Strategic Sourcing Manager

It’s an exciting time to join the WellSense Health Plan, a growing regional health insurance company with a 25-year history of providing health insurance that works for our members, no matter their circumstances.

Job Summary:

The Strategic Sourcing Manager is responsible for the delivery of best in class Strategic Sourcing, contract management and negotiation. Develop category strategies for complex, indirect spend categories in area(s) of responsibility and serve as the primary contact for business customers.  Drive effective, fact-based group decisions that have significant operational or financial impact.  Build and manage relationships with internal customers, contribute to savings opportunities, ensure regulatory compliance, and mitigate company risk. The ideal candidate will be a self-starter, and thrive in rapidly changing, delivery-focused environments.

 

Our Investment in You:

·       Full-time remote work

·       Competitive salaries

·       Excellent benefits

Key Functions/Responsibilities:

·         Create and influence category strategies within assigned business units.

·         Apply in-depth knowledge to solve broad issues that are complex in scope, and establish medium to long- range plans.

·         Lead favorable results through providing leadership to the function.

·         Develop sustainable sourcing strategies for assigned spend categories by considering spend profiles, market and geographic considerations, WellSense’s strategic objectives, etc. 

·         Maintain contracting and compliance data integrity within the contract management systems.

·         Lead business owners through the supplier selection, procurement, and contracting process to ensure that contracts produce value in alignment with WellSense’s objectives.

·         Negotiate contracts and draft SOWs for assigned spend categories in order to obtain the best value to the company through favorable contracting terms and pricing.

·         Prepare and present contract executive summaries and obtain contract approvals in accordance to governance policies.

·         Create, manage and promote sound relationships with strategic suppliers and internal business partners.

·         Partner with Supplier Relationship Managers and Operations Managers as needed to resolve supplier issues.

 

Additional Minimum Requirements for Level II

 

·         Develop sustainable strategies for moderately complex categories that include spend analysis, market and geographic considerations, and strategic importance, etc. 

·          Negotiate and manage contracts moderate in complexity for assigned commodities ensuring the relentless pursuit of cost savings and favorable terms.

·         Recommend and implement sourcing, contracting and supplier management policies and procedures that provide for financial strength of the company and asset security.

·         Drive continuous improvement in all aspects of the procurement process including the evaluation of existing contracts for savings opportunities.

 

Additional Minimum Requirements for Senior

·         Develop sustainable strategies for complex categories that include spend analysis, market and geographic considerations, and strategic importance, etc. 

·         Identify and qualify large-scale / executive level suppliers to perform critical services, develop relevant specifications and Statement of Work/Services language, conduct supplier sourcing events, manage supplier on-boarding and off-boarding and manage supplier performance and development.  

·         Responsible for large-scale third party relationships with direct responsibility for commercial, contractual, legal and financial aspects including striving for most favorable total cost of ownership (price and service delivery/quality) from the supplier arrangements.

·         Negotiate and manage complex contracts for assigned commodities ensuring the relentless pursuit of cost savings and favorable terms.

·         Develop focus area knowledge and expertise within the commodity to further understand company-wide needs and evaluate suppliers within focus area.

 

Supervision Exercised:

·         None

 

Supervision Received: 

·          General direction received weekly

 

Qualifications: 

Education:

·         Bachelor’s degree required

 

Preferred/Desirable:

·         Master’s degree in a related field preferred.

 

Experience:

·         The Strategic Sourcing Manager I: Bachelor’s degree in business, supply chain management, or related field and 5 + years sourcing and contracting experience or related field.

·         The Strategic Sourcing Manager II: Bachelor’s degree in business, supply chain management, or related field and 7 + years sourcing and contracting experience or related field.

·         The Strategic Sourcing Manager Senior would have a Bachelor’s degree in business, supply chain management, or related field and 10 + years sourcing and contracting experience or related field.  MBA or similar degree preferred.

·         Healthcare related experience preferred

·         Working knowledge of regulatory requirements in a healthcare environment (FDRs, CMS, NCQA, URAC, etc.) preferred

·         Experience in CMS Medicare products, Medicaid, or both preferred

 

Certification or Conditions of Employment:

·         Pre-employment background check

 

Competencies, Skills, and Attributes: 

·         In depth knowledge of sourcing and contract fundamentals.  Demonstrated knowledge of indirect spend categories, contracting skills and principles, laws, regulations, and industry standards.

·         Prior experience in all elements of sourcing and category management for indirect services, including professional services and business process outsourcing.

·         Experience in the 7-step Strategic Sourcing process with emphasis in the areas of category strategy development, RFx sourcing processes and contract management.

·         Prior experience in desired spend categories.

·         Project management skills with the ability to lead and prioritize activities.

·         Proven negotiation skills and the ability to apply key sourcing principles.

·         Effective communication and collaboration skills with a wide variety of stakeholders, including leadership and large groups. 

·         Excellent relationship management, problem resolution, and service excellence skills.

·         Demonstrated competency in facilitating, leading and influencing decision-making.

·         Excellent problem solving and risk management skills.

·         Ability to accomplish results through others by establishing relationships, effective controls and monitoring processes.

·         Ability to develop and analyze business cases, spend analytics, and financial models.

·         Ability to translate data into convincing information.

·         Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office products.

 

Additional Minimum Requirements for Level II

 

·         Strong leadership and change management skills

·         Demonstrated strong experience in leading major sourcing events involving multi-department stakeholders

·         Strong Project Management skills and experience

 

Additional Minimum Requirements for Senior

·         Advanced leadership and change management skills

·         Advanced, demonstrated ability to lead highly complex, multi-departmental sourcing events

·         Advanced skillset in driving decisions and influencing stakeholders in multi-functional corporate areas

·         Demonstrated mature approach to problem solving and conflict resolution

Working Conditions and Physical Effort: 

·         Regular and reliable attendance is an essential function of the position.

·         Work is normally performed in a typical interior/office work environment.

·         No or very limited physical effort required. No or very limited exposure to physical risk.

·         Remote worker arrangement option available.

About WellSense

WellSense Health Plan is a nonprofit health insurance company serving more than 740,000 members across Massachusetts and New Hampshire through Medicare, Individual and Family, and Medicaid plans. Founded in 1997, WellSense provides high-quality health plans and services that work for our members, no matter their circumstances.

 

Required Skills
Required Experience