Strategic Sourcing Manager - Remote

Placements24; Polokwane; Hybrid; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,900,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Executive salary & bonus

Fully remote with home-office support

Career advancement & leadership growth

Autonomy in procurement decisions

Collaborative remote team culture

Health & wellness benefits

Flexible working hours

Leadership development

Job summary

WhatJobs Direct is seeking an accomplished Strategic Sourcing Manager to advance our procurement strategy. The role is remote, permanent, and requires driving multi-year sourcing plans, market intelligence, and high-value contract negotiations.

You will lead supplier relationships, collaborate with leaders across functions, and deliver cost savings while ensuring governance and risk controls in a remote-first environment.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Finance, or related field.
• Minimum 8 years of progressive experience in strategic sourcing, category management, or procurement leadership.
• Proven success in leading complex, global sourcing initiatives with cost savings.
• Expertise in negotiation, contract law, and risk management.
• Advanced analytical skills and proficiency in financial modeling.
• Understanding of procurement methodologies and tools.
• Excellent leadership, communication and stakeholder management.
• Ability to work independently and manage a remote team.
• Experience in a remote-first or distributed work environment.
• Professional certifications (e.g., CIPS, CPSM) are desirable.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement multi-year strategic sourcing plans for key spend categories.
• Conduct market intelligence, supplier landscape analysis, and risk assessments.
• Lead complex sourcing events (RFx) from development through execution and award.
• Negotiate high-value contracts, SLAs, and pricing structures.
• Manage and develop strategic supplier relationships and performance.
• Collaborate with business units to understand objectives and procurement needs.
• Drive continuous improvement within procurement and supply chain.
• Identify and implement best practices in strategic sourcing and category management.
• Develop and monitor KPIs for sourced categories and suppliers.
• Mentor junior procurement professionals where applicable.
• Ensure compliance with regulations and company policies.

Skills

Strategic sourcing

Negotiation

Stakeholder management

Remote leadership

Analytical thinking

Education

Master's degree (MBA or related)

Job description

About the Role

Our client, WhatJobs Direct, is seeking an accomplished Strategic Sourcing Manager to join their expanding team. This is a fully remote, permanent position, allowing you to leverage your expertise from anywhere within Polokwane, Limpopo, ZA and surrounding areas. The Strategic Sourcing Manager will be instrumental in developing and executing advanced sourcing strategies to optimize spend, enhance supplier performance, and ensure supply chain resilience. You will lead critical sourcing projects, conduct in-depth market analysis, and negotiate complex agreements to drive significant value for the organization. This role demands a highly analytical, proactive, and results-driven individual with a proven history of success in strategic procurement. We are looking for a leader who can operate autonomously within a remote-first culture and foster collaborative relationships with internal stakeholders and external suppliers. This is an unparalleled opportunity to make a substantial impact on our client's procurement function.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and implement multi-year strategic sourcing plans for key spend categories.
• Conduct comprehensive market intelligence, supplier landscape analysis, and risk assessments.
• Lead complex sourcing events (RFx processes) from development through execution and award.
• Negotiate high-value contracts, service level agreements (SLAs), and pricing structures.
• Manage and develop strategic supplier relationships, fostering collaboration and performance improvement.
• Collaborate closely with business unit leaders to understand their strategic objectives and procurement needs.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives within the procurement function and supply chain.
• Identify and implement best practices in strategic sourcing and category management.
• Develop and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) for sourced categories and suppliers.
• Mentor and guide junior procurement professionals where applicable.
• Ensure compliance with all relevant regulations and company policies.

Requirements

• A Master's degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Finance, or a related field.
• A minimum of 8 years of progressive experience in strategic sourcing, category management, or procurement leadership.
• Demonstrated success in leading complex, global sourcing initiatives and achieving significant cost savings.
• Expertise in negotiation, contract law, and risk management.
• Advanced analytical skills and proficiency in financial modeling.
• Deep understanding of various procurement methodologies and tools.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and stakeholder management abilities.
• Proven ability to work independently and manage a remote team effectively.
• Experience in a remote-first or highly distributed work environment is essential.
• Professional certifications (e.g., CIPS, CPSM) are highly desirable.

Benefits

• Executive-level salary and bonus structure.
• Fully remote work arrangement with comprehensive home office support.
• Exceptional opportunities for career advancement and leadership development.
• Significant autonomy and strategic influence in procurement decisions.
• Collaborative and innovative remote team culture.
• Comprehensive health and wellness benefits.
• Flexible working hours to support work-life balance.
• Contribution to a leading organization shaping procurement strategies.