Senior Specialist - Strategic Sourcing, Engineered Equipment

Job Summary

The Senior Strategic Sourcing Specialist — Engineered Equipment owns end-to-end category execution for assigned categories within the engineered equipment portfolio, encompassing power transformers, autotransformers, distribution transformers, switchgear (circuit breakers, reclosers, switches), and wire, conductor, and cable. Operating with significant independence, this role manages complex sourcing events, strategic supplier relationships, and commercial negotiations while maintaining proactive stakeholder engagement across Engineering, Operations, Project Management, and Business Units.

The Senior Specialist brings category-level commercial judgment and structured analytical capability to categories characterized by long manufacturing lead times, capital program dependency, and technically complex supplier qualification requirements. This role contributes to category strategy, executes sourcing events and negotiations with limited day-to-day oversight, manages supplier performance, and actively develops Specialists and Associates on the team. The Senior Specialist earns the right to independent action by keeping the Procurement Manager appropriately informed — not about everything, but never surprising them with something material.

Essential Functions

Category Execution & Strategy Contribution

• Own day-to-day management of assigned engineered equipment categories, delivering decision-ready sourcing recommendations with minimal oversight.
• Develop category strategies through supply market analysis, supplier evaluation, pricing trends, lead times, and risk assessments aligned to capital project needs.
• Partner with Engineering and Operations to define requirements, forecast demand, and proactively mitigate supply chain risks such as capacity constraints, single-source dependency, and tariff exposure.

Sourcing Event Leadership

•    Lead end-to-end RFP/RFQ execution, including scope development, specifications, evaluation criteria, supplier communications, and award recommendations.
•    Design competitive sourcing strategies that optimize supplier participation, preserve long-term leverage, and secure project-critical manufacturing capacity.
•    Conduct comprehensive bid evaluations using scorecards, total cost of ownership analysis, delivery assessments, and defensible recommendation packages.

Negotiation & Contracting

•    Lead commercial negotiations, leveraging structured negotiation plans, supplier assessments, and defined target positions to achieve favorable outcomes.
•    Negotiate contract terms independently, identifying cost-saving opportunities and protecting CenterPoint’s commercial interests.
•    Draft and manage contracts, legal reviews, and resolution of non-standard terms such as warranties, liquidated damages, audit rights, and performance guarantees.

Supplier Qualification & Performance Management

•    Manage supplier qualification programs, including RFIs, evaluation criteria, scoring, and approval recommendations.
•    Maintain approved supplier lists, qualification status, audit results, and compliance requirements.
•    Drive supplier performance management through scorecards, QBRs, issue resolution, continuous improvement initiatives, and corrective action plans.

Stakeholder Management

•    Build and manage effective relationships with Engineering, Project Management, and Capital Planning stakeholders.
•    Provide proactive communication on sourcing activities, supply risks, lead times, and category performance.
•    Support capital planning decisions with market intelligence, cost forecasting, and supply chain insights.

Team Contribution

•    Provide specific, actionable guidance to Associate and Specialist team members on work product quality, sourcing technique, category knowledge, and professional standards.
•    Review work product of junior team members when assigned, providing feedback that improves quality without doing the work for them.

Education Description

•    Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, Finance, or a related field.

Experience

•    5–9 years of sourcing, procurement, or supply chain experience with demonstrated responsibility for managing complete sourcing events for engineered equipment, capital equipment, or technically complex materials categories.
•    Proven ability to develop RFP packages, manage bid evaluation, and produce award recommendations independently for long-lead or technically complex equipment.
•    Demonstrated commercial negotiation experience including preparation of negotiation briefings and independent execution of supplier negotiations.
•    Strong analytical capability including weighted scorecard development, total cost of ownership analysis, and supply market assessment.
•    Effective cross-functional stakeholder management — able to manage working and manager-level relationships and resolve issues without Procurement Manager escalation.
•    Strong written communication skills — sourcing documents, stakeholder summaries, and supplier correspondence are professionally polished without Procurement Manager editing.

QUALIFICATIONS — PREFERRED
•    Experience in electric utility, power generation, transmission, large industrial, or EPC procurement environments.
•    Direct experience procuring one or more engineered equipment categories: power transformers, autotransformers, distribution transformers, circuit breakers, reclosers, switchgear, or overhead/underground conductor and cable.
•    Familiarity with relevant technical specifications and industry standards: ANSI/IEEE C57 series (transformers), ANSI C37 series (switchgear), ASTM conductor standards.
•    Understanding of capitalized loss pricing methodology (No-Load Loss and Load Loss capitalization) for transformer categories.
•    Experience managing supplier qualification programs including factory audits, capability assessments, or drawing approval processes.
•    SAP or equivalent ERP proficiency for spend analysis, PO management, and supplier records.
•    Experience with tariff and trade compliance provisions in supply agreements for internationally sourced equipment.

BEHAVIORAL & CULTURAL STANDARDS
The Senior Specialist sets the behavioral tone for Specialists and Associates on the team. How this role conducts itself in internal meetings, supplier interactions, and everyday team dynamics is observed and calibrated to by junior team members.
•    Manages the Procurement Manager’s awareness efficiently — surfaces what matters, at the right time, with context and a recommended path. Does not bring problems without having considered options.
•    Owns end-to-end execution for assigned categories including the outcomes of work performed under their guidance. Does not distance from team-level results.
•    Maintains professional conduct and absolute confidentiality in all interactions — with colleagues, stakeholders, and suppliers — without exception and regardless of the informality of the setting. This applies especially in supplier relationships where informal communication can create commercial liability.
•    Escalates risks proactively with a complete framing: what the risk is, what causes it, what options exist, and what they recommend. Never escalates a bare problem.
•    Actively stewards team culture. Does not enable gossip, unconstructive behavior, or conduct inconsistent with team standards by listening passively.
•    Mentors Specialists and Associates with specific, actionable guidance grounded in real category work. Knows the difference between coaching and doing the work for someone.

Physical Requirements

Working Conditions