Sourcing Specialist - Category Manager
Job Profile Summary
The sourcing specialist/category manager is responsible for the strategic sourcing, negotiation and supplier strategy coordination within the university’s procurement department. This role will report to the Director, Procurement and will prepare and conduct negotiations with vendors/suppliers to obtain the best value for CMU while managing relationships with vendors and suppliers. The position will regularly interact with internal CMU buyers as well as external contacts. Key responsibilities include:
- Define, develop and implement a sourcing process that delivers the right level of service and outcomes through planning, defining business needs, assessing market, defining strategy, execution, supplier selection and contracting.
- Ensures all contract obligations are fulfilled, risks are mitigated and contracts remain valid throughout their life cycle. Holds CMU buyers and suppliers accountable for their actions pursuant to CMU policies, procedures and processes..
- Advise departmental campus buyers on procurement policies and procedures. Regularly analyze internal policies, procedures and processes and recommend updates as needed, as part of continuous improvement effort.
- Conduct research and analyze the marketplace, maintain working knowledge of business trends including industry issues, cost drivers, global pricing, market conditions, and economic indicators. Identify new and/or alternate sources of supply.
- Negotiate best price, quality, service levels and delivery terms for purchased products and services
Training and Development Opportunities
Sourcing Specialist - Category Manager's are encouraged to explore the relevant resources provided by our learning partners.
Communication
Computers/Software
- Excel Supply Chain Analysis: Solving Inventory Problems
- Excel with Copilot: AI-Driven Data Analysis
- Getting Great Results with Excel Pivot Tables, PowerQuery and PowerPivot
- Learning Data Analytics: 1 Foundations
- MS Word/Excel 2013 Pocket Primer (Book)
- SUMIFS, COUNTIFS, and Related Functions for Data Analysis
- Using Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Supply Chains
- Using PivotTables for Basic Anaylsis
- Working with Pivot Tables
Data Analysis
- Analysis and Reporting for Supply Chain Management
- Basics of Data Visualization
- Convert a Report to Raw, Useful Data
- Data Analysis
- Data Analysis with Excel (Book)
- Discover Data Analysis
- Excel Data Analysis: Your Visual Blueprint for Analyzing Data, Charts, and PivotTables, 4th Edition
- Excel with Copilot: AI-Driven Data Analysis
- Introduction to Business Analytics
- Learning Data Analytics: 1 Foundations
- Six Sigma Exploratory Data Analysis
- Supply Chain Foundation: Analytics
- Using PivotTables for Basic Analysis
Financial Skills
Negotiating
- Advanced Business Development: Communication and Negotiation
- Advanced Negotiation Techniques (Book)
- Asking for and Getting What You Want
- Building Skills to Become a Powerhouse Negotiator
- How to Prepare for Your Negotiations
- Mindsets and Strategies for Negotiation Success
- Negotiate to Win: The 21 Rules for Successful Negotiation (Book)
- Negotiating For Dummies, 2nd Edition (Book)
- Negotiating Secrets: The Experts Tell All! (Book)
- Negotiating with Agility
- Negotiating with Vendors
- Negotiation
- Negotiation (Book)
- Negotiation Foundations
- Negotiation Skills
- Practical Negotiating: Tools, Tactics, & Techniques (Book)
- Revise a Quote and Versioning
- Successfully Negotiating When You Have No Alternatives
- The First Steps in Negotiating
- The Top Three Negotiation Myths
- Win-Win Negotiations: Developing the Mindset, Skills and Behaviours of Win-Win Negotiators (Book)
- WIN-WIN: An Everyday Guide to Negotiating (Book)
Project Management
-
- Change Management for Projects
- Project Management Essentials (AI Simulator)
- Project Management Foundations
- Project Management Foundations
- Project Management Foundations: Procurement
- Project Management Professional (PMP)
- Project Management Schedules
- Project Management Simplified
- Project Management: Solving Common Project Problems
- Supply Chain Foundations: Project Management
Relationship Building
- Building a Win-win Relationship with Your Manager
- Building Rapport with Customers
- Earn Customer Trust and Cultivate Lasting Relationships
- Getting Relationships Right: How to Build Resilience and Thrive in Life, Love, and Work (Audiobook)
- Getting Relationships Right: How to Build Resilience and Thrive in Life, Love, and Work (Book)
- Power Questions: Build Relationships, Win New Business, and Influence Others (Book)
- Power Relationships: 26 Irrefutable Laws for Building Extraordinary Relationships (Book)
- The Mentoring Manual, Second Edition (Audiobook)
- This Isn't Working for Me: A Practical Guide for Making Every Relationship in Your Life More Fulfilling, Authentic, and Intentional (Audiobook)
- Who's Got Your Back: The Breakthrough Program to Build Deep, Trusting Relationships That Create Success--And Won't Let You Fail (Audiobook)
Risk Management
Strategic Sourcing
Supply Chain
-
- Analysis for Supply Chain Management
- Digital Transformation Insights: Supply Chain & Procurement Functions
- Essentials of Supply Chain Management, Fifth Edition (Book)
- Excel Supply Chain Analysis: Solving Inventory Problems
- Lean Six Sigma Foundations
- Lean Supply Chain Management: A Handbook for Stategic Procurement (Book)
- Purchasing Foundations
- Revise a Quote and Versioning (Video)
- Supply Chain
- Supply Chain Foundations
- Supply Chain Foundations: Analytics
- Supply Chain Foundations: Managing the Process
- Supply Chain Foundations: Project Management
- Supply Chain Management For Dummies, 3rd Edition (Book)
- The Palgrave Handbook of Supply Chain Management (Book)
Time Management
- Determining Your Time Management Style (Video)
- Efficient Time Management
- Finding Your Time Management Style
- Five Ways to Control Your Time
- Getting Things Done
- How to Get Things Done Ahead of Deadlines
- How to Organize Your Time and Your Life
- How to Set Goals When Everything Feels Like a Priority
- Mistakes to Avoid When Managing Your Time
- Prioritizing Your Tasks
- Successful Time Management for Dummies (Book)
- The Power of Lists to Get Stuff Done
- Time Management
- Time Management & Managing Priorities (Skill Benchmark)
- Time Management (The Brian Tracy Success Library) (Book)
- Time Management Fundamentals
- Time Management Made Simple (Audiobook)
- Time Management that Works (Book)
- Time Management Tips