Lead Sourcing Specialist

Lead Sourcing Specialist

More than a career - a chance to make a difference in people's lives. Build an exciting, rewarding career with us - help us make a difference for millions of people every day. Consider joining the Duke Energy team, where you'll find a friendly work environment, opportunities for growth and development, recognition for your work, and competitive pay and benefits.

Position Summary : The Lead Sourcing Specialist is a strategic role responsible for developing and executing sourcing strategies, cultivating trusted business unit partner relationships, and navigating complex market dynamics. This individual will lead cross-functional initiatives, build compelling business cases, and present recommendations to senior leadership with minimal supervision. Success in this role requires thought leadership, the ability to challenge conventional practices, and the development of scalable processes and governance. The ideal candidate will operate independently, collaborate across organizational boundaries, and communicate effectively at all levels to drive results. A strong foundation in business operations, legal frameworks, and risk assessment is essential to lead total cost of ownership evaluations and optimize sourcing outcomes. This role demands deep supply chain experience, strong business acumen, and the agility to support diverse categories across the enterprise.

Responsibilities :

• Category Management : Leads, develops, coordinates and execute enterprise and regional (short and long term) strategic sourcing strategies with key business partners for complex / high value / high risk equipment, materials, and / or services, which maximize value to Duke Energy, while managing overall risk.
• Identify and anticipate Business Unit demand and needs, issues, and cost reduction opportunities.
• Have an understanding of SWOT analysis for each assigned category, spend identification, and total cost of ownership.
• Identify and assess short- and long-term risks.
• Ensure alignment with internal SME parties to ensure risk is controlled through collaboration with the Legal, Security, Tax, and Credit departments when necessary.
• Maintain knowledge of commodities, sources of supply, corporate responsibility opportunities, industry leading practices, and market conditions that may impact future procurement.
• Utilize procurement tool and grid / relays for documentation / retention of category plans.
• Apply an enterprise-wide focus to management of the category and influences sourcing strategies beyond business unit silos.
• Develop automated and analytical solutions for more efficient outcomes.
• Identify and implement opportunities for Artificial Intelligence (AI) in order to automate processes.
• Strategy Development : Develops sourcing strategies for complex, high value materials, equipment or services including the execution of regional and / or enterprise-wide initiatives.
• Strategy Execution : Research best practices successfully adopted by other industries and companies. Understands how to use benchmarking and / or other outside resources. Demonstrates knowledge of other industry practices. Develops strategies to align with Corporate and Supply Chain initiatives to include but not limited to safety, corporate responsibility, savings, and value.
• Negotiation : Utilizes data-driven decision making to implement effective strategic sourcing strategies, thus enabling