Strategic Sourcing Specialist
for sections like About the role, Responsibilities, Requirements, Qualifications, Skills, Benefits, Pay, Schedule. Use - for any list of duties/requirements/benefits, and
for prose. Do NOT repeat job title as heading. Do NOT put Job ID/requisition numbers as headings. Preserve all substantive info. Remove boilerplate: cookie/navigation/legal/EEO/equal-opportunity/scam-warning, duplicated lines, application instructions. Include a section only when posting has real, specific content for it. Avoid filler like "commensurate with experience". So we need to parse the posting.
Let's extract sections:
- "Why Join Us?" with bullet points: Make a Positive Impact..., Family Comes First..., Professional Growth Opportunities..., Dynamic Work Environment..., Trust and Stability..., Inclusive Work Environment... This is basically benefits/perks? Could be "Benefits" or "Why Join Us". The instruction says use headings like Benefits, Pay, Schedule, etc. We can treat "Why Join Us?" as a section maybe "Benefits and Perks". But we also have a separate "Benefits & Perks" later with list.
Thus we can have a section "Benefits" (or "Why Join Us?") containing the bullet points from that part and also the later Benefits & Perks list. But we need to avoid duplication. The "Why Join Us?" includes: Make a Positive Impact..., Family Comes First..., Professional Growth Opportunities..., Dynamic Work Environment..., Trust and Stability..., Inclusive Work Environment... Those are more like culture/values. Could be under "About the role" or "Company Overview". But we have no explicit "About the role". The instruction says we can use headings like About the role, Responsibilities, Requirements, Qualifications, Skills, Benefits, Pay, Schedule. So we need to map content.
We have:
- Job Summary: description of role. That could be "About the role" (or "Job Summary").
- What you'll do: list of duties. That's Responsibilities.
- What you'll need: Education, Experience, Licenses and Certifications, Travel, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. That's Requirements/Qualifications/Skills.
- Compensation: Pay.
- Benefits & Perks: list.
- Work Location: maybe could be under "About the role" or separate? Not a required heading but we could include as a short paragraph under About the role.
- "Our Commitment to Connection and Belonging" is EEO boilerplate; should be removed.
Thus we will produce sections:
About the role
containing job summary paragraph and work location note.
Responsibilities
containing - for each bullet from "What you'll do".
Requirements
maybe combine Education, Experience, Licenses and Certifications, Travel, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. But we could split into Qualifications and Skills. However instruction says prefer few substantive sections over many thin ones. So we can have one Requirements section covering all.
But we also have Skills separate maybe. However we can include knowledge, skills, abilities within Requirements.
We need to use - for any list of duties/requirements/benefits. So for Requirements we need to list items as
- . But some are paragraphs (Education, Experience). Could still be list items.
We need to preserve all substantive info. Not invent or summarize away detail.
We must not include sections with filler like "commensurate with experience". Not present.
Pay section: we have compensation range. So
Pay
with containing the range and maybe note about exempt grade.
Benefits section: combine the "Why Join Us?" bullet points and the "Benefits & Perks" list. But we need to avoid duplication. The "Why Join Us?" points are more cultural; the Benefits & Perks list is concrete benefits. We'll include both as list items under Benefits.
We must not include headings with no real content. So we will have About the role, Responsibilities, Requirements, Pay, Benefits. Possibly also Skills? But we covered skills within Requirements.
Check if any content missing: "TravelNo travel" - we should include that as a line under Requirements maybe.
Also "Work Location: This position is eligible to work remotely, hybrid or onsite in accordance with our Telecommuting Policy. Applicants must reside in Kansas or Missouri or be willing to relocate as a condition of employment." That's substantive; include in About the role.
Now we need to strip boilerplate: "Why Join Us?" heading is not a standard heading but we can treat its content as part of Benefits. We'll not output that heading; we'll just include its bullet points under Benefits.
Also remove "Our Commitment to Connection and Belonging" EEO paragraph.
Also remove duplicated lines? Not seeing duplicates.
Now produce HTML fragment.
Structure:
About the role
Job Summary: The Strategic Sourcing Specialist will play a key role in driving the efficient acquisition of goods and services across the organization, focusing on delivering the best value solutions. This position involves overseeing the entire sourcing lifecycle, from understanding business needs to conducting RF(x) events, negotiating & drafting contracts, and managing the source-to-pay process. The specialist will participate in supplier selection activities, including competitive bids, establishing contracts, and handling contract administration and reporting, working closely with requestors to develop specifications, prepare bid documents, and evaluate and select suppliers to ensure the best value solutions, while also ensuring adequate capacity, on-time delivery, and a commitment to continuous improvement. Additionally, the Strategic Sourcing Specialist will collaborate with business areas to manage and oversee all supplier contracts and relationships, ensuring compliance with both contractual and regulatory requirements. Collaboration with cross-functional teams and suppliers will be essential to develop sourcing strategies, optimize vendor relationships, and achieve key operational objectives. A strong focus on meeting deadlines, managing risks, and applying procurement best practices will be critical to delivering value and driving cost savings. Strong proactive communication, negotiation, adaptability, prioritization, and planning skills are essential to succeed in a dynamic, fast-paced, and highly visible environment.
Work Location: This position is eligible to work remotely, hybrid or onsite in accordance with our Telecommuting Policy. Applicants must reside in Kansas or Missouri or be willing to relocate as a condition of employment.
Responsibilities
- Generate and implement efficient sourcing strategies through the RFx process.
- Prepare and manage competitive bids (RFQ, RFP, etc.), including document preparation, proposal review, price analysis, negotiation of price and contract terms, scope review, and recommending selected bidders.
- Develop and negotiate contracts with new suppliers and renegotiate existing contracts to achieve the best value solutions and savings objectives.
- Maintain strategic sourcing relationships and foster the development of strong supplier partnerships.
- Generate total value estimates and expenditure forecasts related to procurement.
- Evaluate and streamline sourcing procedures, present improvement strategies to leadership, and implement solutions for continuous enhancement.
- Drive the success of strategic sourcing goals and implement action items to ensure those objectives are met.
- Develop strategies to improve the organization's cost structure.
- Optimize external spending through early involvement in the sourcing lifecycle and collaboration with business stakeholders.
- Demonstrate strong business judgment, integrity, financial acumen, and sourcing expertise.
- Negotiate contracts and manage vendor relationships, focusing on key areas such as IT services, IT infrastructure, and indirect spend.
- Evaluate supplier core competencies and competitive positioning, working with cross-functional stakeholders to reach agreements on contract terms and conditions.
- Analyze industry trends and emerging technologies to proactively identify risks and opportunities, minimizing supply chain disruptions and ensuring continuity of supply.
- Manage all aspects of purchase order administration, including submitting notices, change orders, new supplier onboarding, and closing out contracts.
Requirements
- Education: High school diploma or equivalent required; Bachelor's degree or equivalent in Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Business, Mathematics, Statistics, or a related field preferred. In lieu of degree, an additional 3 years of relevant experience required.
- Experience: Minimum 1 year's experience in procurement, vendor management, and/or supply chain management, with direct involvement in strategic sourcing management required. Previous experience in project management and process improvement preferred. Previous experience with IT procurement preferred. Previous experience identifying and implementing lean principles into workflows preferred.
- Licenses and Certifications: Certified Professional in Supplier Diversity preferred; Certified Professional in Supply Management preferred.
- Travel: No travel.
- Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: Skilled in conducting RFx events (RFPs, RFQs, RFIs), including preparation, supplier evaluation, and selection. Able to manage multiple projects, prioritize tasks, and meet deadlines while maintaining attention to detail. Proven ability to collaborate and influence stakeholders at all levels to drive successful outcomes. Skilled in building and maintaining effective relationships with internal teams, suppliers, and vendors. Proficient in researching, analyzing data, and presenting findings clearly for decision-making. Quick to adapt to new technologies and tools, improving procurement efficiency. Strong understanding of procurement policies, procedures, and supplier management to ensure compliance. Capable of interpreting and negotiating contract terms, including redlining to protect the organization's interests. Experienced with sourcing and procurement tools, including contract lifecycle management systems. Strong negotiation skills and ability to resolve conflicts for mutually beneficial outcomes. Able to lead projects independently and in cross-functional teams to ensure success. Excellent written and verbal communication for effective supplier and team engagement. Ability to analyze data and use insights to make informed decisions that support organizational goals.
Pay
Compensation: $73,920 - $92,400 (Exempt Grade 15). Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas offers excellent competitive compensation with the goal of retaining and growing talented team members. The compensation range for this role is a good faith estimate, it is estimated based on what a successful candidate might be paid. All offers presented to candidates are carefully reviewed to ensure fair, equitable pay by offering competitive wages that align with the individual's skills, education, experience, and training. The range may vary above or below the stated amounts.
Benefits
- Make a Positive Impact: Your work will directly contribute to the health and well-being of Kansans.
- Family Comes First: Total rewards package that promotes the idea of family first for all employees. Paid vacation and sick leave with paid maternity and paternity available immediately upon hire.
- Professional Growth Opportunities: Advance your career with ongoing training and development programs.
- Dynamic Work Environment: Collaborate with a team of passionate and driven individuals in a work environment that promotes flexibility.
- Trust and Stability: Work for one of the most trusted companies in Kansas with over 80 years of commitment, compassion and community.
- Inclusive Work Environment: We pride ourselves on fostering a workplace where everyone is valued and respected.
- Base compensation is only one component of your competitive Total Rewards package.
- Incentive pay program (EPIP).
- Health/Vision/Dental insurance.
- 6 weeks paid parental leave for new mothers and fathers.
- Fertility/Adoption assistance.
- 2 weeks paid caregiver leave.
- 401(k) plan matching up to 5%.
- Tuition reimbursement.
- Health & fitness benefits, discounts and resources.
We need to ensure no extra sections like Schedule (not present). Also ensure we didn't include any boilerplate like EEO.
Check that we didn't repeat job
for prose. Do NOT repeat job title as heading. Do NOT put Job ID/requisition numbers as headings. Preserve all substantive info. Remove boilerplate: cookie/navigation/legal/EEO/equal-opportunity/scam-warning, duplicated lines, application instructions. Include a section only when posting has real, specific content for it. Avoid filler like "commensurate with experience". So we need to parse the posting. Let's extract sections: - "Why Join Us?" with bullet points: Make a Positive Impact..., Family Comes First..., Professional Growth Opportunities..., Dynamic Work Environment..., Trust and Stability..., Inclusive Work Environment... This is basically benefits/perks? Could be "Benefits" or "Why Join Us". The instruction says use headings like Benefits, Pay, Schedule, etc. We can treat "Why Join Us?" as a section maybe "Benefits and Perks". But we also have a separate "Benefits & Perks" later with list. Thus we can have a section "Benefits" (or "Why Join Us?") containing the bullet points from that part and also the later Benefits & Perks list. But we need to avoid duplication. The "Why Join Us?" includes: Make a Positive Impact..., Family Comes First..., Professional Growth Opportunities..., Dynamic Work Environment..., Trust and Stability..., Inclusive Work Environment... Those are more like culture/values. Could be under "About the role" or "Company Overview". But we have no explicit "About the role". The instruction says we can use headings like About the role, Responsibilities, Requirements, Qualifications, Skills, Benefits, Pay, Schedule. So we need to map content. We have: - Job Summary: description of role. That could be "About the role" (or "Job Summary"). - What you'll do: list of duties. That's Responsibilities. - What you'll need: Education, Experience, Licenses and Certifications, Travel, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. That's Requirements/Qualifications/Skills. - Compensation: Pay. - Benefits & Perks: list. - Work Location: maybe could be under "About the role" or separate? Not a required heading but we could include as a short paragraph under About the role. - "Our Commitment to Connection and Belonging" is EEO boilerplate; should be removed. Thus we will produce sections:
About the role
containing job summary paragraph and work location note.Responsibilities
containing- for each bullet from "What you'll do".
Requirements
maybe combine Education, Experience, Licenses and Certifications, Travel, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. But we could split into Qualifications and Skills. However instruction says prefer few substantive sections over many thin ones. So we can have one Requirements section covering all. But we also have Skills separate maybe. However we can include knowledge, skills, abilities within Requirements. We need to use- for any list of duties/requirements/benefits. So for Requirements we need to list items as
- . But some are paragraphs (Education, Experience). Could still be list items.
We need to preserve all substantive info. Not invent or summarize away detail.
We must not include sections with filler like "commensurate with experience". Not present.
Pay section: we have compensation range. So
Pay
withcontaining the range and maybe note about exempt grade. Benefits section: combine the "Why Join Us?" bullet points and the "Benefits & Perks" list. But we need to avoid duplication. The "Why Join Us?" points are more cultural; the Benefits & Perks list is concrete benefits. We'll include both as list items under Benefits. We must not include headings with no real content. So we will have About the role, Responsibilities, Requirements, Pay, Benefits. Possibly also Skills? But we covered skills within Requirements. Check if any content missing: "TravelNo travel" - we should include that as a line under Requirements maybe. Also "Work Location: This position is eligible to work remotely, hybrid or onsite in accordance with our Telecommuting Policy. Applicants must reside in Kansas or Missouri or be willing to relocate as a condition of employment." That's substantive; include in About the role. Now we need to strip boilerplate: "Why Join Us?" heading is not a standard heading but we can treat its content as part of Benefits. We'll not output that heading; we'll just include its bullet points under Benefits. Also remove "Our Commitment to Connection and Belonging" EEO paragraph. Also remove duplicated lines? Not seeing duplicates. Now produce HTML fragment. Structure:
About the role
Job Summary: The Strategic Sourcing Specialist will play a key role in driving the efficient acquisition of goods and services across the organization, focusing on delivering the best value solutions. This position involves overseeing the entire sourcing lifecycle, from understanding business needs to conducting RF(x) events, negotiating & drafting contracts, and managing the source-to-pay process. The specialist will participate in supplier selection activities, including competitive bids, establishing contracts, and handling contract administration and reporting, working closely with requestors to develop specifications, prepare bid documents, and evaluate and select suppliers to ensure the best value solutions, while also ensuring adequate capacity, on-time delivery, and a commitment to continuous improvement. Additionally, the Strategic Sourcing Specialist will collaborate with business areas to manage and oversee all supplier contracts and relationships, ensuring compliance with both contractual and regulatory requirements. Collaboration with cross-functional teams and suppliers will be essential to develop sourcing strategies, optimize vendor relationships, and achieve key operational objectives. A strong focus on meeting deadlines, managing risks, and applying procurement best practices will be critical to delivering value and driving cost savings. Strong proactive communication, negotiation, adaptability, prioritization, and planning skills are essential to succeed in a dynamic, fast-paced, and highly visible environment.
Work Location: This position is eligible to work remotely, hybrid or onsite in accordance with our Telecommuting Policy. Applicants must reside in Kansas or Missouri or be willing to relocate as a condition of employment.
Responsibilities
- Generate and implement efficient sourcing strategies through the RFx process.
- Prepare and manage competitive bids (RFQ, RFP, etc.), including document preparation, proposal review, price analysis, negotiation of price and contract terms, scope review, and recommending selected bidders.
- Develop and negotiate contracts with new suppliers and renegotiate existing contracts to achieve the best value solutions and savings objectives.
- Maintain strategic sourcing relationships and foster the development of strong supplier partnerships.
- Generate total value estimates and expenditure forecasts related to procurement.
- Evaluate and streamline sourcing procedures, present improvement strategies to leadership, and implement solutions for continuous enhancement.
- Drive the success of strategic sourcing goals and implement action items to ensure those objectives are met.
- Develop strategies to improve the organization's cost structure.
- Optimize external spending through early involvement in the sourcing lifecycle and collaboration with business stakeholders.
- Demonstrate strong business judgment, integrity, financial acumen, and sourcing expertise.
- Negotiate contracts and manage vendor relationships, focusing on key areas such as IT services, IT infrastructure, and indirect spend.
- Evaluate supplier core competencies and competitive positioning, working with cross-functional stakeholders to reach agreements on contract terms and conditions.
- Analyze industry trends and emerging technologies to proactively identify risks and opportunities, minimizing supply chain disruptions and ensuring continuity of supply.
- Manage all aspects of purchase order administration, including submitting notices, change orders, new supplier onboarding, and closing out contracts.
Requirements
- Education: High school diploma or equivalent required; Bachelor's degree or equivalent in Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Business, Mathematics, Statistics, or a related field preferred. In lieu of degree, an additional 3 years of relevant experience required.
- Experience: Minimum 1 year's experience in procurement, vendor management, and/or supply chain management, with direct involvement in strategic sourcing management required. Previous experience in project management and process improvement preferred. Previous experience with IT procurement preferred. Previous experience identifying and implementing lean principles into workflows preferred.
- Licenses and Certifications: Certified Professional in Supplier Diversity preferred; Certified Professional in Supply Management preferred.
- Travel: No travel.
- Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: Skilled in conducting RFx events (RFPs, RFQs, RFIs), including preparation, supplier evaluation, and selection. Able to manage multiple projects, prioritize tasks, and meet deadlines while maintaining attention to detail. Proven ability to collaborate and influence stakeholders at all levels to drive successful outcomes. Skilled in building and maintaining effective relationships with internal teams, suppliers, and vendors. Proficient in researching, analyzing data, and presenting findings clearly for decision-making. Quick to adapt to new technologies and tools, improving procurement efficiency. Strong understanding of procurement policies, procedures, and supplier management to ensure compliance. Capable of interpreting and negotiating contract terms, including redlining to protect the organization's interests. Experienced with sourcing and procurement tools, including contract lifecycle management systems. Strong negotiation skills and ability to resolve conflicts for mutually beneficial outcomes. Able to lead projects independently and in cross-functional teams to ensure success. Excellent written and verbal communication for effective supplier and team engagement. Ability to analyze data and use insights to make informed decisions that support organizational goals.
Pay
Compensation: $73,920 - $92,400 (Exempt Grade 15). Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas offers excellent competitive compensation with the goal of retaining and growing talented team members. The compensation range for this role is a good faith estimate, it is estimated based on what a successful candidate might be paid. All offers presented to candidates are carefully reviewed to ensure fair, equitable pay by offering competitive wages that align with the individual's skills, education, experience, and training. The range may vary above or below the stated amounts.
Benefits
- Make a Positive Impact: Your work will directly contribute to the health and well-being of Kansans.
- Family Comes First: Total rewards package that promotes the idea of family first for all employees. Paid vacation and sick leave with paid maternity and paternity available immediately upon hire.
- Professional Growth Opportunities: Advance your career with ongoing training and development programs.
- Dynamic Work Environment: Collaborate with a team of passionate and driven individuals in a work environment that promotes flexibility.
- Trust and Stability: Work for one of the most trusted companies in Kansas with over 80 years of commitment, compassion and community.
- Inclusive Work Environment: We pride ourselves on fostering a workplace where everyone is valued and respected.
- Base compensation is only one component of your competitive Total Rewards package.
- Incentive pay program (EPIP).
- Health/Vision/Dental insurance.
- 6 weeks paid parental leave for new mothers and fathers.
- Fertility/Adoption assistance.
- 2 weeks paid caregiver leave.
- 401(k) plan matching up to 5%.
- Tuition reimbursement.
- Health & fitness benefits, discounts and resources.
- . But some are paragraphs (Education, Experience). Could still be list items.
We need to preserve all substantive info. Not invent or summarize away detail.
We must not include sections with filler like "commensurate with experience". Not present.
Pay section: we have compensation range. So
- for any list of duties/requirements/benefits. So for Requirements we need to list items as