Principal Procurement Specialist

Requisition ID: 106385

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People are the heart of our business. As an American Water employee, you will be offered a competitive salary and health benefits package, along with opportunities to develop, grow, and evolve your career. Our benefits packages focus on key areas such as health & wellness, emotional & well-being, and savings for current & future goals.

We are Beautifully Different. We strongly believe having diversity across our company makes us more successful and helps us provide essential services to our customers. We are stronger because we embrace different ideas, viewpoints, experiences, and backgrounds. American Water is the best choice for your next role! Click here for more information on our inclusion, diversity, and equity journey.

About American Water
American Water (NYSE: AWK) is the largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the United States. With a history dating back to 1886, We Keep Life Flowing® by providing safe, clean, reliable and affordable drinking water and wastewater services to more than 14 million people across 14 regulated jurisdictions and 18 military installations. American Waters 6,500 talented professionals leverage their significant expertise and the companys national size and scale to achieve excellent outcomes for the benefit of customers, employees, investors and other stakeholders.

As one of the fastest growing utilities in the U.S., American Water expects to invest $30 to $34 billion in infrastructure repairs and replacement, system resiliency and regulated acquisitions over the next 10 years. The company has a long-standing history of executing its core operations, aligned with sustainable best practices, through its commitments to safety, affordability, customer service, protecting the environment, an inclusive workforce and strengthening communities.

American Water has been recognized on the 2023 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Indexfor the fifth consecutive year, ranked 18th on Barrons 100 Most Sustainable U.S. Companies 2023 List, earned the U.S. Department of Homeland Security SAFETY Act designation and U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys WaterSense® Excellence Award, among additional state, local and national recognitions.

For more information, visit amwater.com and join American Water on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Primary Role

This position can report to any office within the Pennsylvania American Water footprint

The successful candidate of the Principal Procurement Specialist – Construction will have experience working with Engineers to secure construction services for capital projects ranging in value from $5M to $150M. This position is expected to lead a project team through the sourcing, negotiation, and contract award process in support of the overall company capital plan. Seeking a talented individual with construction procurement experience who understands how to source, negotiate, and contract using various construction delivery models which drive to the lowest total cost of ownership.

#LI-JS1

Key Accountabilities

– Builds relationships with clients across the operating units to understand business requirements and to build confidence in the sourcing organization.
– Direct and assist the category leaders in theidentification of category opportunities, define and prioritize sourcing strategies and category initiatives.
– Allocate resources to deliver annual savings and cost avoidances in line with established targets.
– Provide sourcing subject matter expertise, market knowledge, and best practice coaching along with broad category management expertise.
– Coach and develop team members to support improved performance. Personally lead sensitive negotiations and high-profile projects to maximize value. Manage vendor relationships to maintain a cooperative atmosphere while jointly eliminating ineffici ncies and reducing costs.
– Develop and implement KPIs for both supplier and sourcing group performance. Define and implement improvement plans as necessary. Communicate results to the broader organization in a way that builds understanding of and confidence in sourcing capabilities.

Knowledge/Skills

– Strategic sourcing experience across a range of categories and strategies. Demonstrated ability to drive value through tactics other than price negotiation (e.g. specification management, demand management, joint process improvement).
– Understanding of best practices in sourcing and vendor management in both utilities and other industries.
– Knowledge of relevant supply markets and understanding of sources of supply market intelligence.
– Knowledge of information systems and applications to procurement. Strong financial and budget knowledge with the ability to develop performance measurement goals consistent with commercial equivalents. Background in operations management and the ability to develop and measure asset performance.
– Front-Line Leader

Experience/Education

– Bachelors degree in Business, Finance, Engineering or related CPM preferred.
– Other supply chain certifications a plus.
– Minimum 8 years total work experience. Minimum 6 years experience in procurement or category management.
– Minimum 2 years experience in management or senior individual contributor role.
– Utilities industry experience preferred.
– Valid Drivers LIcense required

Travel Requirements

– Travel Required 10-15%

Work Environment

– Indoor Office Environment

Competencies

Champions safety

Customer obsessed

Cultivates innovation

Nimble learning

Drives Results

Collaborates

Join American Water…We Keep Life Flowing™

American Water is firmly committed to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and prohibits employment discrimination for employees and applicants based on his or her age, race, color, pregnancy, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, marital status, citizenship, or because they are an individual with a disability, protected veteran or other status protected by federal, state, and local laws.

Nearest Major Market: Harrisburg