It Procurement Specialist - 100% Remote

This is an IT Procurement Specialist (Software licenses, purchases of hardware, cloud services, etc.). role not a generic Procurement role.

Must Have:

• Must have a Laptop/computer with internet to work from home.
• Must be fully vaccinated (If not vaccinated, need an exemption letter)
• Comfortable providing a Photo ID Copy

Terms of Employment

• W2 Contract, 12 Months (Likely Extension / Permanent Conversion)
• This position can be 100% remote. With that said, if candidates are willing to work onsite from time-to-time in Washington, DC, Columbia, MD, Baltimore, MD, or Owings Mills, MD – and would be enthusiastic about this – that would be a bonus.
• To be considered for permanent conversion, candidates must reside in Maryland, Washington, DC, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Florida, or Texas.

Responsibilities

Our client is looking for a Senior Sourcing Associate to focus on procurement of IT products and services (Software licenses, purchases of hardware, cloud services, etc.). Week-to-week responsibilities may include:

• Drafts and leads the applicable sourcing process through scoring and completion (e.g. RFx, sole source, etc.).
• Lead Stakeholder Engagement and Sourcing Initiatives:Collaborates with business stakeholders and procurement management to determine sourcing category strategy.
• Supplier Management:Ensures procurement process is followed and all documentation is complete and accessible in the Ariba source to pay system.
• Ensures and adheres to corporate purchasing policy directives and Federal Government regulations.
• Consolidates requirements and coordinates with management to determine the most suitable method of purchase such as spot purchase orders, contracts, blanket orders and supplier stocking arrangements.
• Leads supplier negotiations throughout RFx and contracting process to achieve optimal savings, value, and risk profile.
• Interacts routinely with legal and business owner to resolve issues.
• Works closely with legal and risk groups to ensure consistent communication and socialization of significant legal and risk issues throughout the negotiation process.
• Responsible for working with business stakeholders and procurement management to frame and develop project objectives, requirements, and sourcing strategy prior to supplier engagement.
• Manages existing contracts to anticipate and prepare for ongoing renewals.
• Responsible for the preparation and submission of documentation for consent from the Federal Government (as applicable).
• Provides other services related to the sourcing, contracting, and supplier management function as required
• Ensures compliance with contractual requirements for Federal Employee Program and other state and local contracts specifically related to MBE/WBE requirements and reporting.
• Acts as primary contact with potential suppliers during the RFx, selection, and negotiation process.
• Negotiate and Draft Contracts:Implements the sourcing strategy and negotiation and redlining process with the supplier to draft contracts that accurately capture business, technical, and legal requirements (including contractual and purchase order documentation).
• Analyzes and compares service and/or product offerings and specifications, investigates future renewal requirements and options, and resolves contract and invoice discrepancies.
• Acts as liaison with business owner and supplier during negotiations.

Required Skills & Experience

Bachelor’s degree and 4+ years of experience in IT service and product sourcing and procurement (i.e. software licensing, purchasing of hardware, cloud services, etc.).

• Ability to apply complex problem-solving abilities to achieve problem and process solutions.
• Ability to meet established deadlines and handle multiple customer service demands from internal and external customers, within set expectations for service excellence.
• Proven experience with key category suppliers.
• Experience managing the end-to-end sourcing process from requirements gathering through RFx and contracting.
• Experience in analyzing pricing and determining price reasonableness.
• Effective presentation and influencing skills to interface with multiple levels of management.
• Ability to effectively communicate and provide positive customer service to every internal and external customer.
• Excellent project and time management skills including but not limited to risk assessment, workplan development, and management.
• Ability to spot, communicate, and mitigate issues.
• Ability to learn and follow a rigid, prescribed process for completing procurements
• Experience in robust pricing and contractual negotiations with suppliers.
• Ability to effectively work in a fast-paced environment with frequently changing priorities, deadlines, and workloads that can be variable for long periods of time.
• Ability to work independently as well as part of a team.

Preferred Skills & Experience

Experience in the Health Insurance industry.

• Knowledge of Ariba or similar procurement automation tools.
• Knowledge of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR).