Sourcing Specialist

Universal Destinations & Experiences has a fully integrated, in-house sourcing department conducting primary research from Request for Proposal (RFP) development, data processing, field work, cost modeling and compilation of information to final analysis, contract negotiation and reporting. The Sourcing Specialist will review and analyze a wide range of sourcing projects and purchase requisitions, including capital and expense items and services; investigate and develop sources of supplies and services; prepare scopes of works and bid specifications; issue bid requests; and review proposals. Assigned to material categories, the Sourcing Specialist also will communicate purchasing procedures to departments and vendors, which requires a high degree of operations and technical knowledge based on sourcing category.Responsibilities:Contributes significantly to the achievement of defined category performance targets and participates in or leads competitive RFPs as necessary, including RFP creation, distribution, tracking, scheduling, analysis and management of process (job walks, vendor presentations, vendor scorecards, etc.).Communicates proactively and effectively with stakeholders and suppliers.Builds and fosters relationships and effectively partners across varied functions with internal stakeholders, external suppliers, and colleagues to influence change.Collaborate with stakeholders in Technical Services (i.e. construction, facilities, MRO), Entertainment Production (i.e. scenic, lighting, audio), and Park Operations (i.e. consumables, wardrobe).Leverages industry associations, network, peers and stakeholders to build market knowledge and understanding of industry trends to identify best practices and achieve performance goals for the category.Drives completion of multiple projects simultaneously, collaborating with respective business units.Proactively considers new alternatives and drives critical thinking to optimize results.Independently negotiates commercial and performance aspects of outsourcing agreements - strong understanding of pricing models, SLAs, benchmarking, and technical scope criteria required.Develops, evaluates, and presents business cases, cost/benefit analysis, executive summaries to stakeholders.In addition to being knowledgeable on the strategic sourcing process, works with Legal to draft contracts, Finance to perform financial reviews, and business stakeholders to manage procurement practices.Assist business partners with vendor set-up and vendor record maintenance as needed.Oversee vendor qualification.Perform data/spend analysis to identify opportunities for cost reduction, TCO, and value creation.Lead governance of vendor sourcing agreements.Manage/mitigate vendor risks, business continuity, and security.Acts as liaison with vendors to ensure organizational needs are met.Provides input, support, and execution on initiatives for continuous improvement within the department (SOP’s, reference documents, visual aids, database creation, etc.).Perform other duties as assigned.