Principal Procurement Specialist

Requisition ID : [[id]]

• Share Our Purpose. Be Yourself. Feel Valued. 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 Water’s 6,500 talented professionals leverage their significant expertise and the company’s 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 $40 to $42 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 Index for the fifth consecutive year, ranked 18th on Barron’s 100 Most Sustainable U.S. Companies 2023 List, earned the U.S. Department of Homeland Security SAFETY Act designation and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 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.
• Do you have a required Bachelor's Degree and have career experience with supporting Procurement efforts in an IT(Information Technology) category?! If so, APPLY TODAY for immediate consideration to join the American Water family!
• Primary Role _ This position is responsible for developing and executing the company's procurement strategy for the Information Technology (IT) category. This position is a front-line employee with deep subject-matter expertise who excels in all Supply Chain competencies and has multiple years of experience dedicated to the vocation. The position will have some leadership responsibilities, including but not limited to backing-up your manager as needed. Principal will participate in and lead Supply Chain (and / or American Water) cross-functional teams ensuring alignment across all involved functions. Principal will be a resource and visible mentor to colleagues in Supply Chain presenting and educating others on key topics. Principal will drive goals and vision set forth by the Supply Chain and American Water leadership team _ Key Accountabilities _
• People and stakeholder management, with emphasis on delivering on category, state, enterprise and strategic project objectives and change management.
• Direct and assist more junior personnel in the identification of category or sourcing opportunities, and define and prioritize category or sourcing strategies
• Communicate results to the broader organization in a way that builds understanding of and confidence in sourcing capabilities.
• Prepare, assist and develop bid packages, statement of work documents, and requests (RFP / RFI) according to specifications and business requirements, especially pertaining to complex or sensitive projects.
• Build and maintain Supplier / Contractor relationships with the objective of reducing total costs, increasing productivity, and eliminating inefficiencies in the supply chain.
• Mentor, coach and develop junior team members to support improved performance.
• Support Company risk management objectives in areas such as safety insurance requirements, and supplier depth. _ Knowledge / Skills _
• Informal Leader and visible coach and resource within Supply Chain
• People and stakeholder leadership as appropriate. Ability to lead a small or cross functional team to deliver on practice area and state procurement objectives
• Outstanding customer focus.
• Strong communication and presentation skills.
• Willingness to mentor, share knowledge and experience and drive organizational best practices
• Analytical problem-solving skills to produce best product / service at lowest total cost of ownership within required time frames.
• Knowledge of sourcing strategies, and methodologies related to service and construction procurement.
• Ability to work in a collaborative team environment within Supply Chain and stakeholders.
• Knowledge of SAP and / or Coupa
• Extensive knowledge and experience in Microsoft Office Products _ Experience / Education _
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, Finance, Engineering or related disciplines required.
• CPSM (Certified Professional in Supply Management) or CPM (Certified Purchasing Manager) a plus
• Minimum 10 years’ total work experience. Minimum 6 years’ experience in procurement, category management or equivalent
• Demonstrated effectiveness around people leadership, project delivery and change management.
• Utilities industry experience preferred _ Travel Requirements _
• Travel Required up to 5-10% depending on project or need
• Active state driver's license required with the ability to pass a motor vehicle report. _ Work Environment _
• Indoor office environment.
• Hybrid schedule 3 days in the office 2 days offsite. _ Competencies _ Champions safety Collaborates Cultivates innovation Customer obsessed Drives Results Self-Awareness
• 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.