What You'll Do:- Establish a Group-wide sourcing support model that partners collaboratively with all function leaders to drive better vendor spend. Embed consistent practices across Cengage Group for vendor selection with category-specific criteria for vendor evaluation.
- Establish purchasing strategies across all Cengage Group spend categories, prioritizing categories based on opportunity (spend, maturity, strategic alignment), balancing cost objectives with other strategic business goals (supply reliability, quality, etc).
- Drive continuous improvement in Group-wide vendor spend by setting functional procurement targets, running periodic market reviews, tracking vendor spend performance across categories and using analytical insights. Partner with function leaders to help them find opportunities to hit and overachieve their procurement targets.
- Grow the share of spend from strategic vendors and eliminate duplication of spend.
- Develop relationships with major Cengage Group vendors to facilitate deeper partnering including facilitating quarterly business reviews with key suppliers.
- Lead on all aspects of vendor activities including selection with business partners, negotiations, and contracting.
- Report progress against initiatives to IT, Operations, Finance, and other stakeholders.
- Manage and modify (as needed) the Cengage Group procurement policy to ensure adequate visibility, appropriate controls and to encourage higher quality purchasing decisions. Ensure adherence to the policy.
- Collaborate cross-functionally, for example with the IT team to roadmap system configurations to improve the sourcing workflow in Cengage and Finance leadership to influence the transformation of Cengage's overall procure-to-pay processes.
Experience and Education: - Bachelor's degree in operations management, Engineering, Business, or a technical field
- 10 or more years of strong progressive management experience in Sourcing or Supply Chain Operations role/function with Team leadership and Strategic Sourcing direction setting experience
- Experience across all types of vendor types such as software, T&E, Professional Services, and Contractors.
- Ability to develop and mentor others
- Comfort guiding and interpreting sophisticated spend analysis
- Decision-making and ability to drive strategic direction
- Ability to build collaborative relationships
- Proven negotiating skills with very strong Project Leadership experience
- Ability to identify and seek needed information/research skills
- Knowledge and experience with SAP preferred
- Ability to travel domestically and internationally, 10% of time
CompensationAt Cengage Group, we take great pride in our commitment to providing a comprehensive and rewarding Total Rewards package designed to support and empower our employees. Click here to learn more about our Total Rewards Philosophy.
The full base pay range has been provided for this position. Individual base pay will vary based on work schedule, qualifications, experience, internal equity, and geographic location. Sales roles often incorporate a significant incentive compensation program beyond this base pay range.
In this position, you will be eligible to participate in the company's discretionary incentive bonus program. This position's bonus target amount, which is not guaranteed and is dependent on individual performance and overall company results among other factors, is provided below.
35% Annual: Individual Target
$192,500.00 - $270,000.00 USD
