Strategic Sourcing Specialist

Why Work at BYU   

As the flagship higher education institution of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Brigham Young University (BYU) strives to be among the exceptional universities in the world. At BYU, we are devoted to our faith and to our students. We take an active role in the University's Mission: "To assist individuals in their quest for perfection and eternal life.” 

Our unique mission, deeply rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, provides countless ways to serve and make an impact. This, along with our remarkable culture of belonging, weekly devotionals, and endless opportunities for learning and growth—all situated within a beautiful and historic campus—make it hard to imagine a more inspiring place to work. 

Brigham Young University strongly prefers to hire faithful members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Job Description

Strategic Sourcing Specialist

The Strategic Sourcing Specialist is a seasoned procurement professional responsible for planning, implementing, and executing the university’s sourcing strategy. This position oversees all sourcing and procurement functions, specializing in unique commodities that require advanced knowledge and experience. The Specialist serves as the primary liaison between deployed campus offices and the core management team, ensuring alignment with procurement directives, providing training and supervision, and supporting consistent operational excellence. The role also oversees critical operations within the organization and contributes to long-term strategic initiatives.

What you’ll do in this position:

Procurement of Goods & Services

• Develop strong customer relationships and provide high-level customer service.
• Build and maintain supplier relationships; oversee vendor management processes.
• Apply sound fiscal stewardship in alignment with university values.

Commodity Management

• Analyze university spending by department to identify cost-saving and cost-avoidance opportunities.
• Leverage total spend to maximize institutional buying power.
• Analyze spending by suppliers to identify consolidation opportunities and reduce the overall supplier base.

Support & Oversight of Deployed Offices

• Meet with deployed office managers to identify operational needs and challenges.
• Communicate management directives, provide training, and ensure compliance with department expectations.
• Serve as a liaison between deployed offices and the core management team, recommending solutions that align with university mission, vision, and sourcing strategy.

Results Measurement

• Lead and participate in department scorecard initiatives.
• Prepare monthly reports on key metrics for deployed offices.
• Identify areas needing behavioral or process improvement and contribute to continuous improvement practices.

Migration to Electronic Procurement

• Train and support campus users in the Workday initiative.
• Support the development and implementation of electronic procurement processes.
• Facilitate adoption of procure-to-pay (P2P) electronic functions as the university transitions to a paperless system.

What qualifies you for this role:

Required

• A firm commitment to the mission of BYU
• Bachelor’s degree (preferably in supply chain management or related field) and at least 2 years of experience in a supply management setting;
  OR
• At least 6 years of supply management experience with no bachelor’s degree.
• Experience managing supplier and manufacturer relationships.
• E-sourcing experience.

Preferred

• Proven contract management experience, including drafting and execution.
•  Deep knowledge of specialty sourcing strategies and category trends.
• Formal negotiation training with strong, demonstrated negotiation skills.
• Ability to influence business decisions to support safety and risk mitigation.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Advanced understanding of procurement principles, processes, and cost/price methodologies.
• Expertise in spend analysis, vendor management, sourcing strategy development, e-procurement integration, customer engagement, and performance measurement.
• Strong computer proficiency (Excel, WordPerfect, Outlook, PowerPoint) and working knowledge of Workday.
• Experience in conflict resolution.
• CPSM certification (ISM).
• Demonstrated self-confidence, initiative, service orientation, leadership, and ab