Strategic Procurement Manager

Job description

Job Description: Position Summary: Build and implement Les Schwab’s strategic sourcing and procurement capability for in-scope indirect/non-product vendor spend and high-value, high-risk vendor relationships. Serve as a designated commercial negotiation and sourcing partner for business owners and Legal, bringing specialized expertise in pricing validation, benchmarking, competitive sourcing, renewal leverage, vendor management, and commercial terms to key engagements. A significant focus of the role will be enterprise technology, SaaS, data, security, privacy, and platform-related vendor relationships, where contract structure, implementation risk, renewal leverage, integration dependency, and transition planning can materially affect business operations. The role will also help establish foundational sourcing processes, spend visibility, renewal discipline, vendor governance, and contract repository practices needed to support a broader Finance-led indirect sourcing and procurement function. The role initially reports to the Director of Legal Services / Deputy General Counsel during the build period, with Finance involved from day one. This role is not intended to own routine purchasing, purchase orders, AP or invoice issues, vendor setup, office supplies, store-level buying, or product/tire procurement. PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES/FUNCTIONS: 55% - Strategic Sourcing & Commercial Negotiation: Develop and manage sourcing intake, trigger thresholds, competitive sourcing processes, including RFPs where appropriate, proposal evaluation, pricing validation, benchmarking, and commercial negotiation for in-scope non-product vendor relationships. Partner with business owners and Legal on high-value contracts, including consulting and professional services, enterprise technology platforms, SaaS and cloud-based services, software licensing, implementation services, data/security/privacy-sensitive vendor relationships, systems integration arrangements, major renewals, enterprise service providers, and vendor relationships involving material spend, implementation risk, transition risk, operational dependency, or limited replacement options. Serve as a designated commercial negotiation resource for key technology and enterprise platform engagements where business owners may benefit from specialized sourcing, pricing, benchmarking, and vendor-leverage expertise. 25% - Vendor Governance, Renewal Visibility & Contract Repository Discipline: Establish processes to identify vendor owners, renewal and termination notice deadlines, key obligations, escalation paths, performance expectations, and vendor accountability. Partner with Legal, Finance, IDS, and business owners to improve the return and storage of fully executed in-scope contracts in the Company’s contract repository, extract key contract data, assess repository completeness and tool capability, and create renewal visibility approximately six months in advance for significant renewals where practicable. For enterprise technology and platform agreements, help ensure the Company has visibility into renewal dates, usage-based pricing, support obligations, implementation milestones, data access, transition rights, integration dependencies, and business-owner accountability. 20% - Function Buildout, Finance Partnership & Value Tracking: Build practical tools, templates, stakeholder education, vendor scorecards, and reporting needed to support a repeatable sourcing process that helps business owners make better vendor decisions without creating unnecessary bureaucracy. Partner with Finance to establish spend baselines, direct savings and cost-avoidance validation, budget alignment, vendor payment visibility, and value-tracking methodology, and prepare a six-month recommendation for a broader Finance-led indirect sourcing and procurement function. Educational/Experience Requirements: • Bachelor’s degree required; degree in supply chain management, business administration, finance, operations, or related field preferred. • 10+ years of experience in strategic sourcing, indirect procurement, procurement transformation, vendor governance, or enterprise vendor management. • Experience building or maturing sourcing processes, competitive sourcing frameworks, contract lifecycle/repository governance, and renewal management in a decentralized environment. • Significant experience sourcing, negotiating, or managing enterprise technology platforms, SaaS agreements, software licensing, cloud services, technology implementation services, data/security/privacy-sensitive vendors, or systems-integration relationships strongly preferred. • Retail, multi-location, or comparable enterprise environment experience preferred. • Experience working with technology, information systems, security, privacy, finance, legal, and business stakeholders on complex vendor relationships preferred. • Experience providing functional leadership, process leadership, or direct supervision of procurement, sourcing, vendor-management, or contract-management resources preferred. Required Technical Skills/Knowledge: • Knowledge of strategic sourcing, indirect procurement, competitive sourcing, RFP processes, vendor benchmarking, pricing analysis, and commercial negotiation. • Knowledgeable of contracts, vendor governance, renewal management, and contract repository or contract lifecycle management systems. • Experience using spend data, budget information, payment data, and contract information to identify and validate direct savings, cost avoidance, rebates, and improved commercial value. • Knowledge of technology contracting concepts, including SaaS subscription models, usage-based pricing, software licensing, implementation statements of work, support/service-level commitments, data access, transition assistance, integration dependencies, and vendor lock-in risk. • Ability to partner with business owners to evaluate technology vendor options, compare pricing and scope, create competitive leverage, and support renewal or replacement strategies for enterprise platforms. • Proficient with Google sheets, Google docs, Google sites, Google mail, and internet based programs. • Ability to evaluate and improve contract repository completeness, renewal reminders, dashboards, data extraction, and related reporting processes. General Knowledge and Abilities: • Experience working in a fast-paced, growth or transformation environment. • Ability to build practical processes from ambiguity and drive adoption across multiple departments. • Mature problem-solving skills with the ability to collect and use data to drive decisions. • Excellent presentation skills. Ability to synthesize information and present to audiences at all levels. • Ability to partner effectively with Legal, Finance, IDS, HR, and business owners. • Strong commercial judgment, negotiation discipline, and vendor-management mindset. • Ability to position the function as a business-owner resource rather than a gatekeeper. • Ability to work effectively with technical stakeholders and translate technology, platform, implementation, and operational dependency issues into practical sourcing and negotiation strategies. • Ability to create credibility with business owners and project managers who may currently be managing vendor relationships without formal sourcing experience, clear commercial goals, or consistent value-tracking metrics. • Ability to lead through influence in a matrixed environment, including situations where procurement-related activities may currently sit inside business functions rather than a centralized sourcing function. • Ability to maintain versatility in style and approach to suit the audience most effectively. • Skilled at working effectively to meet deadlines and manage multiple priorities. • Attention to detail and ability to improve process discipline without creating unnecessary bureaucracy. • Ability to work on their own and take initiative when presented with tasks. Physical Requirements: • Occasional light lifting not to exceed 25lbs • Sitting • Typing • Use of computer, keyboard, copier, telephone Work Environment: Office environment; minimal travel may be required. This job description is not all inclusive and is subject to change. Additional duties, responsibilities, and tasks may be assigned, as necessary. Employment remains “AT WILL” at all times.