Johns Hopkins, founded in 1876, is America's first research university and home to nine world-class academic divisions working together as one university.
We are seeking a Category Lead – Administration, Facilities & Construction who will perform strategic sourcing and procure supplies and services for Administration, Facilities and Construction categories under the direction of the Category Portfolio Group Manager.
Specific Duties and Responsibilities
- Create and execute category strategies by leveraging current and future business requirements, market intelligence, and historical spend to drive cost reduction, enterprise consistency, and business value.
- Develop and lead cross functional teams to derive common specifications for products based on commodity knowledge, departmental requirements, product availability, etc.
- Create a category specific initiative pipeline that will forecast and direct procurement projects and sourcing activities
- Procure products, equipment and services and arrange for leases and rentals. Coordinate and conduct negotiations with suppliers to achieve business objectives with a positive result.
- Develop new sources of supplies. Evaluate and select vendors. Perform strategic sourcing activities utilizing an array of e-procurement tools.
- Negotiate, write and revise contracts ensuring contracts account for preferential commercial terms, relevant laws, regulations and risk.
- Build and maintain strong working relationships with internal customers and enhance working relationships with key preferred suppliers.
- Establish category metrics and savings targets, monitor performance, and communicate these to stakeholders
- Develop and maintain a working knowledge of relevant industry trends and issues, market conditions, audit process and ethical standards governing relationships between buyer and seller.
- Manages purchase orders, contracts, sourcing events, and supplier proposals within assigned spend categories, ensuring alignment with procurement policies and category objectives.
- Collaborates with Legal, Internal Audit, Risk Management, and compliance teams to ensure category strategies and supplier agreements address applicable regulations, policies, and business risks.
- Serves as a change agent and advocate for Procurement as a strategic, value-added partner, driving stakeholder engagement, supplier performance, cost optimization, and procurement best practices.
- Work efficiently in a decentralized procurement environment.
- Other duties as assigned.
Special Skills and Knowledge
- Keen negotiation skills.
- Be comfortable working in a de-centralized procurement environment.
- Familiarity with applicable state and federal laws and regulations helpful.
- Experience in use of eSourcing tools to enable optimal strategic outcomes.
- Experience compiling and analyzing data to identify trends.
- Knowledge of P2P process.
- Ability to process multiple projects, set priorities and work independently.
- Strong analytical and financial skills.
- Strong oral and written communication.
- Proficiency in MS Suite (Microsoft Word, Power Point, Project, Excel) and eSourcing tools.
- Knowledge of SAP a plus.
- Applies flexible approach to achieving category results in dynamic situations.
- Innovative Thinking: Proven ability to connect ideas, events, and circumstances to find solutions to business problems or goals.
- Contract knowledge of both commercial and legal terms.
- Ability to work independently. Energetic and self-motivated.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor's Degree.
- Two years of experience in purchasing or strategic sourcing.
- Additional education may substitute for required experience, and additional related experience may substitute for required education beyond a high school diploma/graduation equivalent, to the extent permitted by the JHU equivalency formula.
** Applicants who do not meet the posted requirements but are completing their final academic semester/quarter will be considered eligible for employment and may be asked to provide additional information confirming their academic completion date.
Preferred Qualifications
- Additional years of purchasing or strategic sourcing experience.
- CPM, CPSM, or other relevant procurement certification preferred.
Technical Qualifications & Specialized Certifications
- Proficiency in MS Office.
Technical Skills & Expected Level of Proficiency
- Analytical Skills - Developing
- Category Management - Developing
- Data Management and Analysis - Developing
- Influencing Skills - Developing
- Negotiation - Developing
- Procurement Industry Knowledge - Developing
- Supplier Performance Management - Developing
- Supplier Relationship Management - Developing
- Strategic Sourcing - Developing
The core technical skills listed are most essential; additional technical skills may be required based on specific division or department needs.
Classified Title: Category Lead
Job Posting Title (Working Title): Category Lead – Administration,
Facilities & Construction (Office of Procurement)
Role/Level/Range: ATP/04/PC
Starting Salary Range: $55,145 - $96,760 Annually (Commensurate
w/exp.)
Employee group: Full Time
Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:30am - 5:00pm
FLSA Status: Exempt
Location: Hybrid/JH at Keswick
Department name: Buying
Personnel area: University Administration
The successful candidate(s) for this position will be subject to a pre-employment background check.
If you are interested in applying for employment with The Johns Hopkins University and require special assistance or accommodation during any part of the pre-employment process, please contact the HR Business Services Office at jhurecruitment@jhu.edu. For TTY users, call via Maryland Relay or dial 711.
The following additional provisions may apply depending on which campus you will work. Your recruiter will advise accordingly.
During the Influenza ("the flu") season, as a condition of employment, The Johns Hopkins Institutions require all employees who provide ongoing services to patients or work in patient care or clinical care areas to have an annual influenza vaccination or possess an approved medical or religious exception. Failure to meet this requirement may result in termination of employment.
The pre-employment physical for positions in clinical areas, laboratories, working with research subjects, or involving community contact requires documentation of immune status against Rubella (German measles), Rubeola (Measles), Mumps, Varicella (chickenpox), Hepatitis B and documentation of having received the Tdap (Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) vaccination. This may include documentation of having two (2) MMR vaccines; two (2) Varicella vaccines; or antibody status to these diseases from laboratory testing. Blood tests for immunities to these diseases are ordinarily included in the pre-employment physical exam except for those employees who provide results of blood tests or immunization documentation from their own health care providers. Any vaccinations required for these diseases will be given at no cost in our Occupational Health office.
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