Lead Specialist / Advisor, Category Management (Capital OEM)

This is a critical position that supports Cheniere with the delivery of supply chain support for capital projects and operations. The role will have accountability and oversight of OEM equipment. In doing so, this position will work closely with Project Managers, Engineers, Project Controls, Construction and Maintenance team members to develop comprehensive Project and Category based Contract and Procurement Strategies for each stage of the Cheniere Project Development & Execution Process (PDEP). The role will develop and manage category strategies that cover the entire equipment lifecycle from capital projects through operations.

The position is directly accountable for all OEM equipment category strategies, sourcing, contracting, and supplier management of OEM equipment suppliers.

This is a non-DOT position.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND ESSENTIAL DUTIES

Leadership

- Communicates across business stakeholders to align the strategic intent Contract and Procurement Strategy, sourcing strategy, and the business needs.

- Actively influences senior leaders to gain alignment and access to appropriate resources.

- Integrates other SCM resources into the development and delivery of the C&P Strategy.

- Develops and maintains the Capital Project Contract and Procurement Strategy papers.

- Project manages and reports SCM activities tied to the capital Project portfolio.

- Supports innovation and the introduction of changes considering internal and external market challenges.

Stakeholder Management

- Develops and owns relationships with Engineering and Construction and Operations business partners and suppliers to align business needs, supplier capability, and drive performance and best practices.

- Maintains ownership of business relationships across the businesses.

- Assumes responsibility for a category-based contract portfolio discussion with various business partners.

- Develops Project and business-based cost models that align supplier costs to Project budgets.

- Collaborates with business partners to assure their way-of-working is compliant with company compliance, ethics, and delegated authorities.

- Leverages Cheniere’s scale to coordinate business needs with suppliers.

- Accountability for all SCM activity being delivered in support of the Capital Projects.

- Collaborates with other SCM team members to assure work is delivered with quality and on time.

Category Strategy and Implementation

- Provides current business requirements and incumbent supplier contract input to the development of comprehensive category strategies.

- Leverages category strategies to develop and implement sourcing and contracting which enable the strategy.

- Maintains ownership of category strategy implementation and maturity.

- Implements category strategies for delegated categories.

- Maintains supplier relationship performance based on category strategy expectations.

Sourcing, Contracting, and Implementation

- Performs pre-qualification and qualification of new suppliers.

- Ensures all sourcing and contracting is compliant, timely and delivered with quality.

- Builds and designs requests for proposal to consider total cost models to understand value, operating costs, and supplier price impacts on existing budgets.

- Performs negotiations to establish contracts with qualified suppliers to secure quality services, materials, and equipment on time at optimum cost.

- Prepares bid evaluation and supplier award documentation for business partner approvals.

- Drafts, evaluates, negotiates, and executes various contract commercial structures.

- Ensures timely delivery of quality contracts in support of safe, reliable, and competitive operations.

- Maintains post contract award awareness of supplier activity to ensure supply of materials, equipment, and services to meet current and future needs.

- Hands over contracts to the Engineering and Construction and Operations contract owns for post award contract management.

- Ensures contractual records and documentation and contract correspondence maintained and logged into the appropriate systems.

- Works with Operations, Capital Projects and the SCM Delivery team to develop and implement the purchase of operational spares and inventory plans.

- Supports the Delivery Purchasing team in the creation of Contract Purchase Agreements (CPA’s) and Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPA’s) as appropriate.

- Supports the Delivery Purchasing team to establish transactional purchases against established contracts.

- The duties and responsibilities described are not a comprehensive list, and additional tasks may be assigned to the employee from time to time; or the scope of the job may change as necessitated by business demands.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

Knowledge:

- Understanding of LNG, Electric Utility, pipeline or Oil & Gas experience.

- Understanding of capital project stage gate processes.

- Understand owner furnished equipment contracting in capital projects.

- Advanced knowledge of category management strategies, inventory management and purchasing.

Skills:

- Demonstrated ability to manage cross-functional teams. Collaborative, teamwork approach with alignment with company values.

- Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management abilities.

- Strong organizational and problem-solving skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.

- Advanced MS Office skills.

- Proficiency in ERP or similar procurement software and central contract management system.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Education and Certifications: Bachelor’s degree preferred. Equivalent combination of education, experience, and certifications may be considered in lieu of degree.

Experience:

- Lead Specialist: Minimum of eight (8) years of relevant, progressive Supply Chain Management experience. - Advisor: Minimum of ten (10+) years of relevant, progressive Supply Chain Management experience.

Lead Specialist / Advisor must have experience with the following:

- SCM support associated with large Capital Projects.

- Thorough understanding of Capital Project stage gate processes.

- Owner furnished equipment sourcing, contracting, contract novation, and purchasing of capital equipment and spares.

- Any of the following spend and/or contracting activities: OEM Equipment (pumps, valves, compressors, etc.), Engineering Services, Technical Consulting Services, Construction Services, Engineering Procurement & Construction (EPC), Project Construction, Project Management, etc.

- Hands-on experience with sourcing, negotiation of general material and service contract provisions, commercial terms, and contract management.

- Hands-on experience with source-to-contract and purchase to pay systems i.e. Oracle, SAP, GEP, Coupa, JDE, etc.

DIRECT REPORTS

None

FREEDOM TO ACT

The Lead Specialist / Advisor is a SME will require minimal supervision.

WORK CONDITIONS

- Physical Area: Our Houston office is in the heart of downtown, and we offer free parking or a metro ticket. With all corporate teams at the same location, there’s always a buzz around the office. You will have dedicated desk space and plenty of human interaction.

- Facilities and hardware: Our offices are modern, bright, and designed to foster collaboration. You will have access to great IT (Information Technology) equipment and support and can readily access the downtown tunnels, restaurants, and gyms. You may occasionally need to travel to our sites at Sabine Pass and Corpus Christi, and those sites are governed by FTZ (Foreign Trade Zone) regulations which do include drug and alcohol testing.

- Working conditions: Cheniere is committed to improving the well-being of our employees and while you may need to work outside the usual working hours, we aspire to provide a good work life balance for all.

- Company culture: So, what is the culture like at Cheniere? It is our values — teamwork, respect, accountability, integrity, nimbleness, and safety — at work. We are happy when we hear employees say we have a great culture. But we are not satisfied with building a great culture, we are endeavoring to build the best culture.

- Job is performed in a typical office environment, but is subject to time pressures and constraints, and is often dependent on input from others.

- Occasionally, work may be performed from home, after normal work hours or on weekends.

- Periodically travel as business requires.

- Subject to drug and alcohol testing, per applicable federal regulations or as required by Cheniere.

ADA JOB REQUIREMENTS

Reasonable accommodation will be made to ensure that the essential functions of the job can be performed and not hinder the employee's performance due to physical, mental, or emotional disability.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

Cheniere Energy is an equal opportunity workplace. All employment decisions are made without regard to sex, race, color, religion, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other legally protected categories. This includes providing reasonable accommodation if requested for disabilities or religious beliefs and practices.