This is a unique and exciting player-coach-subject matter expert role where you will not only own and drive the strategy for key indirect procurement categories but also lead and mentor a small team of talented procurement professionals.
You will be a strategic partner to the business, responsible for understanding stakeholder needs, analyzing market trends, and developing comprehensive category strategies that deliver significant value, mitigate risk, and drive innovation. As a people leader, you will foster a collaborative environment, guide your team's professional development, and empower them to achieve outstanding results. As a subject matter expert, you have the opportunity to influence how Coupa leverages its solutions to drive best in class processes.
This role is ideal for a strategic sourcing expert who is passionate about solving complex problems, developing talent, and driving cost savings through partnerships and negotiations.
What You'll Do:
Category Strategy & Sourcing:
Develop and execute multi-year category strategies for assigned indirect spend areas, ensuring alignment with overall business objectives and financial targets.
Lead the end-to-end strategic sourcing process, including market analysis, RFx (RFI, RFP, RFQ) development and execution, complex negotiations, and contract management.
Utilize spend analytics and market intelligence to identify and pursue cost savings opportunities, reporting on savings targets with a total cost of ownership (TCO) perspective.
Champion the use of Coupa’s own BSM platform to drive efficiency, visibility, and compliance within your categories.
People Leadership & Development:
Lead, mentor, and manage a team of 2 procurement specialists or category analysts.
Provide regular performance feedback through coaching and formal reviews, and support their career development plans.
Foster a culture of high performance, collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Act as an escalation point for your team, providing guidance on complex negotiations and stakeholder challenges.
Supplier Relationship Management (SRM):
Develop and manage strategic relationships with key suppliers to ensure they meet and exceed performance expectations.
Conduct regular business reviews with strategic partners to drive continuous improvement, innovation, and value creation.
Negotiate and manage contracts, ensuring favorable commercial and legal terms are in place to mitigate risk.
Business Partnership & Stakeholder Management:
Build and maintain strong, trusted relationships with key internal stakeholders across various departments (e.g., Marketing, IT, HR, Finance).
Act as a strategic advisor to the business, guiding them through the procurement process and ensuring their requirements are met.
Effectively communicate procurement's value proposition and drive compliance with procurement policies and procedures.
What You Will Bring to Coupa:
A minimum of 7+ years of progressive experience in strategic sourcing and category management, preferably within indirect procurement categories.
At least 1-2 years of formal or informal people leadership, mentorship, or team lead experience.
Proven track record of delivering significant cost savings ($) and value beyond savings (e.g., risk mitigation, improved service levels).
Exceptional negotiation skills with demonstrated experience managing complex, high-value contracts.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to analyze complex data sets (spend data, market research) to form actionable insights.
Excellent organization, communication, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and align stakeholders at all levels of the organization.
Preferred Qualifications:
Direct experience using the Coupa platform is a significant plus.
Experience managing global categories in a fast-paced, high-growth technology or software company.
Demonstrated ability to thrive in a dynamic environment and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
Coupa Boston, Massachusetts, USA Office
53 State Street Suite 1205, Boston, MA, United States, 02109
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