Senior Manager - Strategic Sourcing

## Company Description Organizations everywhere struggle under the crushing costs and complexities of “solutions” that promise to simplify their lives. To create a better experience for their customers and employees. To help them grow. Software is a choice that can make or break a business. Create better or worse experiences. Propel or throttle growth. Business software has become a blocker instead of ways to get work done. **There’s another option. Freshworks. With a fresh vision for how the world works.** Freshworks Inc. builds uncomplicated service software that delivers exceptional employee and customer experiences. Our people-first approach to AI eliminates friction, helping businesses reduce complexity, lower cost-to-serve, and deliver faster, more human support through enterprise-grade yet easy-to-use CX and IT solutions. Nearly 75,000 companies, including Bridgestone, New Balance, Nucor, S&P Global, and Sony Music, trust Freshworks to power their Employee Experience (EX) and Customer Experience (CX) operations. ***Fresh vision. Real impact. Come build it with us.*** ## Job Description 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. ## Qualifications - 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 ## Additional Information 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 somet…