Sourcing Specialist

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.

This position leads sourcing and contracting activities for complex natural gas construction, labor, field services, major projects, transmission, distribution, integrity, locating, and related capital and operational requirements. As a member of the Natural Gas Construction, Labor & Services Sourcing team within Duke Energy Supply Chain, the successful candidate will partner with business unit leaders, project teams, Legal, Credit/Risk, Tax, EHS, Project Controls, Quality, Accounts Payable, and other subject matter experts to deliver safe, reliable, compliant, and commercially sound outcomes.

This individual-contributor role independently leads assigned sourcing initiatives through the full lifecycle, including demand validation, market analysis, strategy development, supplier qualification, RFI/RFP execution, bid evaluation, negotiation, award recommendation, contract development, purchase order implementation, transition planning, and post-award performance management, with appropriate leadership alignment.

The Sourcing Specialist assesses business requirements, internal capabilities, and supply markets to develop, execute, and sustain sourcing strategies for complex, high-value spend. The successful candidate will lead strategic initiatives, help business partners balance operational and economic considerations, and clearly communicate insights and recommendations.

This role serves as an internal consultant for procurement and strategic sourcing, delivering measurable value through competitive pricing, cost avoidance, productivity improvements, risk reduction, demand management, supplier innovation, stronger contractual protections, schedule support, working-capital improvement, and compliance with negotiated agreements. Success requires the ability to prioritize competing demands, navigate ambiguity, build consensus across organizational boundaries, and deliver actionable results with minimal oversight. The individual must bring an enterprise mindset, constructively challenge the status quo, and implement sustainable processes and governance. 

A strong understanding of business operations, legal concepts, and risk evaluation will enable this individual to lead total-cost-of-ownership assessments and evaluate the full economic impact of alternative sourcing tactics and channel strategies. Employees at this level manage work with high integrity, minimal supervision, identify problems, develop solutions, and take action to resolve complex issues within the existing corporate guidelines, legal requirements and environmental regulations. 

• →Category Management:
  • →Uses spend, demand, market, supplier, SWOT, and total-cost-of-ownership analyses to develop and maintain category plans. Identifies cost and value opportunities and assesses short- and long-term supply, commercial, and operational risks. Collaborates with Legal, Security, Tax, Credit/Risk, and other subject matter experts as needed. Maintains knowledge of sources of supply, corporate responsibility opportunities, industry-leading practices, and market conditions. Documents and retains category plans in approved procurement tools and repositories.
• →Strategy Development:
  • →Independently develops enterprise and regional sourcing strategies with business partners and cross-functional teams to enhance value and manage risk. Engages subject matter experts when specialized support is required. Applies knowledge of construction and project-commercial practices, including scopes of work; labor and equipment pricing; schedule requirements; change orders; unit-rate, lump-sum, and cost-reimbursable structures; payment terms; insurance and bonds; warranties; indemnification; liquidated damages; performance remedies; and contractor risk allocation.
• →Strategy Execution:
  • →Utilize or improve approved strategies and supply chain processes to lead competitive bidding processes, lead the objective criteria based bid evaluation with a cross-functional group, recommend award to Supply Chain and Business Unit Leadership, develop appropriate terms and conditions, negotiate strategic contracts, integrate contracts with internal systems, and manage ongoing supplier/contract management and day-to-day support when issues arise (such as mismatches billing or shipment issues). 
• →Negotiation:
  • →Uses spend data, pricing trends, market indices, cost models, and working-capital analysis to develop negotiation strategies and deal structures. Negotiates pricing, terms and conditions, lead times, and other commercial provisions to optimize total value, achieve cost savings and avoidance, and improve contractual protections. Evaluates value-chain opportunities, including demand or contract consolidation.
• →Risk and Financial Analysis:
  • →Communicates transaction risks and mitigation options to business partners. Evaluates supplier financial condition and coordinates with Credit/Risk to identify financial exposure and appropriate safeguards.
• →Legal Terms and Conditions:
  • →Applies knowledge of commercial and legal concepts and sourcing processes to achieve favorable contractual outcomes. Engages Legal when specialized guidance is required.
• →Change Management:
  • →Co-developer with business unit partners to develop change management strategies in partnership with cross-functional teams to ensure successful implementation of sourcing strategies. 
• →Relationship and Supplier Management:
  • →Builds and manages effective relationships with business partners, Supply Chain colleagues, and strategic suppliers. Ensures purchase orders and contracts comply with Supply Chain and corporate policies and procedures. Establishes post-award governance, including implementation plans, performance measures, service-level expectations, scorecards, business reviews, corrective-action plans, escalation protocols, and documentation of commercial decisions. Manages purchase order and agreement maintenance, including invoice discrepancies, price changes, amendments, and change orders. Collaborates with business partners to monitor contract compliance and supplier performance.
• →Safety and Compliance:
  • →Integrates safety, environmental, quality, security, financial, and contractor-qualification requirements into sourcing strategies, supplier evaluations, award recommendations, and contracts. Partners with EHS and operational stakeholders to support safe and reliable execution.
• →Leadership:
  • →Provides informal leadership, coaching, and mentoring and contributes to team processes, templates, and operating practices.

• Bachelor’s degree plus 2 years of work experience; OR
• Associate degree plus 4 years of work experience; OR
• High school diploma or GED plus 6 years of work experience

• Five or more years of progressively responsible experience in strategic sourcing, procurement, contract negotiation, category management, or supplier management, including complex services or construction-related spend.
• Demonstrated sourcing experience supporting capital projects, utility construction, natural gas operations, or comparable industrial services.
• Demonstrated experience in conducting analysis and preparing executive ready report outs to empower prompt decision making.
• Demonstrated experience leading RFI/RFP processes, supplier evaluations, commercial negotiations, contract development, and post-award supplier management.
• Working knowledge of construction contracting and commercial models, including unit-rate, not to exceed, time-and-materials, cost-reimbursable, and performance-based structures.
• Experience evaluating supplier proposals, pricing models, escalation provisions, change-order mechanisms, contractual exceptions, and total-cost-of-ownership scenarios.
• Ability to manage multiple sourcing events, negotiations, supplier issues, and business priorities with competing deadlines and limited supervision.
• Strong written and verbal communication, stakeholder influence, organization, project management, and relationship-management skills.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel or comparable analytical tools.
• Experience with e-sourcing, contract lifecycle management, ERP, spend analytics, supplier-management, or procure-to-pay systems.
• Professional certification such as CPSM, C.P.M., CSCP, PMP, or a comparable sourcing, supply chain, or project-management credential.

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