Supplier Management Lead

Department: Charlotte Area Transit System Department

Thank you for your interest in joining the team that keeps Charlotte moving, at a very exciting time for our organization. At the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS), we’re committed to delivering safe, reliable, and innovative transit services for our growing community, and we value employees who bring professionalism, passion, and a commitment to public service.

 

This position is currently employed by CATS, a department of the City of Charlotte. With the passage of the PAVE Act and last year’s sales tax referendum, CATS is preparing to transition from a City department to the newly created Metropolitan Public Transit Authority (MPTA). The MPTA was established to strengthen regional transit governance, improve accountability, and support long‑term investment in mobility. It’s an important and exciting step forward for transit in our region.

 

Employees hired into this role will remain City employees through December 31, 2026, and will transition to MPTA employment on January 1, 2027. Benefits and compensation will follow City provisions through 2026 and shift to MPTA provisions in 2027, with clear information shared in advance. Your core duties, reporting structure, and daily responsibilities will remain consistent, with no break in service. If anything delays the transition, your City employment, including compensation and benefits, will remain in place until the move to the MPTA occurs.

 

The creation of the MPTA positions us for a more modern, sustainable, and efficient transit system, one that can better support the Charlotte region for decades to come. We’re excited about what’s ahead and appreciate your interest in being part of it.

SUMMARY

The Supplier Management Lead is a key leadership role within the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) Procurement Department responsible for the effective administration, governance, and continuous improvement of the organization’s supplier management function.
The position provides functional leadership and oversight of supplier onboarding, supplier master data, ERP integrity, documentation and compliance requirements, reporting, and supplier management processes. The Supplier Management Lead serves as a primary liaison among Procurement, Finance, Accounts Payable, System Administration, suppliers, and other internal stakeholders to ensure supplier information is accurate, complete, compliant, and readily available to support efficient procurement and payment operations.
This position is expected to operate with a high degree of independence and professional judgment, identifying operational risks, resolving complex supplier issues, establishing effective controls, and recommending process and system improvements. The role also provides analytical and reporting support to Procurement leadership and contributes to strategic initiatives, including supplier diversity and the CATS Small Business Program.
The successful candidate will bring strong expertise in supplier data management, ERP processes, procurement operations, cross-functional coordination, data analysis, and process improvement, with the ability to translate detailed operational information into actionable recommendations for leadership.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

The following duties are standard for this position.  The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the classification if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment for this classification.

• Serves as the functional lead and subject matter expert for CATS supplier management processes.

• Provides oversight of the supplier lifecycle, including onboarding, maintenance, changes, compliance documentation, status updates, and supplier record management.

• Establishes and maintains standards, procedures, controls, and documentation requirements for supplier management activities.

• Ensures supplier data is accurate, complete, current, and appropriately aligned with procurement and financial requirements.

• Conducts supplier data audits, reconciliations, and quality-control reviews.

• Identifies systemic supplier data issues and recommends corrective actions.

• Coordinates resolution of complex supplier onboarding, documentation, data, compliance, payment, and system issues.

• Provides functional guidance and subject matter expertise to Procurement staff and internal stakeholders.

• Leads initiatives to improve procurement workflows, reporting, data quality, compliance monitoring, and operational efficiency.

• Evaluates existing processes to identify opportunities for standardization, automation, improved controls, and enhanced service