Manager, Strategic Sourcing

Waste Management, Inc. (WM) • Houston, TX

2d

About The Position

Leads the strategic sourcing process for assigned enterprise
categories—including but not limited to chemicals, rental equipment, and small
parcels—by developing and implementing category strategies, managing supplier
relationships, and executing RFx events on behalf of the enterprise. The
Manager, Strategic Sourcing does not directly purchase goods or services, but
acts as the primary owner of the sourcing process and supplier management for
their categories. The chief metrics for sourcing are quality, delivery, and
price. The ideal candidate demonstrates exceptional critical thinking,
intellectual curiosity, and a strong drive to deliver results. Success in this
role also requires strong interpersonal skills, the ability to foster effective
team collaboration, and a partnership mindset with functional owners and
business stakeholders. The Manager is expected to act as a steward of the supply
chain within the business, identifying opportunities for improvement in process,
cost, or other areas, and ensuring alignment with enterprise objectives.

Requirements

• Education: Bachelor’s Degree (accredited), or in lieu of degree, High School Diploma or GED (accredited) and 4 years of relevant work experience.
• Experience: 5 years of relevant work experience (in addition to education requirement), preferably in strategic sourcing or category management for enterprise categories.
• Strong critical thinking and analytical skills.
• Demonstrated intellectual curiosity and drive to deliver results.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with a proven ability to build relationships and collaborate across teams and functions.
• Familiarity with commodities indices and their impact on sourcing and price negotiations.
• In order to travel by air or access federal property, federal law requires individuals have a REAL ID or an acceptable alternative.  This position may require the successful candidate to travel by air for business reasons, or service federal property.  Accordingly, successful candidates must have, or be willing to obtain, a REAL ID, or TSA approved alternative.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in chemicals, rental equipment, small parcels, or similar categories preferred.
• Six Sigma Training (nice to have).

Responsibilities

• Develops and implements category strategies aligned with enterprise objectives, in close collaboration with cross-functional teams.
• Leads RFx events (RFI, RFP, RFQ) for assigned categories, including bid preparation, evaluation, and supplier selection.
• Manages supplier relationships, including performance reviews, issue resolution, and ongoing communications, while building strong partnerships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Analyzes data and market trends—including commodities indices—to inform sourcing decisions, price negotiations, and strategy development, with a focus on quality, delivery, and price.
• Collaborates with internal stakeholders to understand business needs and ensure alignment of sourcing strategies.
• Partners with business units and functional owners to identify and drive opportunities for process, cost, or operational improvements, leveraging category expertise and a collaborative approach.
• Negotiates major contracts and agreements, ensuring value, quality, delivery, and price compliance.
• Researches and develops a pipeline of qualified suppliers for assigned categories.
• Designs and applies supplier evaluation techniques to assess quality, reliability, and performance.
• Tracks and reports on category performance, supplier effectiveness, and cost savings.
• Maintains currency with respect to technical, analytical, and industry skills by attending training, seminars, and industry events as needed.

Benefits

• At WM, each eligible employee receives a competitive total compensation package including Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance and Short Term Disability. As well as a Stock Purchase Plan, Company match on 401K, and more! Our employees also receive Paid Vacation, Holidays, and Personal Days. Please note that benefits may vary by site.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level