About Lumen
Lumen connects the world. We are igniting business growth by connecting people, data and applications - quickly, securely, and effortlessly. Together, we are building a culture and company from the people up - committed to teamwork, trust and transparency. People power progress.
We're looking for top-tier talent and offer the flexibility you need to thrive and deliver lasting impact. Join us as we digitally connect the world and shape the future.
The Role
Manages and leads an organization of 5-6 Procurement professionals that are responsible for developing and executing strategies for services and products associated with the engineering, construction, splicing, maintenance and repair, and over build of the Lumen fiber network. Partners with internal stakeholders to understand business strategies, conveys the Procurement process and ensures Procurement is involved in initiatives up front.
Work Location
This position has been designated as fully remote in the U.S.
The Main Responsibilities
Manages and leads a team of category management professionals focused on project pipeline development, RFx strategy, commercial negotiations, and strategic supplier relationships.
Responsible for category strategy and developing process improvement efforts aimed at reducing the total cost of ownership and driving overall savings objectives. Improves on time/quality performance, settles vendor disputes, and builds alliances and relationships with strategic vendors. Identifies cross functional savings opportunities, develops the corresponding strategies and executes against those strategies.
Builds strong relationships with internal stakeholders and Finance to understand strategies / roadmaps and the corresponding budgets.
Partners with key suppliers to understand capabilities, market trends, and identify new approaches that have not been identified by internal stakeholders.
Manages strategic, high-visibility negotiations to achieve cost savings goals and objectives.
Develops category playbooks that outlines the background and strategy for the category.
Continually identify and implement new opportunities for cost savings, cost avoidance and proactively tracks these objectives.
Delivers against targets related to cost reduction / avoidance, supplier rationalization and internal customer satisfaction.
Fosters an environment of continuous improvement and Partners with Procurement Center of Excellence and Systems teams to drive process and systems improvements.
Excellent abilities in negotiation and contract management.
What We Look For in a Candidate
Required:
Bachelor's degree or equivalent education or relevant experience.
Minimum 8 plus years of related experience.
Preferred 5 plus years of managing and leading teams.
Demonstrated communication and project management skills working with cross-functional teams.
Experience managing supplier relationships for an assigned set of products and/or services including regular supplier performance reviews and discussions.
Ability to work independently and in a team environment; self-motivated; strong analytical and problem-solving skills; ability to process large amounts of often complex data; detail oriented.
Intermediate to advanced professional experience in sourcing and/or contracting (negotiations, drafting and administration).
Strong to expert knowledge of procurement systems such as SAP, Ariba and Oracle.
Excellent time management and organizational skills.
Experience working in a fast-paced, high visibility environment with frequently shifting priorities.
Advanced Microsoft Office skills, intermediate to advanced Excel.
Compensation
This information reflects the anticipated base salary range for this position based on current national data. Minimums and maximums may vary based on location. Individual pay is based on skills, experience and other relevant factors.
Location Based Pay Ranges
$129,639 - $172,852 in these states: AL AR AZ FL GA IA ID IN KS KY LA ME MO MS MT ND NE NM OH OK PA SC SD TN UT VT WI WV WY
$136,121 - $181,494 in these states: CO HI MI MN NC NH NV OR RI
$142,603 - $190,137 in these states: AK CA CT DC DE IL MA MD NJ NY TX VA WA
Lumen offers a comprehensive package featuring a broad range of Health, Life, Voluntary Lifestyle benefits and other perks that enhance your physical, mental, emotional and financial wellbeing. We're able to answer any additional questions you may have about our bonus structure (short-term incentives, long-term incentives and/or sales compensation) as you move through the selection process.
Learn more about Lumen's:
Benefits (https://jobs.lumen.com/global/en/benefits-statement)
Bonus Structure
What to Expect Next
LI-HR1
Requisition #: 338361
Background Screening
If you are selected for a position, there will be a background screen, which may include checks for criminal records and/or motor vehicle reports and/or drug screening, depending on the position requirements. For more information on these checks, please refer to the Post Offer section of our FAQ page (https://jobs.lumen.com/global/en/faq) . Job-related concerns identified during the background screening may disqualify you from the new position or your current role. Background results will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
Equal Employment Opportunities
We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all persons regardless of race, color, ancestry, citizenship, national origin, religion, veteran status, disability, genetic characteristic or information, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, family status, pregnancy, or other legally protected status (collectively, "protected statuses"). We do not tolerate unlawful discrimination in any employment decisions, including recruiting, hiring, compensation, promotion, benefits, discipline, termination, job assignments or training.
Disclaimer
The job responsibilities described above indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not intended to include a comprehensive inventory of all duties and responsibilities for this job. Job duties and responsibilities are subject to change based on evolving business needs and conditions.
In any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.
Please be advised that Lumen does not require any form of payment from job applicants during the recruitment process. All legitimate job openings will be posted on our official website or communicated through official company email addresses. If you encounter any job offers that request payment in exchange for employment at Lumen, they are not for employment with us, but may relate to another company with a similar name.
Application Deadline
06/03/2025
