Senior Manager - Strategic Sourcing at Freshworks — San Mateo, CA

We are looking for an experienced and driven Senior Manager, Strategic Sourcing to lead a team of sourcing category managers within our transforming procurement organization. In this role, you will combine strong leadership skills with hands-on sourcing expertise. You will be responsible for overseeing a team of sourcing experts while also contributing individually to the execution of critical sourcing projects. The ideal candidate is a highly organized individual with a proven track record in procurement, excellent communication skills, and a passion for developing talent. This is a working manager role, so being able to negotiate and execute purchasing deals will be required.

Required Skills:

Leadership & Team Management:

• Supervise and mentor a team of sourcing professionals, providing guidance, support, and performance feedback
• Foster a collaborative and high-performing team environment, promoting teamwork and knowledge sharing
• Delegate tasks effectively, monitor progress, and ensure team members meet performance expectations (Individual Contribution Goals and SLAs)
• Identify training and development needs for team members and facilitate their professional growth
• Contribute to the recruitment and onboarding of new team members.
• Understand internal procurement processes to provide guidance to team and stakeholders.
• Partner and collaborate with stakeholder leadership

Sourcing Execution:

• Execute sourcing projects using category-level strategies and established processes
• Support the creation, review, and negotiation of contracts, ensuring favorable terms and conditions
• Negotiate with suppliers on pricing, service level agreements, and other key commercial and legal terms to maximize savings and achieve defined goals
• Conduct risk assessments to identify and mitigate potential supplier-related risks
• Execute competitive bids to identify the best-value suppliers
• Manage supplier relationships, while measuring supplier actual performance against negotiated SLA’s and quality metrics.
• Deep understanding of sourcing and supplier management.
• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, or a related field
• 8+ years of experience in procurement or sourcing, with at least 2 years in a supervisory or team lead role
• Proven track record of successfully managing and developing a team.
• Proficiency in procurement systems and tools
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

We're committed to building a workplace that reflects the diverse world we serve. At Freshworks, you'll find inclusive teams, flexible thinking, and opportunities to grow your career - while making work better for millions.

If this sounds like a journey you want to be part of, we'd love to meet you. Let's building something refreshing together.

The annual base salary range for this position is $190,000 - $230,000 Base Salary.