Position Summary

As the Procurement Senior Manager, manage a team responsible for the entire procurement lifecycle including strategic sourcing specialists, contract analysts, vendor management analysts, and asset analysts. In this role, they will define, implement, manage and train the organization on the procurement framework. They will develop key performance indicators and automated reports necessary to monitor procurement activities adjusting as necessary to ensure that risks are mitigated, and value is optimized. The work with business and technology team members and vendors, to understand the procurement requirements, processes, workload capabilities, and negotiation strategies for various projects. They will have the opportunity to manage procurement and vendor management processes from beginning to end and act as an adviser in providing the best solutions for new products and services to meet business needs and build successful relationships. They will have the ability to develop teams, influence, and motivate managers and peers to improve processes and products.

About The Team

The technical procurement team works together to provide full vendor tracking, sourcing and performance management support. They strive to manage risk and minimize costs to the organization while responding to procurement needs in an efficient manner. They provide ongoing reports and support to ensure that vendors are fulfilling their contractual obligations and performing as expected.

Primary Responsibilities

• Defines, implements, trains, tracks and adjusts standard procurement processes, policies, templates and tools. Maintains the relevant documentation in a centralized repository for the organization.

• Works with internal and external auditors to ensure compliance with all applicable policies and procedures, remediates any findings.

• Leads a team of procurement specialists throughout the procurement life cycle. Service areas include vendor management, asset management, sourcing and contracts management.

• Assists and mentors’ procurement department employees in determining their career paths and identifying potential career development opportunities.

• Develops staffing plans, cross trains and provides tools and techniques provides efficiencies and improves effectiveness of the team.

• Ensures the team is providing efficient, courteous, and effective service working to continually improve the overall customer experience.

• Reviews and verifies RFx requests for complete and accurate information. Presents the requests to tech leadership for prioritization and assigns the work.

• Adds value to the organization by managing vendor relationships, providing competitive sourcing strategies specific to technology-based suppliers, and focusing on maximizing value and quality while minimizing risk.

• Ensures all applicable laws are followed throughout the purchasing process. Assesses and mitigates potential contractual risks - guiding team members on best practices.

• Collaborates with other procurement departments across the organization staying aligned on best practices and fulfilling compliance requirements.

• Negotiates and trains team regarding high-risk, high-cost deals, providing the team the necessary support to minimize cost while maximizing value. Collaborates with project teams to align project costs with solution benefits.

• Provides recommendations to ensure assets are optimized for greatest efficiency and value. Negotiates large renewals and license true ups to maximize value and minimize risk.

• Collaborates with the various accounting departments to ensure suppliers are paid in a timely manner, invoices are tracked against the appropriate purchase orders and business partners are aware when POs are fulfilled to make timely decisions on whether to renew or extend.

• Partners with the business to conduct business reviews with selected vendors to ensure business relationships are fostered and maintained. Works closely with internal and external parties to resolve problems with vendor performance, diagnose issues and recommends rehabilitation or remediation plans.

• Serve as a point of escalation to resolve contract or vendor performance issues and serve as a liaison between the business and vendors to come to agreement on contractual issues. Partners with legal or able to independently offer legal advice to resolve contractual disputes or issues as they arise.

• Defines key performance indicators and defines metrics identifying the efficient and effectiveness of the team. Provides reports on the value add through cost avoidance/savings and the ability to operate within service level objectives.

• Provides status reports on all procurement activities and business units as needed for business awareness

• Able to utilize system tools such as Oracle to provide budget managers purchase orders and contracting system-based reporting and train the budget managers on potential utilization of such reports.

• Analyzes and reports on vendor performance to contract (e.g., service level agreement (SLA) attainment or deliverable schedule adherence), proactively identifying areas for correction or enhancement of value-add (such as where a vendor continuously meets service levels).

• Researches and keeps up to date on the market and technology supply chain information and develops best practices for minimizing potential negative impacts.

• Collaborates with other senior leaders in tech on special projects to support the enterprise.

Primary Qualifications

• 10+ years’ Technical Procurement Life Cycle experience

• 10+ years' supervisory experience

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent – preferably in technology or a business-related field

• CPSM Certified preferred

Desired Skills

• Expert at negotiating contract terms and conditions ensuring requirements are met, risks are minimized, value is maximized, and the contract complies with all regulations. Proven experience negotiating multi-million-dollar agreements with large strategic technology partners maximizing benefits to the organization.

• Trains and guides procurement team members in negotiating for the best outcomes.

• Proven experience in defining and implementing a successful process for organizing, developing, planning and managing RFx initiatives within a technology-based organization utilizing industry best practices.

• Expert at identifying, collaborating, and leading the selection committee to define the scope of work, develop scorecards, and facilitate supplier evaluations/ selection.

• Develops the procurement life-cycle framework, tools, templates, guidelines and policies. Provides guidance, training and mentorship to internal, external customers, project teams and suppliers for all steps in the procurement life cycle.

• Expert in developing and training procurement teams on legal documentation templates including MSA, MNDA, Addenda, SOW and similar.

• Extensive experience creating and managing supplier contractual obligations, documenting non-compliance, and providing effective solutions while keeping business continuity in mind.

• Defines and develops KPIs, metrics, and reports to verify that supplier compliance activities are identified and followed. Works with internal audit as required to ensure processes and policies are documented, trained, verified and tracked, adjusting as necessary.

• Develops, maintains, measures and continuously improves the standard processes, procedures, and tools utilized to manage the procurement life cycle.

• Proven experience designing, building and implementing an asset management and optimization process

• Experienced working with business units as a” Product Consultant” to help determine new and/or better products/services to meet their requirements. Actively identifies, analyzes, and recommends alternative solutions to successfully meet business priorities or streamline processes, maximizing value while minimizing risk.

• Proven experience utilizing Oracle or similar procurement function for supplier management, contract management, renewals tracking, and purchase orders.

• Strong computer skills (SharePoint, Excel Outlook, Word, PowerPoint)

• Through research stays up to date on potential market impacts regarding technology and economics IT global movements, ensuring the organization is well-positioned for potential supply chain risks.

Competencies

• Motivates individuals to achieve and exceed goals by establishing accountabilities, clarifying performance expectations, agreeing to high standards and measures, monitoring and reviewing performance, and providing timely and relevant feedback.

• Enables and encourages group members to work together to complete tasks and accomplish goals that individual members could not accomplish alone.

• Display strong awareness of when, how, and to whom to delegate and will clearly communicate objectives, tasks, long-term benefits, and expectations for outcomes to empower others to take greater responsibility.

• Attracts, hires, engages, and develops talented people to build the capabilities required for the organization to perform at high levels

• Develops effective long-term professional interactions with others based on trust: trusts that they will always work toward the best interest of those involved and that they are sufficiently competent to provide positive results.

• Appreciates diversity in norms, values, beliefs, customs, and points of view. Values and manages cultural differences and consider diversity of thought as an asset to leverage.

• Develops and helps drive a shared understanding of a long-term vision that describes how the organization needs to operate now and in the future.

• Makes sound business decisions based on a strong understanding of the company’s business model, strategic goals, and relevant policies, as well as best practices and current technologies in their own discipline or functional area.

Why Clayton Homes?

Founded in 1956, Clayton is a Berkshire Hathaway Company committed to opening doors to a better life and Building Happyness® through homeownership. Through its family of brands, Clayton builds, sells, finances, and insures traditional site-built homes and off-site built housing – including modular homes, manufactured homes, CrossMod™ homes, tiny homes, college dormitories, military barracks, and apartments. Corporate headquarters is located in the Knoxville, Tennessee area, specifically, Maryville, Tennessee. Clayton is the recipient of numerous industry awards including 2019 Builder of the Year and ranks as the #2 builder of homes in the U.S. by units sold. Our site-built division, Clayton Properties Group, is the 8th largest site builder in the U.S. We achieve our results through the strength of our people and have been recognized on the 2021 Forbes Best Employers for Diversity and 2021 Forbes America’s Best Employers Lists. To learn more about Clayton Homes, got to: https://www.claytonhomes.com

Benefits

• Competitive benefits including 401(k) with 100% company match of the first 4%; medical, dental and vision plans; paid time off days and holidays.

• Quarterly bonus program.

• Forbes lists: America’s Best Employers, America’s Employers by State, Best Employers for Diversity, Best Employers for Women.

• Recognized as one of East Tennessee’s top technology workplaces.

• Wellness programs that focus on emotional, social, spiritual, intellectual, environmental, physical, and financial well-being.

• Onsite fitness facility with full gym, workout classes, volleyball and basketball, ping-pong, and disc golf course.

• Paid Time Off for Volunteer work.