Strategic Sourcing Lead/Manager

About Nuance Communications, Inc.

The world's premier supplier of speech and imaging solutions, Nuance Communications (NASDAQ: NUAN) is dedicated to transforming the way people interact with information and how they create, share and use documents. In the past decade, the company has grown from a small start-up to a diversified enterprise with more than 4,500 employees in more than 25 locations around the world and 2007 revenues of more than $600 million. Every day, millions of consumers and thousands of businesses experience Nuance's proven technologies, applications and services – from calling directory assistance, to checking airline flights, to dictating patient records, to turning a piece of paper into an editable document, to operating a cell phone, MP3 player, navigation device, or car radio with a voice. For more information on Nuance's cutting-edge solutions and to see demos of our products and services, please visit

The Strategic Sourcing Lead/Manager will work with corporate and business unit leaders to bring together enterprise-wide sourcing under a centralized sourcing function. The Lead/Manger will conduct opportunity assessments, determine sourcing needs, develop and implement sourcing strategies and programs, and manage systems supporting the sourcing process.

 

• Drives initiatives that incorporate an enterprise-wide vision; builds shared commitment for desired future state, and achieve stated objectives
• Understands, communicates, and effectively promotes the value proposition of the Purchasing organization
• Actively seeks and identifies new opportunities for strategic purchasing to pursue and source to offer customers greater value added services
• Leads efforts to implement appropriate strategic purchasing programs that improve the performance of Company's supply base
• Works closely with key business divisions to plan, prioritize, and implement sourcing programs that contribute to Company's business goals
• Leverages Purchasing's and Company's collective strengths, expertise, and best practices across the enterprise in order to increase the value of Company's businesses
• Identifies required areas needed for improvement and sets continuous improvement goals and develops strategies to accomplish
• Works collaboratively with customers and suppliers to focus efforts on the areas of greatest return
• Directs the development and implementation of key procurement strategies within a category(ies) and ensures strategies are aligned with overall divisional and corporate priorities
• Creates and presents strong business justification and recommendations for the adoption of sourcing strategies
• Acquires, analyzes, and reports on category specific consumption data, sourcing effectiveness, and compliance to negotiated agreements
• Specific experience in global pricing agreements, supplier and product synergy initiatives, market research and analysis, supply chain optimization and effective negotiation tactics
• In-depth knowledge and experience in negotiation of supplier contracts that will ensure goods and services meet standards in delivery, cost, quality, and service, and will meet specifications and ethical standards of the Company
• Consolidate suppliers to leverage buying power
• Prepares, issues, and manages RFI, RFQ, and RFP process; evaluates proposals
• Develop, enhance and coach the sourcing process within the Company to drive incremental cost savings
• Evaluate terms and conditions and other supplier requirements of Company to capture savings over the long term
• Assesses vendor performance including the development of meaningful technical and financial objectives that are measurable and achievable
• Experience in conducting industry and product research through a variety of sources, such as suppliers' financial statements, industry reports, competitor analysis, etc., and the ability to synthesize information and present it in a format desired and understood by the listener
• Provide planning and information by analyzing historical data, identifying trends providing forecasts
• Addresses operational areas of weakness (i.e. financial control, customer satisfaction, cycle times, etc.) by implementing appropriate short and long-term remedies.
• Travel is estimated to be approximately 10%.travel expense third party vendors to ensure

 

 


• Bachelor's degree in Business, Management or related field required;
• MBA and Certified Purchasing Manager (C.P.M.) designation preferred
• Minimum of 3 years experience in sourcing or related field, including strong experience in development and implementation of effective sourcing programs; understanding of software industry preferred
• Experience in the use of ERP technology to examine and analyze financial and tracking data to evaluate the results of sourcing strategies and implement appropriate program changes; Oracle experience preferred
• Must be computer literate with MS Office products
• Able to work independently or with little supervision in completing assigned tasks
• Skill in consensus building and project management. Ability to quickly establish credibility and build organizational relationships
• Exceptional communication skills with ability to foster open dialogue
• Ability to work effectively with a variety of personalities and styles
• Creative and innovative approaches to new and ongoing business issues and challenges
• Integrity, professionalism, optimism and energy
• Exceptional problem-solving and results-driven orientation.


If interested, please apply online at http://track.jobviper.com/ViewJob.asp?id=499244-3-13