Supplier Management Lead

SUMMARY Salary: 85,288.00 - 122,601.49 Commensurate with Experience The Supplier Management Lead is a key leadership role within the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) Procurement Department responsible for the effective administration, governance, and continuous improvement of the organization’s supplier management function. The position provides functional leadership and oversight of supplier onboarding, supplier master data, ERP integrity, documentation and compliance requirements, reporting, and supplier management processes. The Supplier Management Lead serves as a primary liaison among Procurement, Finance, Accounts Payable, System Administration, suppliers, and other internal stakeholders to ensure supplier information is accurate, complete, compliant, and readily available to support efficient procurement and payment operations. This position is expected to operate with a high degree of independence and professional judgment, identifying operational risks, resolving complex supplier issues, establishing effective controls, and recommending process and system improvements. The role also provides analytical and reporting support to Procurement leadership and contributes to strategic initiatives, including supplier diversity and the CATS Small Business Program. The successful candidate will bring strong expertise in supplier data management, ERP processes, procurement operations, cross‑functional coordination, data analysis, and process improvement, with the ability to translate detailed operational information into actionable recommendations for leadership. Major Duties and Responsibilities Serves as the functional lead and subject matter expert for CATS supplier management processes. Provides oversight of the supplier lifecycle, including onboarding, maintenance, changes, compliance documentation, status updates, and supplier record management. Establishes and maintains standards, procedures, controls, and documentation requirements for supplier management activities. Ensures supplier data is accurate, complete, current, and appropriately aligned with procurement and financial requirements. Conducts supplier data audits, reconciliations, and quality‑control reviews. Identifies systemic supplier data issues and recommends corrective actions. Coordinates resolution of complex supplier onboarding, documentation, data, compliance, payment, and system issues. Provides functional guidance and subject matter expertise to Procurement staff and internal stakeholders. Leads initiatives to improve procurement workflows, reporting, data quality, compliance monitoring, and operational efficiency. Evaluates existing processes to identify opportunities for standardization, automation, improved controls, and enhanced service delivery. Develops and maintains standard operating procedures, process documentation, data standards, reporting definitions, and internal controls. Partners with System Administration and other stakeholders to identify ERP enhancements, system requirements, automation opportunities, and data‑quality improvements. Establishes and promotes procurement data governance practices to ensure information is accurate, consistent, secure, and fit for decision‑making. Leads or supports implementation of new procurement systems, reporting tools, processes, and technologies. Measures the effectiveness of implemented improvements and recommends additional enhancements as appropriate. Provides the Director of Procurement and Procurement leadership with analytical, operational, and compliance insights to support informed decision‑making. Serves as a trusted advisor on procurement data, reporting, supplier management, compliance, and operational performance. Coordinates cross‑functional initiatives involving Procurement, Finance, Accounts Payable, System Administration, Legal, suppliers, and other stakeholders. Leads issue resolution through clear communication, accountability, analysis, and follow‑through. Prepares executive‑level reports, presentations, briefing materials, and recommendations as requested. Provides guidance and training to Procurement staff regarding reporting standards, data practices, supplier requirements, compliance expectations, and procurement procedures. Serves as the functional lead for Procurement reporting, data analytics, and performance information. Develops, maintains, and continuously improves recurring and ad hoc procurement reports, dashboards, scorecards, metrics, and management summaries. Analyzes procurement, supplier, contract, spend, and operational data to identify trends, risks, opportunities, and performance issues. Establishes consistent reporting standards, definitions, methodologies, and data‑quality practices across the Procurement Department. Develops key performance indicators and metrics to measure procurement activity, supplier performance, process efficiency, compliance, and other departmental objectives. Translates complex procurement data into clear, actionable insights and recommendations for the Director of Procurement and Procurement leadership. Provides timely analytical support for strategic initiatives, operational reviews, budget planning, management reporting, audits, and other departmental priorities. Identifies data gaps, inconsistencies, and reporting limitations and works with appropriate stakeholders to resolve underlying issues. Supports development of dashboards and data visualization tools that improve visibility into procurement performance and organizational outcomes. Maintains appropriate documentation of reporting methodologies, data sources, calculations, and business rules to promote consistency and transparency. Serves as a functional lead for procurement compliance monitoring and reporting. Supports the development, implementation, and monitoring of procurement policies, procedures, internal controls, and compliance standards. Monitors procurement activities and supplier information for compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, organizational policies, and procurement requirements. Coordinates supplier compliance activities, including W-9s, TIN matching, OFAC screening, insurance certificates, certifications, supplier diversity documentation, and other applicable requirements. Identifies compliance risks, control deficiencies, and process gaps and recommends corrective and preventive actions. Maintains compliance tracking and reporting mechanisms to provide Procurement leadership with visibility into outstanding issues, trends, and areas of risk. Supports internal and external audits, compliance reviews, monitoring activities, and requests for procurement documentation and data. Coordinates with Finance, Accounts Payable, Legal, Internal Audit, System Administration, and other stakeholders on procurement compliance matters as appropriate. Monitors changes in applicable laws, regulations, policies, and organizational requirements and recommends updates to procurement processes and controls. Promotes a culture of accountability, transparency, data integrity, and ethical procurement practices. Supports the CATS Small Business Program through development, generation, analysis, and presentation of statistical reports related to supplier outreach, participation, utilization, and program performance. Ensures program reporting is supported by accurate, complete, and reliable procurement data. Analyzes participation and utilization trends and provides insights that support program planning and management decisions. Supports Procurement leadership in identifying opportunities to improve small business participation and program outcomes. Minimum Qualifications Associate degree in business administration, supply chain management, procurement, finance, accounting, information systems, data analytics, or a related field. 3-5 years of progressively responsible experience in procurement, supplier management, procurement analytics, ERP administration, compliance, financial operations, data management, or a related business operations function. Preferred Qualifications Bachelor's degree in business administration, supply chain management, procurement, finance, accounting, information systems, data analytics, or a related field. Five or more years of progressively responsible experience in procurement, supplier management, procurement analytics, compliance, ERP administration, or related operations. Experience with Workday ERP or comparable enterprise resource planning systems. Experience developing procurement dashboards, performance metrics, business intelligence reports, or data visualization. Experience with procurement compliance, internal controls, audit support, or regulatory monitoring. Experience with supplier compliance requirements, including W-9s, TIN matching, OFAC screening, insurance certificates, and supplier diversity certifications. Experience with procurement data governance and master‑data management. Experience leading process improvement, workflow optimization, automation, or business process redesign initiatives. Advanced Excel skills and experience with data analytics or business intelligence tools. Experience supporting supplier diversity, small business, or disadvantaged business enterprise programs. Knowledge and application of applicable federal, state, and local procurement laws, regulations, policies, and compliance requirements. Experience presenting analytical findings and recommendations to management or executive leadership. Demonstrated experience developing or managing operational reports, data analyses, dashboards, or performance metrics. Experience working with ERP systems and analyzing procurement or supplier data. Experience identifying data discrepancies, compliance issues, operational risks, or process deficiencies and recommending corrective actions. Experience coordinating projects, processes, audits, compliance activities, or initiatives involving multiple departments or stakeholders. Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, Word, and Outlook. Knowledge and Skills and Abilities Knowledge of Procurement operations, policies, procedures, and internal controls. Supplier lifecycle management and supplier master‑data governance. Procurement reporting, analytics, performance measurement, and data visualization. ERP systems and procurement/supplier management functionality. Procurement compliance, regulatory requirements, and audit practices. Data‑quality management, reconciliation, validation, and governance. Risk identification, internal controls, and process improvement methodologies. Ability to lead procurement reporting, data analytics, and compliance activities with a high degree of independence. Analyze large or complex datasets and translate findings into actionable management recommendations. Establish reporting standards, data governance practices, and performance measures. Identify procurement risks, compliance gaps, and control deficiencies. Develop practical solutions to complex operational, data, system, and compliance challenges. Lead cross‑functional initiatives and influence stakeholders without direct supervisory authority. Present data, trends, risks, and recommendations clearly to leadership. Balance operational efficiency with compliance, internal controls, and customer service. Manage multiple priorities, projects, deadlines, and competing demands. Maintain confidentiality and exercise sound professional judgment. Promote accountability, data integrity, compliance, transparency, and continuous improvement throughout the Procurement function. Working Environment and Physical Demands Typical office environment Other Requirements and Conditions Strong attention to detail, organizational skills, and data entry accuracy Excellent verbal and written communication skills Communicate effectively with Suppliers and internal stakeholders. Proficiency in Microsoft Office and data management tools; experience with visualization software is a plus Conditions of Employment The City’s Background Check Policy requires background checks to be conducted on final internal or external candidate(s) applying for any position with the City of Charlotte. The type of information that will be collected as part of a background check includes, but is not limited to: reference checks, social security verification, education verification, criminal conviction record check, and, if applicable, a credit history check, sex offender registry and motor vehicle records check. Background checks must be in compliance with all federal and state statutes, such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The checks must be consistent with the guidelines set forth by these laws requiring organizations to obtain a candidate’s written authorization before obtaining a criminal background report, motor vehicle records check or credit report; and to properly store and dispose of information derived from such reports. Final candidates must pass a pre‑employment drug‑screening test and physical examination. During the selection process, candidates may be asked to take a skills test, and/or participate in other assessments. BENEFITS The City of Charlotte provides a comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees. Click here to learn more about the City of Charlotte’s benefits. The City of Charlotte is a drug and alcohol‑free workplace. Our City, Our Mission When you join the City of Charlotte, you become part of TeamCharlotte — a dedicated group of professionals working together to make a meaningful impact on our community and its future. The City of Charlotte has more than 8,000 employees working across 19 departments to serve close to 1 million residents. From public safety and clean water to transportation, housing and an international airport, our teams deliver essential services to keep Charlotte connected, safe and empowered with opportunity for all. As public servants, we are guided by a clear mission: to be committed to exceptional service every day. No matter the department or role, every team member plays a part in helping our city grow, thrive and meet the needs of those who rely on us. We are a values‑driven organization, working collaboratively, acting with integrity and delivering reliable results. We embrace a forward‑thinking mindset, encouraging curiosity, innovation and continuous improvement. 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