
• C.P.M. (Certified Purchasing Manager), CPSM (Certified Professional in Supply Management), CSCP (Certified Supply Chain Professional), CPIM (Certified in Production and Inventory Management), PMP (Project Management Professional), or similar sourcing, supply chain, project management, or technical certification.
• Demonstrated experience leading strategic sourcing initiatives, competitive sourcing events, supplier proposal evaluations, commercial negotiations, contract development, and supplier performance activities for complex or high-value categories.
• Experience sourcing equipment, materials, engineering, construction, fabrication, logistics, or professional services supporting utilities, energy, infrastructure, manufacturing, industrial facilities, major capital projects, or other technically complex environments.
• Demonstrated ability to develop category and sourcing strategies, analyze supply markets, identify qualified suppliers, create supplier evaluation criteria, conduct commercial evaluations, and develop executive- ready sourcing recommendations.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen, including experience with pricing analysis, total-cost-of-ownership analysis, benchmarking, escalation indices, should-cost approaches, payment structures, and commercial risk evaluation.
• Experience negotiating high-value or complex contracts involving pricing, escalation, schedule commitments, milestones, warranties, remedies, change management, audit rights, intellectual property, and risk allocation.
• Strong supplier relationship and performance management experience, including supplier qualification, capability assessments, performance reviews, issue resolution, corrective actions, capacity evaluations, and supply-chain risk mitigation.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams including engineering, project management, construction, legal, finance, quality, operations, and executive leadership.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with demonstrated ability to develop clear business cases, sourcing recommendations, negotiation strategies, risk assessments, presentations, and executive-level communications.
• Experience supporting major capital projects, power generation, utilities, nuclear, manufacturing, industrial construction, EPC projects, long-lead equipment procurement, modular construction, or technically complex supply chains.
• Knowledge of supplier risk considerations including financial health, capacity, quality, cybersecurity, insurance, logistics, regulatory compliance, domestic content, and supply-chain resiliency.
• Working knowledge of nuclear procurement and quality requirements for safety-related and non-safety-related materials, equipment, and services, including NRC, NUPIC, ASME NQA-1, 10 CFR Part 21, and 10 CFR Part 50 Appendix B concepts.
• Experience supporting supplier readiness assessments, manufacturing or fabrication facility evaluations, source inspections, supplier development, or major equipment procurement.
• Completion of the EPRI Nuclear Utility Procurement Course or comparable nuclear procurement/quality training.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook/Teams, CoPilot AI, and applicable procurement, contract management, ERP, sourcing, document management, and reporting tools.

Working Conditions

• Hybrid Mobility Classification - Work will be performed from both remote and onsite locations after the onboarding period. However, hybrid employees must live within a reasonable commute to their designated Duke Energy facility, not greater than 50 miles one way. Employees are expected to report to their assigned Duke Energy facility as required and directed by their manager, on average 3 full workdays per regular workweek.
• Office setting
• Periodic meetings at Duke Energy facilities, project sites, supplier locations, fabrication/manufacturing facilities, and industry conferences.

• 25-50% travel, primarily domestic with opportunities for international travel, offers the chance to work directly with leading suppliers and engage firsthand with the nuclear manufacturing and project supply chain. Travel may include supplier and fabrication facility visits, project sites, strategic negotiations, readiness assessments, source inspections, logistics planning, and industry events supporting the development of new nuclear generation.

• Work may involve time-sensitive sourcing decisions, supplier escalations, negotiations, project requirements, executive review materials, and coordination across multiple internal and external stakeholders.

Specific Requirements

• Bachelor's degree + 5 years work experience OR
• Associate's degree + 7 years work experience OR
• HS/GED + 9 years work experience
• Must possess, or obtain within 3 months of start, Position Specific Guide qualifications for both materials and services sourcing: NSCD-285A Nuclear Sourcing Purchase Order PSG and NSCD-284B Nuclear Sourcing Contract PSG.

Travel Requirements

25-50% travel

Relocation Assistance Provided (as applicable) Yes

Represented/Union Position No

Visa Sponsored Position No. This is not a Visa Sponsored Position. This role requires the ability to work lawfully in the U.S. without employment-based immigration sponsorship, now or in the future.

Please note that in order to be considered for this position, you must possess all of the basic/required qualifications.