Specialist, Strategic Sourcing

CenterPoint Energy, Inc.; Houston, Northern (TX, KY); Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

Paid training

Benefits from day one

Flexible work schedule

On-site wellness center

Tuition reimbursement

401(k) with company match

Job summary

CenterPoint Energy in Houston seeks a Strategic Sourcing Specialist for engineered equipment. You will execute defined category work, manage supplier relationships, and administer contracts to support capital projects.

You will coordinate with Engineering, Construction, and Operations to resolve routine issues and escalate risks with context. The role emphasizes procurement analytics, market monitoring, and long-lead item management.

Qualifications

• 2–5 years of procurement, sourcing, or supply chain experience with involvement in sourcing events.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Word) and SAP or equivalent ERP.
• Ability to manage multiple sourcing events and supplier relationships without supervision.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute RFQ/RFP packages for engineered equipment sub-categories with oversight.
• Manage supplier Q&A and clarification process to ensure competitive integrity.
• Conduct bid evaluations with weighted scoring and TCO analysis; produce summaries for reviews.
• Draft award recommendation documentation ready for Procurement Manager review.
• Support multi-round negotiations including bid summary, price reduction requests, and counter-offers.
• Maintain supplier relationships and track performance against contract requirements.
• Assist in developing supplier performance scorecards with delivery, quality, and service data.
• Participate in supplier coordination calls and QBRs; track action items to resolution.

Skills

Sourcing events

RFQ/RFP

Contract administration

Supplier management

Stakeholder coordination

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, Finance, or related field

Tools

SAP

Excel

Job description

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CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 150 years.

Our Vision: Our vision is to become the most admired utility in the United States through the execution of our long-term growth strategy. We have an unwavering commitment to safely and reliably deliver electricity and natural gas to millions of people.

Our Commitment: CenterPoint Energy is committed to creating an inclusive work environment where business results are achieved through the skills, abilities and talents of our diverse workforce.

At CenterPoint Energy, individuals are respected for their contributions toward our company objectives. We strive for an inclusive work environment across all levels that is reflective of the available workforce in the communities we serve.

Job Summary

The Strategic Sourcing Specialist — Engineered Equipment is a developing individual contributor who executes defined category work within the engineered equipment portfolio with appropriate oversight, building toward independent category management. The engineered equipment portfolio encompasses power transformers, autotransformers, distribution transformers, switchgear (circuit breakers, reclosers, switches), and wire, conductor, and cable categories — all characterized by long procurement lead times, capital program dependency, and technically complex supplier engagement.

The Specialist manages sourcing events for assigned categories or sub-categories, maintains supplier relationships at a working level, administers contracts and agreements, and develops the commercial and analytical skills required to progress to Senior Specialist-level independence. The Specialist operates with clear performance expectations, delivers defined work products with increasing quality and consistency, and escalates decisions and risks with context rather than as raw problems.

Essential Functions

Sourcing Event Execution

• Develop and execute RFQ/RFP packages for assigned engineered equipment sub-categories (e.g., distribution transformers, reclosers, wire/cable SOW renewals) with Procurement Manager or Senior Specialist oversight, including scope of work, technical requirements, commercial terms, and evaluation criteria.
• Manage the supplier Q&A and clarification process for assigned sourcing events, maintaining competitive integrity and information parity across all participating manufacturers.
• Conduct bid evaluation for assigned categories including weighted scoring, price comparison, and basic total cost of ownership analysis. Produce evaluation summaries for Senior or Lead Specialist review that are complete and internally consistent.
• Draft award recommendation documentation that is complete, documented, and requires review but not reconstruction by the Procurement Manager.
• Support multi-round negotiation processes including preparation of bid summary comparisons, price reduction request documentation, and counter-offer tracking.
• Manage working-level supplier relationships for assigned engineered equipment categories, tracking performance against contract requirements and raising supply risk signals proactively.
• Assist in development and maintenance of supplier performance scorecards for the engineered equipment supply base, collecting delivery, quality, and service data from internal stakeholders and supplier reports.
• Participate in supplier coordination calls and QBRs for assigned categories, managing follow-up action items and tracking resolution without prompting.
• Escalate supplier performance issues and supply risk signals — including lead time extensions, capacity constraints, and quality holds — with a clear summary of the issue, impact, and recommended path.

Essential Functions Continued

• Monitor supply market conditions for assigned categories including lead time dynamics, manufacturer capacity utilization, commodity price movements (copper, aluminum, GOES for transformers), and tariff and trade developments affecting the engineered equipment supply base.
• Develop spend analysis, supply base assessments, and sourcing event packages with increasing independence as category knowledge and proficiency develops.
• Maintain accurate lead time data for assigned equipment categories, updating the team tracker when manufacturer-reported timelines change.

Stakeholder Coordination

• Manage working-level stakeholder relationships with Engineering, Construction, Project Management, and Operations for assigned category needs, resolving routine coordination issues before they require Procurement Manager involvement.
• Communicate proactively on supply risk, lead time changes, and sourcing timelines for capital project-critical equipment without waiting to be asked.

Contract Administration & Governance

• Administer contracts for assigned categories including PO issuance, change order processing, SOW and MSA compliance tracking, and documentation governance in SAP or equivalent systems.
• Track contract expiration calendar for assigned engineered equipment categories, raising renewal triggers to the Procurement Manager with appropriate lead time given the long-lead nature of the supply base.
• Ensure PO, contract, and spend documentation is accurate, audit-ready, and consistently maintained.
• Support execution of Master Service Agreements and Statements of Work for assigned manufacturers, coordinating Legal review routing and signature management under Procurement Manager oversight.
• Monitor supply market conditions for assigned categories including lead time dynamics, manufacturer capacity utilization, commodity price movements (copper, aluminum, GOES for transformers), and tariff and trade developments affecting the engineered equipment supply base.
• Develop spend analysis, supply base assessments, and sourcing event packages with increasing independence as category knowledge and proficiency develops.
• Maintain accurate lead time data for assigned equipment categories, updating the team tracker when manufacturer-reported timelines change.

Stakeholder Coordination

• Manage working-level stakeholder relationships with Engineering, Construction, Project Management, and Operations for assigned category needs, resolving routine coordination issues before they require Procurement Manager involvement.
• Communicate proactively on supply risk, lead time changes, and sourcing timelines for capital project-critical equipment without waiting to be asked.

Contract Administration & Governance

• Administer contracts for assigned categories including PO issuance, change order processing, SOW and MSA compliance tracking, and documentation governance in SAP or equivalent systems.
• Track contract expiration calendar for assigned engineered equipment categories, raising renewal triggers to the Procurement Manager with appropriate lead time given the long-lead nature of the supply base.
• Ensure PO, contract, and spend documentation is accurate, audit-ready, and consistently maintained.
• Support execution of Master Service Agreements and Statements of Work for assigned manufacturers, coordinating Legal review routing and signature management under Procurement Manager oversight.

Education Description

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, Finance, or a related field.

Experience

• 2–5 years of procurement, sourcing, or supply chain experience with demonstrated involvement in sourcing event execution for technical, capital, or materials categories.
• Demonstrated ability to support or execute RFQ/RFP events including document development, bid evaluation, and award recommendation.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Word) and SAP or equivalent ERP.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple concurrent commitments across active sourcing events and supplier relationships without supervision of each.
• Clear written and verbal communication with professional presentation quality.

We want you to know
Being a part of the CenterPoint Energy team is more than a career alone. It's an opportunity to make a positive impact. You will be an integral part of enabling everyday life and the pursuit of possibilities for the customers we serve and the communities we share. The vital services we provide are at the core of making our world work, and by sharing your energy with us, we'll create a better tomorrow together.

What we bring to you

• Competitive pay
• Paid training
• Benefits eligibility begins on your first day
• Flexible work schedule, paid holidays and paid time off
• Access to discounts at fitness clubs and an on-site wellness center at our headquarters in Houston
• Professional growth and development programs including tuition reimbursement
• 401(k) Savings Plan featuring a company match dollar-for-dollar up to 6% and a company contribution of 3% regardless of your contribution

Job Type:Full Time
Posting Start Date: 09/01/2026
Posting End Date: 09/11/2026

This contractor and subcontractor shall abide by the requirements of 41 CFR §§ 60-1.4(a), 60-300.5(a), and 60-741.5(a). These regulations prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities and prohibit discrimination against all individuals based on their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin. Moreover, these regulations require that covered prime contractors and subcontractors take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status or disability.