Procurement Buyer-Contract Negotiations

As a member of the Procurement and Vendor Management Department which is responsible for managing the vendor life cycle for all Zenith's contracted vendors, the incumbent will have overall responsibility for the following aspects of the vendor life cycle: business need assessment; Request for Proposal/Request for Information; Proposal Evaluation and Assessment; Contract Negotiation; and, Implementation. All tasks are to be performed with the goal of efficient negotiation of best terms while reducing current operational expenses and the procurement of service from long-term strategic partners.

The essential responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Under moderate supervision and guidance works on assignments of moderate complexity.
• Communication with Business Owners: Meet regularly with Business Owner throughout the vendor life cycle in order to establish the vendor relationship that meets their expected criteria.
• Business Need Assessment.
• Develop sourcing strategy for every contract as assigned with guidance from Procurement and Vendor Management Leaders and Business Owner.
• Identify and validate requirements for each vendor based on Business Owner needs.
• Establish schedule/milestones.
• Management of the Request for Proposal/Request for Information process while exercising due diligence of prospective vendors.
• Contract Negotiation:
• Develop pricing schema.
• Develop negotiation plan and targets.
• Define service level agreements/metrics for each contract assigned.
• Select/tailor terms and conditions.
• Contract Implementation and communicating established metrics for performance monitoring by vendor management analyst.
• Work effectively in a team and bring about collaboration and trust in its members while making effective process improvement changes.
• Project Management expectations:
• Function independently with general supervision/strategic guidance.
• Identify and take the lead in improving existing processes in and outside Finance.
• Initiate, prioritize and lead multiple projects concurrently.
• Create reasonable project timeliness and milestones.
• Manage roles/responsibilities and provide clear guidance to others involved in projects.
• Identify issues, develop and/or provide solutions.
• Leverage knowledge of the others to resolve issues or attain milestones.
• Keep management abreast of project status without being reminded.
• Follow up on status and lead projects to fruition timely and efficiently.
• Apply principles of logical thinking to define problems, collect data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions.
• Responds positively to direction and critique of performance.
• Consistently maintain professional and appropriate demeanor.
• Other duties and projects as assigned.

Education, Skills, and Requirements

• High School Diploma Or equivalent required.
• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent combination of training/experience required.
• 3+ years relevant professional work experience required.
• Demonstrated ability to plan and perform involved or technical work presenting new or regularly changing problems, work with general instruction.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise considerable judgment, initiative, creativity, and/or ingenuity in areas where there is little precedent.
• Excellent verbal and written skills and demonstrated ability work effectively with all levels of the organization.
• Expert negotiation/influencing skills with demonstrated ability to influence negotiated outcomes.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively and collaboratively as a member of a team.
• Strong project management and organizational skills.
• Demonstrated ability to influence constituencies across internal functions, customers and partners.
• Action-oriented; results-oriented; with demonstrated ability to work with a sense of urgency and manage multiple projects simultaneously and expeditiously.

The expected salary range for this position is $78,734.04 - $87,482.27. Actual pay will be adjusted based on experience, geographic location, and other job-related factors as permitted by law. Qualifications may warrant placement in a different job level.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status. If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you have the right to request an accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our career center as a result of your disability. To request an accommodation, contact a Human Resources Representative at Zenith Insurance Company.