Staff Procurement Specialist / Category Manager
Location: Portland, OR (Hybrid – 3 days/week onsite)
Remote Option: Open to candidates located in PST or MST time zones
Duration: 6-Month Contract
Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Pay Range: $65-70
Overview
We are seeking an experienced Staff Procurement Specialist / Category Manager to lead strategic sourcing and category management initiatives within a large supply chain organization. This role will be responsible for developing sourcing strategies, managing supplier relationships, conducting complex negotiations, and overseeing contract administration activities. The ideal candidate will bring strong procurement expertise, contract management experience, and the ability to influence business stakeholders through data-driven decision-making.
This position reports directly to a Senior Manager and works closely with supply chain professionals across a department of approximately 100 employees.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Sourcing & Contract Management
- Lead end-to-end sourcing initiatives, including RFPs, RFQs, and RFIs.
- Develop bid packages, evaluation criteria, pricing structures, and commercial terms.
- Conduct supplier evaluations, analyze commercial and risk factors, and lead negotiations.
- Draft, negotiate, and finalize contracts while ensuring alignment with business objectives.
- Manage contract lifecycle activities including renewals, amendments, and terminations.
- Maintain contract documentation and ensure compliance with governance and audit requirements.
Supplier Relationship Management
- Serve as the primary point of contact for suppliers and vendor relationships.
- Evaluate supplier capabilities, financial stability, and risk exposure.
- Lead supplier performance reviews and implement corrective action plans as needed.
- Support supplier onboarding and ongoing compliance with operational and governance standards.
Business Partnership & Stakeholder Engagement
- Partner with business leaders to understand requirements and develop sourcing strategies.
- Provide procurement expertise related to market dynamics, contracting approaches, and sourcing methodologies.
- Influence stakeholders through cost modeling, market analysis, and risk assessments.
- Support strategic decision-making through data-driven recommendations.
Procurement Strategy & Governance
- Develop and execute category strategies aligned with enterprise goals.
- Identify opportunities for cost optimization, process improvement, and risk mitigation.
- Apply advanced procurement methodologies and negotiation techniques to solve complex business challenges.
- Ensure adherence to procurement policies and best practices.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Finance, or a related field.
- 5+ years of experience in procurement, strategic sourcing, category management, contract management, or a related field.
- Experience developing sourcing strategies and managing complex RFx processes.
- Strong contract negotiation and supplier management experience.
- Experience working with procurement systems, ERP platforms, and procurement workflows.
- Excellent organizational, communication, and relationship management skills.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
Preferred Qualifications
- 6+ years of procurement, sourcing, or contract management experience.
- Experience negotiating contracts within complex spend categories.
- Familiarity with Oracle procurement systems.
- Project management experience.
- Utility industry experience.
- Professional procurement certifications such as CPSM, CIPS, or similar.
Technical Skills
- Procurement and contract management methodologies
- Strategic sourcing and category management
- Supplier performance management
- Market analysis and cost modeling
- Contract lifecycle management
- ERP and procurement systems
- Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
- SharePoint and related enterprise systems
Top Priorities for Success
The ideal candidate will be able to quickly contribute by:
- Analyzing supply chain contracts and identifying opportunities for value creation.
- Negotiating and managing supplier relationships.
- Maintaining procurement systems and supplier data.
- Learning internal contract processes and procurement platforms efficiently.
What We're Looking For
- Excellent organizational and work management skills.
- Strong verbal and written communication abilities.
- Proven procurement, sourcing, and contracting experience.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities while partnering effectively with cross-functional stakeholders.
This is an excellent opportunity for a procurement professional who enjoys driving strategic sourcing initiatives, building supplier partnerships, and influencing business outcomes through effective category management.
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