Senior Buyer

Sr PM (Supply Chain, Procurement, and/or Group Purchasing Organizations) Responsible for the coordination and completion of projects across various functional areas. Typically, employees in this function are working towards or have achieved certification in project management. Provides subject matter expertise in areas including project scope definition, risk identification, project methodology, resource allocation, facilitation, and other areas of expertise based on established project management techniques. Makes presentations to management on project updates, project cycle, and expected results. Ensures projects are completed on time and in scope. May manage vendor and service providers to define project scope and performance expectations. Incumbents may be part of a project management office (PMO) in their business. Project Management roles specific to a particular functional area should be assigned to that family where appropriate (e.g. IT Project Managers should be placed in the IT Family). The scope of work will be management of 35 evolving projects over a five year span as we implement a Group Purchasing Organization (GPO). The location can be telecommuter, however travel may be required for onsite workshops, etc. The ideal candidates will have experience or knowledge of supply chain, procurement, and/or Group Purchasing Organizations. One of the three project managers will need additional experience and knowledge in Finance and Microsoft Excel to be successful managing their 35 evolving projects. Desired skillsets: excellent verbal & written skills selfstarter and selfdriven excellent proficiency in Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Teams, and Microsoft Smartsheet General Job Profile: Generally work is selfdirected and not prescribed. Works with less structured, more complex issues. Serves as a resource to others. Job Scope and Guidelines Assesses and interprets customer needs and requirements. Identifies solutions to nonstandard requests and problems. Solves moderately complex problems and/or conducts moderately complex analysis. Works with minimal guidance; seeks guidance on only the most complex tasks. Translates concepts into practice. Provides explanations and information to others on difficult issues. Coaches, provides feedback, and guides others. Acts as a resource for others with less experience. Additional Scope and Guidelines Employees in this position should have achieved certification in project management. Minimum Educational Background: Undergraduate degree or equivalent experience. Lead or contribute to the development of program or project scope statements, in consultation with applicable stakeholders (e.g., program/project charter, Statement of Work, Business Vision Document) Ensure alignment and understanding of program/project scope and objectives with the organization's strategic objectives and the Voice of the Customer, in consultation with applicable stakeholders Raise awareness of any misalignment or misunderstanding of project scope and objectives with applicable stakeholders Ensure that all impacted areas are identified, and that appropriate resources are engaged to participate in the scope definition process Ensure that project scope, requirements and approvals comply with current governance guidelines and methodology (e.g., RSA process, Agile, Waterfall) Monitor scope requirements and identify scope-related gaps and issues Ensure that all project dependencies/linkages are identified (e.g., hardware, software, licensing, PRDs, budgets, timelines, regulatory due dates, contracts/NDAs, cross-project dependencies, implementation timelines) Obtain agreement on project scope from applicable stakeholders, and ensures that requirements signoff is obtained Ensure that all project deliverables and success criteria are identified Manage/support project scope and objectives throughout the project lifecycle, as needed (e.g., revised scope definition, scope creep) Establish/implement/comply with change management processes to drive effective project execution (e.g., launch, deployment, revisions, change control) Identify project duration, effort, sequence, and dependencies of tasks required to meet applicable project objectives Develop and maintain detailed project plans (including resource assignments, schedules, dependencies, etc.) Work with resource managers to drive the identification of the skills, duration and effort required for successful project execution (e.g., resource demand planning) Ensure that resources are acquired to meet project requirements, escalating for assistance where gaps exist Ensure that project schedules include all tasks and activities necessary to achieve project objectives Align resource requests with available funding and forecasted FTE allocations, identifying gaps for escalated resolution Obtain agreement from applicable stakeholders on schedule, time management and resource plans, and negotiate changes/adjust project plans as needed Provide project direction and performance feedback to the team or their leadership throughout the project, as appropriate Monitor and report progress throughout the project life cycle, using appropriate project planning and scheduling tools (e.g., dashboards, metrics) Identify and forecast variances and trends throughout the project lifecycle to ensure that project schedules and resource requirements are met (e.g., forecasted project plans/schedules vs. actual project status) Ensure that schedule and resource changes are aligned with project scope, objectives, constraints and risks Ensure seamless transition from project implementation to the business (e.g., operations, account management) Collect, analyze and maintain financial forecast information (e.g., labor, hardware, software), using input from applicable sources (e.g., resource managers, project managers, application planners, system architects) Develop/contribute to project budgets and forecasts, obtaining approvals from applicable stakeholders (e.g., cost/benefit analysis, capital planning, staffing impact analysis/assessment) Drive/participate in the capital request process, as appropriate (e.g., presentations, cost-benefit analysis, business case) Manage project budgets and ensure appropriate cost controls Identify/approve procurement needs for external resources (e.g., software, hardware, contractors) Monitor/analyze/approve invoices and actuals against established project plans and budgets to identify variances and their causes, and communicate to applicable stakeholders as appropriate Ensure adherence to project budgeting strategies and cost management plans Conduct reviews of budget variances with applicable stakeholders to identify causes and develop options for resolution Identify/implement adjustments to project/program forecasts and budgets, obtaining appropriate approvals as needed Ensure adherence to established financial close procedures and governance guidelines Apply project life cycle methodology and tools (e.g., Microsoft Project, PlanView, OpenAir, RSA) to drive project quality Establish/apply quality objectives, criteria, standards and levels using appropriate quality management methods, with input from applicable stakeholders (e.g., key performance indicators, scope definition) Ensure that all project deliverables are in compliance with applicable standards and regulations (e.g., data security, HIPAA, NCQAA, HEDIS, Health Care Reform, SOX, CMS, federal/state regulatory requirements) Monitor and document project milestones and outcomes throughout the project lifecycle to ensure adherence to established quality standards Ensure that all project deliverables are on track throughout the project lifecycle, and take appropriate action when needed Manage/monitor the testing process (e.g., end-to-end, SIT, UAT, load testing), and ensure defects are closed prior to deployment Manage/ensure proper release/deployment/functionality of the project (e.g., post-implementation testing, auditing, reporting) Ensure that controls are identified and operationalized to allow benefit tracking and reporting Monitor project results going forward and ensure that the project is delivering the expected benefits to the business, obtaining feedback from stakeholders as appropriate (e.g., benefit management) Identify root causes of substandard project outcomes and recommend appropriate resolutions Analyze project outcomes and make appropriate recommendations to improve project outcomes/processes going forward (e.g., stakeholder satisfaction, lessons learned, project team member performance) Define/implement appropriate actions to drive process improvement going forward (e.g., repeatable processes, feedback loops, cross-project improvement opportunities) Ensure that new/revised business processes/procedures are documented/updated/approved, as needed (e.g., process flows, SOPs, job aids, training guides) and meet quality/repository