Manager, Sourcing

If you’re passionate about building a better future for individuals, communities, and our country—and you’re committed to working hard to play your part in building that future—consider WGU as the next step in your career.

Driven by a mission to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs, WGU is also committed to being a great place to work for a diverse workforce of student-focused professionals.

The university has pioneered a new way to learn in the 21st century, one that has received praise from academic, industry, government, and media leaders.

Whatever your role, working for WGU gives you a part to play in helping students graduate, creating a better tomorrow for themselves and their families.

The salary range for this position takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs.

At WGU, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their position, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case.

A reasonable estimate of the current range is:
Grade:  608 Pay Range: $ - $

WGU is seeking a strategic and collaborative Manager, Sourcing to help plan, direct, and coordinate the procurement of Academic software and services across the university. This leader will oversee a team of sourcing professionals while also managing complex, high-value, and strategic sourcing initiatives. The ideal candidate brings strong negotiation expertise, sound business judgment, and a passion for delivering value through effective supplier management, procurement processes, and stakeholder partnerships.

• Lead sourcing, tendering, due diligence, and contract negotiation activities for software, services, and other assigned categories.
• Review planning, forecasting, and trend analysis to anticipate business needs and support sourcing strategies.
• Oversee the development and review of specifications for software, services, and supplies prior to market engagement.
• Guide stakeholders and vendors through sourcing and competitive bidding processes, ensuring thorough evaluation of vendor capabilities, strengths, and gaps.
• Negotiate pricing, terms, and conditions to minimize risk and maximize value for the university.
• Monitor marketplace trends and pricing to ensure competitiveness across assigned categories.
• Manage and develop a team of sourcing specialists, including hiring, coaching, performance management, and cross-functional coordination.
• Support the purchasing process within the Procure-to-Pay lifecycle, including vendor registration, requisition management, and purchase order issuance.
• Drive effective utilization of procurement technologies, including Workday, Service Now Procurement and Event Management, and other sourcing tools.
• Contribute to procurement policies, procedures, training materials, instructions, and webinars that promote best practices across the organization.
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

What's Required

• Bachelor's Degree in Business, Supply Chain, or a related field.
• 5 years of experience with procurement or purchasing.
• 1 year in a leadership role.

• Strong negotiation and organizational skills.
• Excellent decision-making and problem-solving abilities.
• Excellent skills in Microsoft Office Suite.
• Ability to learn new technologies and adapt to changing priorities.
• Ability to communicate effectively to improve teamwork, decision-making, and collaboration.
• Ability to work cooperatively across teams and organizational levels to achieve shared objectives.
• Ability to navigate ambiguity, manage risk, and make informed decisions with incomplete information.
• Ability to remain confident under pressure and effectively manage challenging situations.
• Strong outcomes-based orientation with a proven ability to set and achieve goals.
• Ability to foster a sense of belonging, build team morale, and lead cross-functional collaboration.
• Ability to take on new challenges,…