Role: Strategic Sourcing Specialist
Team: Procure-to-Pay Operations and Strategic Sourcing
Scope: Individual Contributor, P3
Years of Experience: 5+ years
Location: Ventura, CA or Reno, NV / Hybrid
Overview
The Strategic Sourcing Specialist role for indirect procurement activity is responsible for supporting enterprise-wide sourcing initiatives across all operating expense (Opex) categories. This role partners closely with cross-functional stakeholders to develop and execute sourcing strategies that improve supplier performance, optimize total cost, reduce risk, and enable Patagonia’s business and sustainability goals. We're in business to save our home planet.
Operating adjacent to Patagonia’s Procure-to-Pay framework, the Strategic Sourcing Specialist leads competitive sourcing activities end-to-end and applies disciplined, stakeholder first, data-driven sourcing practices while balancing speed, flexibility, and appropriate governance.
What You’ll Do
Category & Sourcing Execution
- Analyze spend, demand, and supplier data to identify sourcing opportunities, cost reduction levers, and risk mitigation actions aligned with savings targets.
- Lead RFIs, RFPs, and RFQs including requirements gathering, supplier outreach, evaluation, commercial analysis, and recommendation development.
- Partner with stakeholders and Finance to build business cases and TCO models supporting sourcing decisions.
- Support development and execution of category strategies across indirect spend areas including IT & SaaS, Professional Services, Marketing, Facilities, Travel, HR, and Corporate Services.
Continuous Improvement
- Identify opportunities to improve sourcing processes, tools, and controls across Strategic Sourcing.
- Stay ahead and informed on market trends, benchmarks, and supplier innovations relevant to indirect categories and sustainability priorities.
- Track sourcing pipeline activity, projected savings, and realized financial benefits in coordination with Finance.
Contracting & Supplier Management
- Assist with supplier onboarding, performance tracking, and issue resolution in coordination with Accounts Payable and business owners.
- Ensure executed contracts align with sourcing recommendations and are aligned with Legal team recommendations.
- Support commercial negotiations in partnership with business stakeholders, focusing on enhanced functionality, pricing structures, service levels, risk terms, and long-term value.
Stakeholder Partnership & Governance
- Balance enterprise procurement standards with business agility and stakeholder experience.
- Maintain clear documentation of sourcing activities, decisions, and outcomes.
- Serve as a trusted sourcing advisor to internal partners, providing sage guidance on supplier selection, contracting best practices, and procurement policies.
Who You Are
- Leader – guidepost, advocate, trainer, role model.
- Problem Solver – Identifies problems and investigates potential solutions.
- Adaptable – Able to work to an ever-changing global landscape.
- Strategic – able to see the end goal, then identify and plan how to get there.
- Investigative - has a natural curiosity to find the “why” and explain to others.
- Communicative - able to take complex data and problems and communicate to a larger audience.
- Team Player - comfortable with team-based work structure; ability to demonstrate flexibility.
- Logical - excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
Experience You Bring
- 5+ years of experience in strategic sourcing, buyer, procurement, category management, or related roles.
- Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent additional experience) in Business, Finance, Supply Chain, or other related field.
- Demonstrated experience supporting or leading RFPs and commercial sourcing initiatives across Opex categories
- Excellent communication, leadership, and problem-solving abilities with a strategic mindset.
- Experience in a global, high-volume, multi-entity retail or consumer goods environment.
- Proficiency with ERP systems (Microsoft Dynamics 365 preferred).
- Strong analytical skills with advanced Excel proficiency in the pursuit of achieving and maintaining operational excellence.
- Strong understanding of internal controls and best practices in vendor management.
- Direct experience in a multi-channel, consumer products business is preferred
Core Knowledge And Capabilities
- Contributes measurable financial, operational, and risk-management impact and outcomes.
- Exercises judgement within established sourcing frameworks and procurement policies.
- Manages multiple sourcing initiatives across diverse indirect categories inclusive of moderate to high complexity.
- Familiarity with fundamental Strategic Sourcing principles and operating through a lens of ethics, integrity, and transparency
- Understanding of how the Strategic Sourcing function supports the broader business and ability to seek information from available sources.
- Proficiency in finance internal controls, including identifying control gaps and recommending improvements.
- Familiarity with finance-related regulatory and legal requirements across relevant geographies.
- Experience participating in change management efforts, implementing new ways of working, and testing improved approaches.
- Ability to analyze data, communicate insights clearly, and create appropriate visual representations.
- Ability to monitor operational and business risks and help develop practical mitigation strategies.
- Experience navigating organizational dynamics, building stakeholder trust, managing conflict, and gaining alignment.
- Strong adaptability to changing business needs, comfort with ambiguity, and iterative ways of working.
- Exceptional attention to detail, accuracy, and consistency in delivering high-quality results.
- Ability to set goals, facilitate collaboration, and hold teams accountable to shared outcomes.
- Influences sourcing outcomes through data, recommendations, and stakeholder collaboration
Hiring Range: $79,200-$97,000 USD Annual
At Patagonia, pay ranges are assigned to a job based on the location specific market median of similar jobs according to 3rd party salary benchmark surveys. Individual pay within that range can vary for several reasons including skills/capabilities, experience, and available budget. Note the full pay range for this role ranges from: $70,400 - $105,600 USD Annual. The Hiring Range reflects where in the range we intend to hire for this role.
Benefits
Patagonia offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, retirement and leave of absence plans. Benefit plans may vary slightly depending on the nature of your employment.
Workplace Location Overview
This position is Hybrid, with a standard schedule of Tuesday - Thursday on-site and remote work on other days. Occasional additional office visits may be required for team events or critical meetings.
Employee Conduct
It is the responsibility of every employee to contribute to a positive, inclusive work environment through cooperative and professional interactions with co-workers, customers and vendors.
Equal Employment Opportunity
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other factors prohibited by law.
