Senior Procurement Specialist

Our client is seeking a Principal Category Leader to drive strategic sourcing and procurement excellence across highly complex categories. This leadership role will act as a subject matter expert in procurement and supply chain, overseeing high-value negotiations, supplier innovation, and executive-level stakeholder engagement. The Principal Category Leader will influence officer-level decision-making, build long-term supplier partnerships, and lead strategic planning to ensure supply continuity, cost efficiency, and risk mitigation.

• Acts as subject matter expert for particular categories or services in the industry.
• Develops and implements category plans and sourcing strategies for high complexity categories that optimize cost, mitigate risk, and ensure supply continuity.
• Leads competitive bidding processes including RFPs, RFIs, and negotiations to secure best-value agreements.
• Negotiates, drafts, and manages contracts to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, corporate policies, and industry standards.
• Develops and sustains mutually beneficial strategic relationships with category and cross-portfolio suppliers, conducting regular performance reviews, fostering collaboration on innovation and continuous improvement, and ensuring alignment with the company’s safety, reliability, and sustainability goals.
• Partners with and influences cross-functional stakeholders and teams in developing sourcing and negotiation strategies for high complexity spend categories.
• Maintains awareness of industry and market trends, supplier landscapes, and regulatory changes to drive informed decision-making and strategic sourcing initiatives.
• Conducts and documents market research and supplier risk analysis to verify the financial health of existing and potential suppliers.
• Works with senior management to support strategic planning and decision-making at the officer level.

Minimum:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management or job-related discipline or equivalent experience.
• 8 years of experience in sourcing.
• 10 years of work experience in procurement, sourcing, or supply chain management, preferably in the utility, energy, or infrastructure sectors.
• Experience sourcing in Consulting / Professional Services, Construction / Related Services, or Materials.
• Proven ability to lead high-value negotiations, develop complex contract structures, and drive favorable outcomes.
• Strong analytical skills with experience leveraging spend analytics, cost modeling, and digital procurement tools to optimize category strategies.
• Competency in building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
• Expertise in developing strategic supplier partnerships, managing performance scorecards, and fostering supplier-driven innovation.
• Strong ability to engage and influence senior stakeholders, including executives, operations leaders, and legal teams, to align procurement strategies with business priorities.
• Competency in building and leading strong-identity teams that apply their diverse skills and perspectives to achieve common goals.
• Competency in applying project management theories, concepts, methods, best practices, and techniques as needed to perform at the job level.
• Knowledge of database and information systems – e.g., ARIBA, SAP, etc. – as needed to perform at the job level.
• Competency in leading cross-functional teams and to drive projects of high complexity.
• Excellent written and verbal skills.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office.
• Master’s Degree in Business Administration or job-related discipline or equivalent experience.