Supply Chain Supplier Diversity

Profile

Experienced commercial and government procurement professional with a diverse portfolio of contracts, supply chain and vendor management experience. Experienced procurement professional with a progressive background and expertise in Government Affairs Construction, Healthcare, Education, Supplier Diversity and Community Engagement. Specialties: Commercial and government end-to-end contract management, contract negotiations, task/purchase order-level management, service-level agreement performance tracking and reporting, and proposal management.

Education

Master of Arts, Procurement and Acquisition Management, Webster University

Bachelor of Arts, Business Administration, Webster University

Training and Certifications

Certified Purchasing Manager, University of Wisconsin /Business of Construction Certification

Department of Transportation (DOT) Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Certification

Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Procurement Certification

Relevant Skills/Experiences

25+ years of experience in Procurement, Supply Chain Management, Construction Management, Supplier Diversity, Operations, Contracts, Program Management, Procurement, Compliance, Utilities or other Infrastructure Contracting.

Experience in the Aerospace and Transportation industry

15 years of experience drafting, negotiating and executing complex contracts to best value

15 years of experience in proposal development and contract negotiations with the US Government

Experience managing indirect and direct costs to improve competitiveness

Experience leading proposals, contract terms and conditions development

More than 6 years of experience in Supplier Management/ Procurement as a Purchasing Agent

Experience with FAR (Federal Acquisition Regulations) and DFAR requirements

Experience with procurement systems; Network Procurement (NWP) or SAP (4HANA)

Experience negotiating non-competitive, government procurements

Procurement Processes & Strategic Sourcing Methodology

Deep category and market knowledge for Maintenance, Repairs and Operations (MRO)

Strong project management skills (including multiple projects simultaneously and leading virtual teams)" including leading virtual teams.

Intercultural work experience, ability to manage international teams from remote locations.

Leadership: Strategic Vision, Strategic Thinking, Relationship Management

Conducted diversity equity research and recommended improvement planning.

Strong working knowledge of federal, state, and local procurement contract laws

Verbal, written and presentation communication skills with the ability to interact at all levels of the organization, particularly senior leadership.

Led cross-divisional/cross-functional teams focused on preferred supplier selection, and trained employees on the supplier selection process.

Work Experience

Procurement & Strategic Sourcing Manager – Capex BUNGE Contractor

KForce, St. Louis, MO January 2023 - Present

Facilitate capital projects in a $1B contract spent by working closely with the EPC team, spearheading the procurement of machinery, materials, and services. Sourced, vetted, and on-boarded national and global suppliers. Prioritized ROI while formulating sourcing strategies. Enhanced process efficiency and eliminated silos by standardizing all procurement procedures.

Drive financial visibility and reduce expenses by comparing bids, estimating the total cost of ownership, and driving price negotiations. Mitigated cost increases following scope and design changes. Work closely and effectively with cross-functional teams. Handle invoice discrepancies, and change orders in the EPC environment.

Utilize Contract Lifecycle Management through Docusign and SAP, occasionally creating files through Excel. I write and negotiate contracts with my assigned suppliers. Also, manage contracts and agreements from the beginning till the end and renegotiate as required. This includes satisfying any issues from the supplier relationship management perspective.

Secure vendors by conducting market research and reviewing the approved supplier list based on critical project needs. Evaluated past performance and disseminated program requirements. Focused heavily on contract management.

Design contract documentation, including RFIs, RFPs, RFQs, NDAs, POs, bid packages, capital appropriation requests, and equipment and construction contracts. Negotiated and revised agreements based on shifting global regulations.

Interfaced with cross-functional team leaders, including heads of sales, marketing, procurement, legal, engineering, and project management. Presented actionable insights to executives on project progress, issue resolution, and future milestones.

Liaison between Procurement, Suppliers and Engineering to achieve successful capital projects.

Identify available suppliers that can ship economically to multiple regions/countries.

Lead supplier selection and fact-based negotiations. Manage the category end-to-end procurement cycle. Act as a major point of contact for the business to ensure business requirements are met.

Continuously track the performance of key strategic suppliers.

Lead key strategic supplier development activities: set up cross-functional review meetings with key strategic suppliers to improve performance and further reduce cost.

Provided feedback on Supplier Diversity and Subcontractor Management processes and provided recommendations for improvement.

Procurement Director

Saint Louis Public Schools, St. Louis, MO July 2018 – May 2022

Provided Executive Leadership and management of the Strategic Sourcing and Procurement team.

Negotiated direct agreements with new service providers across the district.

Participated in developing Request for Proposals (RFP)/ Request for Qualifications Invitation for Bids (IFB) Solicitation documents.

Oversaw the tabulating of bid proposals/bid data and awarding of purchases in compliance with Board policies and procedures.

Responded to internal and external requests and inquiries regarding Subcontractors and Supplier Diversity.

Assisted in implementing and providing ongoing support for Subcontractor Management and Supplier Diversity initiatives.

Onboarded and Offboarded Subcontractors and Independent Contractors for upcoming projects.

Collaborated with internal stakeholders to identify and engage diverse vendors and subcontractors.

Manager, Supplier Chain and Historically Underutilized Business (HUB)

UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX July 2016 – May 2018

Served as a business leader to executive leadership teams, Government Operations, Labor Relations, Legal, Human Resources, and peers in the Office of Diversity & Inclusion and Equal Opportunity.

Responsible for monitoring and reporting progress on the advancement of MWBE/HUB and leveraging diversity metrics to enable performance to plan.

Established metrics and measurements for outreach, diversity spend, and other performance criteria to be used by the offices of Sourcing & Supply Chain and Design & Construction to measure spend and ensure we are tracking consistently with our objectives.

Administered the M/WBE program for the business unit, including maintaining employee awareness of the Program, identifying, and referring minority and women businesses to assist the Medical Center in meeting its commitments and goals.

Sr. Manager, Strategic Sourcing / Supplier Diversity

Magellan Health, Inc., Maryland Heights, MO March 2015 – July 2016

Responsible for establishing strategy, leading program development, responding to client’s RFP requirements, and providing management reporting on diverse spending activities.

Working with the procurement team, identifying potential certified M/WBE subcontractors. Compiled, distributed and updated the business unit directory of potential certified M/WBE bidders for Federal contract engagements.

Developed sourcing initiatives, including requirements development, RFx, and supplier recommendations. Analyzed supplier proposals and facilitated a fact-based supplier selection process.

Supported supplier diversity and sustainability goals by explaining them and advocating for diverse suppliers and sustainable options when they are viable.

Assisted in preparing for and participating in sourcing events for the business according to the annual sourcing plan. Partnered with the business units to obtain sourcing event input including specifications, supplier evaluations, negotiations, contract execution and supplier selection.

Diversity Program Manager (Appointee)

St. Louis County Government, St. Louis, MO January 2014 – December 2014

Developed diversity and inclusion educational curriculum, strategies and tools to ensure effectiveness and alignment with the overall diversity and inclusion strategic platform.

Analyzed category spend, market data, and the supplier base, identified cost drivers, and developed sourcing and negotiation strategies that ensure maximum quality, service and value-added benefits are received from suppliers at the lowest cost of ownership.

Senior Business Consultant (Supplier Diversity and Inclusion)

3H Management Consultant Group, LLC, Nashville, TN October 2006 – December 2013

Played a key role in implementing vendor procedures and documentation processes for the Metropolitan Nashville International Airport, Metropolitan Transit Authority, Vanderbilt Children's and the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools. Developed the Workforce Implementation Plan for the Music City Convention Center Project.

Supported teams in establishing, managing, and monitoring Subcontractor and Supplier Diversity goals and objectives.

Collected, validated, negotiated, and input data from external businesses and individuals to generate Subcontractor Supplier Diversity reports.

Assisted internal teams with supplier diversity, subcontractor management, and other operational processes, practices, and procedures.

Change Management by preparing, supporting, and equipping people to adopt and use changes to business processes, systems and technology, job roles, and organization structures.

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