Procurement Manager
Location: SeaTac, WA
Duration: 12 Months
Engagement Summary:
- The Procurement Operations & Process Improvement Specialist will provide dedicated leadership and execution support for procurement operations during a period of significant organizational transformation. This contractor will support the Procurement organization through driving process improvements, stakeholder engagement, and operational excellence initiatives.
- This role is responsible for identifying opportunities, developing solutions, influencing stakeholders, and driving sustainable adoption across the business. Success requires a unique blend of procurement expertise, operational leadership, process improvement, communication, change management, and execution. The ideal candidate is highly adaptable, operates with a strong ownership mentality, and can achieve results through influence, collaboration, and credibility.
- The individual will partner closely with Procurement leadership, Buyers, third-party procurement support resources, Accounts Payable, business stakeholders, and Supply Chain leaders to improve procurement performance and business compliance while establishing Procurement as a trusted Center of Excellence.
Primary Objectives
- The contractor will be accountable for delivering measurable improvements in procurement effectiveness and operational performance, including:
Spend Under Purchase Order
- Increase Spend Under PO
- 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.
Match Exception Reduction
- Reduce invoice and purchase order match exceptions
- Partner with Buyers to resolve current issues 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 procurement support resources.
- Clarify ownership, workflows, escalation paths, and service expectations.
- Improve consistency, efficiency, and accountability across all procurement support activities.
- Design and implement process improvements that support scalability and operational excellence.
Procurement Center of Excellence Development
- Lead Procurement 101 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 Improvement Leadership
- Serve as the 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 process improvements that improve 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 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 Organizational Capability Development
- Develop training content, job aids, and communication materials.
- Deliver Procurement 101 roadshows and educational workshops.
- 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.
- Develop dashboards and reporting mechanisms.
- Measure adoption and effectiveness of implemented solutions.
- Provide leadership with actionable insights and recommendations.
Preferred Qualifications
- 7+ years of Procurement Operations, Procure-to-Pay (P2P), Supply Chain, or Procurement Excellence experience.
- Demonstrated experience improving procurement compliance and operational performance.
- Experience leading process improvement initiatives.
- Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills.
- Experience developing SOPs, training materials, and operational documentation.
- Proven ability to drive change without direct authority.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
- Experience in indirect procurement operations.
- Experience supporting procurement shared services.
- Procure-to-Pay and Accounts Payable process expertise.
- Experience improving spend compliance and match exception performance.
- Experience with PeopleSoft, Oracle, or similar ERP platforms.
- Lean, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement experience.
- Consulting or transformation program experience
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