Director of Strategic Sourcing

Job Title: Director of Strategic Sourcing

Department: Finance

Location:  Oakland, CA, Washington DC, or Remote

Reports To: Deputy Chief Financial Officer

Supervises: Contracts Analyst 

Context:  At the Sierra Club, we believe in the power of interdependence. Together, we remain committed to the fight for a healthy climate built on a foundation of environmental, racial, economic, and gender justice – a future where all people benefit from a healthy, thriving planet and a direct connection to nature. As the climate crisis and deeply entrenched systemic racism all fuel injustice, we will continue to fight for a bold, transformational agenda that recognizes the interconnectedness between our planet, our humanity, and our future. By recognizing that our destinies are tied, we continue to name that all things are fundamentally connected, and the overlap between ecology, race, gender, and representative government will move to either advance our collective humanity or to oppress it. Sierra Club has close to 800 staff across the country and a network of 64 local chapters that are led and fueled by thousands of volunteers. We are also proud to be a unionized employer, with three labor unions representing more than half of our employees.

Scope: Lead and manage the strategic sourcing and procurement initiatives for the Sierra Club with the goal of achieving the highest value for goods and services. Develop and execute effective sourcing and procurement strategies and policies. Utilize best practices in sourcing and procurement to identify cost savings opportunities. Manage supplier relationships and ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Evaluate bid proposals and make recommendations for selection. Establish and maintain effective communication channels with internal and external stakeholders. Monitor supplier performance and ensure service level agreements are met. Identify and mitigate potential risks associated with the procurement process. Develop and implement procurement strategies to reduce total cost of ownership. Stay up-to-date with changes in the external market to ensure best practices are used.

This position will provide support across the organization to ensure compliance with policy, promote  procurement best practices, reduce risk and implement effective buying strategies.

The Director of Strategic Sourcing will develop a  high-performance strategic sourcing team, which will include the hiring and supervision of a Contracts Analyst, and serves as a procurement subject-matter expert.

• Directs the daily operations of Sierra Club’s procurement activities, including strategic sourcing, independent contractor database maintenance, formal bids, requests for proposal (RFP), and purchase orders (POs).
• Manage, assign and oversee the work of the Contracts Analyst and other contingent workforce.
• Develops, implements, and interprets policies and ensures compliance with applicable laws, policies, and regulations.
• Assist in rollout and expansion of PO usage and related reporting of commitments.
• Partner with Finance and Operations teams to implement procurement cards.
• Act as leader of the Strategic Sourcing team and key liaison on all procurement activities cross-departmentally.
• Partner with leadership to develop and implement a procurement strategy that aligns with the organization's strategic goals and objectives
• Lead, coach, develop and train the procurement team to ensure all sourcing, contracting, negotiations and procurement activities are executed effectively and efficiently.
• Build and maintain relationships with manufacturers and other key suppliers/vendors to ensure delivery of quality goods and services to support organizational objectives.
• Responsible for overall contract administration at Sierra Club including development of standard contract requirements and creation of a contract database.
• Develop and manage procurement policies, procedures, and processes to ensure compliance with regulations and ethical standards
• Identify cost-saving opportunities and manage vendor relationships to maximize value for the organization.
• Oversee the development and maintenance of procurement-related systems, tools, and technologies.
• Monitor and report on procurement performance metrics, including cost savings, supplier performance.
• Identify category risks and develop comprehensive risk mitigation/business continuity plans.
• Collaborate with legal on contract negotiation and drafting and execution, including scope, quality, time and cost of service and other contract terms and conditions.

• B.A. degree in Accounting, Finance, or Business Administration. A degree or combination of education and experience.
• Significant experience and knowledge of Enterprise Resource Planning systems (i.e. NetSuite).
• Experienced in contract negotiations.
• Experience in managing others and leading teams.
• Demonstrated problem solving skills. Organized and good attention to detail.
• Good written and verbal communication skills.  Ability to interact effectively with staff, volunteers and outside stakeholders.
• Committed to evolution. You are committed to continuously deepening and evolving your own understanding of systems of oppression through study, openness, and humility. And you easily recognize your own relationship to privilege and power, examining and shifting your behaviors as appropriate.
• Uplifting and additive. You see mistakes as opportunities for growth; problems as catalysts for solutions, and inspire others along the journey. You carry a constructive approach, can-do attitude, a sense of humor, and authentic kindness wherever you go.

• Experience in a similar role is a mission driven organization.
• Ability to multitask and prioritize projects.
• Interest in continuous process improvement.

To Apply

The Sierra Club provides equal employment and advancement opportunities to all staff members. Employment decisions are based on merit, qualifications, lived experience and skills. The Sierra Club does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, immigration status, socioeconomic status, ancestry, age, size, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, familial status, veteran status, disability, AIDS/HIV status, medical condition, prior conviction, arrest history, traits historically associated with race, including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles, or any other characteristic protected by law.

The Sierra Club values applicants who are people that identify as Black, Indigenous, and other minoritized groups; women; queer, transgender, gender non-conforming, and gender fluid people.

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