Strategic Sourcing Specialist jobs in Kentucky

Company Summary Statement : As one of the largest investor-owned utility companies in the United States, PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL), is committed to creating long-term, sustainable value for our 3.5 million customers, our shareowners and the communities we serve. Our high-performing regulated utilities — PPL Electric Utilities, Louisville Gas and Electric, Kentucky Utilities and Rhode Island Energy — provide an outstanding experience for our customers, consistently ranking among the best utilities in the nation. PPL’s companies are also addressing challenges head-on by investing in new infrastructure and technology that is creating a smarter, more reliable and resilient energy grid. We are committed to doing our part to advance a cleaner energy future and drive innovation that enables us to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 while maintaining energy reliability and affordability for the customers and communities we serve. PPL is a positive force in the cities and towns where we do business, providing support for programs and organizations that empower the success of future generations by helping to build and maintain strong, diverse communities today. Overview: Responsibilities:

• Lead, develop and enable teams of Supervisors and purchasing professionals in effective sourcing processes and in the optimization of value-added reporting and support to achieve business line and company success factors.
• Understand internal business requirements and risk mitigation strategies and effectively manage the process of negotiating and implementing high quality category and service contract agreements that meet those business requirements.
• Ensure that negotiated agreements with effectively aggregated subsidiary joint spend coverage with combined contract scopes across operating companies provide a supply base that is diversified, sustainable and consistently provides effective business coverage for the required work, in a manner that ensures that overall business costs are efficiently tracked and controlled.
• Identify and implement best practices along the entire supply chain to improve efficiency, drive down internal process costs, enhance reporting and data analysis, meet the needs of the internal and external customers and reduce the long-term forecasted cost of goods and services.
• Establish a collaborative environment with internal proponent clients that ensures understanding of applicable procurement processes, development of comprehensive and thorough scopes of work, and effective sourcing plans (short and long-term) that meet the internal business requirements and benefits the Company.
• Establish a consistent and accountability based environment with vendors and suppliers to ensure understanding of the business requirements, execution on those identified needs, tracking accountable and measurable quality business review performance metrics and the development of effective, long-term business relationships that mutually benefit both parties.
• Ensure sustained continuity of supply by identifying critical materials and partnering with Standards, Asset Management and business line leaders to drive standardization and demand planning to confirm supplier capacity and to identify alternate suppliers as needed
• Evaluate vendor managed inventory (VMI), vendor owned inventory (VOI), and other value-added services and programs.
• Ensure that proper controls, consistent with Sarbanes-Oxley and Company and policy requirements, driven by the PPL Supplier Code of Conduct, are in place, and complied with, to effectively manage the commercial and regulatory risks. Ensure that all team members understand these requirements across various legal, compliance and risk mitigation areas. Communicate and reinforce these requirements to the respective business units to ensure their understanding and compliance.
• Network with peers in the industry to stay abreast of industry issues and their application to the Company. Identify appropriate industry seminars and training that support growth and add value from attending.
• Ensure development plans are in place to ensure that all team members perform at their highest, optimal level for team and personal success.
• May be assigned a utilities emergency and storm role. This is a special assignment that comes into play during storms and other emergencies when the company needs to restore power or respond to other issues affecting customer service. This role may necessitate the need to work after-hours, outside of your normal schedule.
• All other duties, responsibilities and projects as assigned and coordinated with senior management.

Qualifications:

Basic Qualificatons

• Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, engineering finance or related field along with industry related training and/or professional certifications.
• A minimum of 8 years of experience in the procurement/supply chain field is required.
• In-depth knowledge of procurement and sourcing processes, including financial analysis, contract negotiation, business process development, supplier performance management and measurement and the external supplier market is required.
• Proven leadership ability, particularly with leading cross-functional teams is required.
• Demonstrated computer proficiency.
• Valid driver’s license required.

Preferred Qualifications

Proven history as a strategic thinker with the ability to understand internal business goals, the external market and the ability to effectively align the requirements and interests of multiple parties. Assertive, self-confident, accepting of new challenges and results oriented. High degree of integrity and influencing. Excellent oral and written communication skills. Innovative and decisive. Collaboration and optimization oriented with strong relationship management skills to drive value added improvements. Ability to effectively mentor others.

• MBA or other advanced degree.
• CPM or CPSM certification.
• Utilities industry knowledge and experience.