PROCUREMENT MANAGER

Management – Procurement Manager

Role Summary

The Procurement Operations & Process Improvement Specialist will provide dedicated leadership and execution support for a procurement function undergoing significant organizational transformation. This role drives process improvements, stakeholder engagement, and operational excellence initiatives across a complex, matrixed environment.

• Responsible for identifying opportunities, developing solutions, influencing stakeholders, and driving sustainable adoption across the business.
• Requires a blend of procurement expertise, operational leadership, process improvement, change management, and hands-on execution.
• Partners closely with procurement leadership, buyers, third-party support resources, accounts payable, business stakeholders, and supply chain leaders.
• The ideal candidate operates with a strong ownership mentality and achieves results through influence, collaboration, and credibility.

Primary Objectives

Spend Under Purchase Order

• Identify sources of spend leakage and non-compliant purchasing activity.
• Develop and execute remediation strategies in partnership with procurement and business stakeholders.
• Establish reporting, tracking, and governance mechanisms to sustain improvements over time.

Match Exception Reduction

• Partner with buyers to resolve current invoice and PO match exceptions while identifying root causes.
• Develop sustainable solutions to prevent recurring exceptions.
• Improve processes related to funding management, receipts, supplier invoicing, and requisition quality.
• Create training, documentation, and governance mechanisms that drive long-term improvement.

Procurement Operating Model Optimization

• Define and implement clear operating boundaries between procurement buyers and third-party support resources.
• Clarify ownership, workflows, escalation paths, and service expectations.
• Improve consistency, efficiency, and accountability across all procurement support activities.
• Design process improvements that support scalability and operational excellence.

Center of Excellence Development

• Lead procurement roadshows and educational sessions for business stakeholders.
• Develop training materials that improve understanding of procurement processes, policies, and expectations.
• Increase organizational compliance through education rather than enforcement.
• Help establish procurement as a trusted advisor and strategic business partner.

Key Responsibilities

Procurement Operations Leadership

• Serve as day-to-day operational lead for key procurement improvement initiatives.
• Identify and prioritize operational improvement opportunities.
• Develop and execute action plans aligned with strategic procurement objectives.
• Monitor performance metrics and provide recommendations for continuous improvement.
• Escalate risks, barriers, and opportunities appropriately.

Process Improvement and Governance

• Evaluate existing procurement workflows and identify inefficiencies.
• Design and implement improvements that enhance efficiency and stakeholder experience.
• Develop and maintain procurement standard operating procedures (SOPs).
• Drive process standardization across indirect procurement activities.
• Ensure operating models remain aligned with current and future-state business requirements.

Match Exception Management

• Analyze exception trends and identify systemic issues.
• Partner directly with buyers, accounts payable, and business stakeholders to implement corrective actions.
• Develop preventive controls and operational best practices.
• Establish reporting and monitoring mechanisms to track performance improvements.

Stakeholder Engagement and Change Leadership

• Build strong relationships across procurement, finance, accounts payable, and business functions.
• Lead meetings and working sessions independently.
• Influence stakeholder behaviors through effective communication and partnership.
• Drive adoption of new processes and operating models.
• Develop communication plans that clearly articulate the why, what, and how behind procurement initiatives.

Training and Capability Development

• Develop training content, job aids, and communication materials.
• Deliver procurement roadshows and educational workshops across the organization.
• Promote procurement policy awareness and compliance.
• Help business stakeholders understand their role in achieving procurement outcomes.

Performance Tracking and Reporting

• Define and track performance metrics aligned to stated objectives.
• Develop dashboards and reporting mechanisms.
• Measure adoption and effectiveness of implemented solutions.
• Provide leadership with actionable insights and recommendations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Seven or more years of experience in procurement operations, procure-to-pay (P2P), supply chain, or procurement excellence roles.
• Demonstrated success improving procurement compliance and operational performance.
• Experience leading process improvement initiatives with measurable outcomes.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills in complex organizations.
• Experience developing SOPs, training materials, and operational documentation.
• Proven ability to drive change without direct authority.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• Background in indirect procurement operations and shared services support.
• Procure-to-pay and accounts payable process expertise.
• Experience improving spend compliance and match exception performance.
• Familiarity with PeopleSoft, Oracle, or comparable ERP platforms.
• Lean, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement experience preferred.
• Consulting or transformation program experience a plus.