Senior Sourcing Specialist

If you’re passionate about building a better future for individuals, communities, and our country—and you’re committed to working hard to play your part in building that future—consider WGU as the next step in your career.

Driven by a mission to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs, WGU is also committed to being a great place to work for a diverse workforce of student-focused professionals. The university has pioneered a new way to learn in the 21st century, one that has received praise from academic, industry, government, and media leaders. Whatever your role, working for WGU gives you a part to play in helping students graduate, creating a better tomorrow for themselves and their families.

The salary range for this position takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs.

At WGU, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their position, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is:
 

Grade: Professional 311

Pay Range: $100,000.00 - $150,000.00

Job Description

As a Senior Sourcing Specialist at WGU, you will play a critical role in ensuring the organization acquires the goods and services needed to support its mission efficiently and effectively. You will lead complex sourcing initiatives, influence strategic purchasing decisions, and partner cross-functionally to deliver value through thoughtful negotiation and market insight. This role is ideal for a sourcing professional who combines strong procurement expertise with specialized knowledge of meetings, events, and travel categories to deliver value, optimize supplier relationships, and support organizational objectives.

 

What You’ll Do

• Lead strategic sourcing events across a variety of categories, including highly technical commodities and services
• Conduct competitive bidding processes and evaluate vendor proposals to identify best-fit solutions
• Negotiate contracts, pricing, and terms to secure optimal value and service outcomes
• Partner with finance, legal, and internal stakeholders to execute and implement contracts
• Develop and refine specifications, statements of work, and sourcing strategies for external audiences
• Monitor market trends and pricing conditions to ensure competitiveness and inform forecasting
• Manage purchase orders, requisitions, and procurement systems to support efficient operations

What You’ll Bring

What’s Required

• Bachelor’s Degree
• 6 years of procurement or other supply chain experience

Core Capabilities

• Strong knowledge of procurement principles, ethics, and sourcing best practices
• Experience with purchase orders, contracts, and competitive bidding processes
• Experience working with purchasing categories including meetings and travel
• Advanced skills in cost and pricing analysis
• Proven negotiation skills with the ability to influence business outcomes
• Ability to develop sourcing strategies, SLAs, and KPIs
• Strong organizational, analytical, and decision-making skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and ability to quickly learn new technologies

Bonus Points

• Master’s Degree
• CPSM or related procurement certification
• Experience with category management and leading complex, cross-functional sourcing initiatives

Experience in Lieu of Education

Equivalent relevant experience performing the essential functions of this role may substitute for educational requirements. Generally, one year of relevant experience is considered equivalent to one year of education, at the discretion of the hiring manager.

At WGU, our mission drives everything we do, including how we hire. Our interview experience is designed to give qualified candidates the opportunity to show their best work through meaningful conversations and collaboration.
We thoughtfully review every application and invite forward the candidates whose experience and potential best align with the role and our mission.

• Introductory call
• Hiring manager interview onsite
• Director interview

Work Location

This is a full-time, in-office position requiring five days per week in our Raleigh, NC office, designed to foster the collaboration and connection that fuel our best work.

Visa Sponsorship

While we welcome applicants from all backgrounds, WGU is not able to provide visa sponsorship for this role.

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Position & Application Details

Full-Time Regular Positions (classified as regular and working 40 standard weekly hours): This is a full-time, regular position (classified for 40 standard weekly hours) that is eligible for bonuses; medical, dental, vision, telehealth and mental healthcare; health savings account and flexible spending account; basic and voluntary life insurance; disability coverage; accident, critical illness and hospital indemnity supplemental coverages; legal and identity theft coverage; retirement savings plan; wellbeing program; discounted WGU tuition; and flexible paid time off for rest and relaxation with no need for accrual, flexible paid sick time with no need for accrual, 11 paid holidays, and other paid leaves, including up to 12 weeks of parental leave.

How to Apply: If interested, an application will need to be submitted online. Internal WGU employees will need to apply through the internal job board in Workday.

Additional Information

Disclaimer: The job posting highlights the most critical responsibilities and requirements of the job. It’s not all-inclusive.

Accommodations: Applicants with disabilities who require assistance or accommodation during the application or interview process should contact our Talent Acquisition team at [email protected].

Equal Employment Opportunity: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any protected characteristic as required by law.