Manager Strategic Sourcing Outreach en City of Chattanooga

Grade: GS.12  Salary: ($64,024/yr - $77,348/yr)

Work Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:00 A.M. - 4:30 P.M. (EST)
*Hours may vary due to work assignments or projects.*

Work Locations: City Hall

FLSA Status: This is an EXEMPT position.

Department: Purchasing

CLASSIFICATION SUMMARY: 

The Strategic Sourcing Outreach Manager will lead efforts to attract, evaluate, and engage suppliers to expand bidding participation for government procurement opportunities. This dynamic, outgoing, and strategic professional will drive outreach strategies, coordinate processes, and foster strong vendor relationships while supporting the strategic sourcing team’s goals and advancing local and small businesses whenever possible. This role requires a high level of interpersonal skills, comfort navigating politically sensitive environments, and the ability to proactively connect with vendors and stakeholders across industries. Ideal candidates will blend traditional sourcing expertise with the charisma, energy, and initiative of a seasoned business development or sales professional. 

SERIES LEVEL: This is a stand-alone position. 

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: 

(The following duties ARE NOT intended to serve as a comprehensive list of all duties performed by all employees in this classification, only a representative summary of the primary duties and responsibilities. Incumbent(s) may not be required to perform all duties listed and may be required to perform additional, position-specific duties.) 

Develop and execute outreach strategies to identify, attract, engage, and onboard qualified vendors for public sector contracting opportunities across key categories (goods, services, indirect/direct spend). 

Promote upcoming RFP/RFQ/bid opportunities through outreach campaigns, workshops, and targeted communications. 

Lead proactive sourcing initiatives aligned with procurement planning, including market research and supplier engagement ahead of solicitations (RFPs, RFQs, and other related process reviews) 

Organize and host vendor information sessions, webinars, and public engagement events to expand awareness of contracting opportunities. 

Build and maintain long-term supplier relationships, monitor performance, and address compliance or quality issues. 

Facilitate supplier onboarding and answer queries during the bidding process. 

Collect vendor feedback to optimize engagement strategies. Serve as the primary liaison between the procurement office and external vendors, community organizations, and small/minority-owned business groups. 

Support supplier diversity goals by building relationships with underrepresented vendors and helping them navigate local government procurement processes. 

Support contract negotiation, onboarding, and performance tracking of selected vendors. Analyze procurement spend trends, market benchmarking, and supplier data to identify new sources and bidding opportunities. 

Track outreach KPIs (new suppliers, bid submissions, diversity metrics) and develop and maintain performance dashboards to report progress and outreach effectiveness to stakeholders. 

Collaborate with procurement team to align outreach with sourcing priorities. Work closely with internal stakeholders—including elected officials and department heads and to align sourcing strategy with political, legal, and community priorities. 

Ensure compliance with local, state, and federal procurement regulations. Must meet regular attendance requirements. 

Must be able to maintain good interpersonal relationships with staff, co-workers, managers and citizens. 

Must accomplish the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodations, in a timely manner. 

Performs other duties as assigned. 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: 

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Public Administration, Political Science, or a related field. Any combination of education and experience may be considered. At least two (2) years in strategic sourcing, procurement, vendor relations, community outreach, or outreach programs; public sector/government experience is a plus (government or public sector). 

LICENSING AND CERTIFICATIONS: None 

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS: 

Strong analytical capability—data-driven decision-making, spend analysis Familiarity with public procurement processes and government contracting, including government bidding systems and supplier portals. Excellent negotiation, relationship-building, and stakeholder management skills. Ability to craft compelling outreach materials and conduct vendor events/training. Strong communication and relationship-building skills; must be comfortable speaking in public and building trust with diverse communities. 

Demonstrated ability to work within a politically sensitive environment with tact and diplomacy. Experience planning and facilitating public-facing events, roundtables, or informational sessions. Sales mentality, go-getter attitude, customer service excellence and great follow-through. Bilingual (Spanish) candidates encouraged to apply. 

Key Competencies: Charismatic and persuasive communicator Politically and culturally astute Strategic thinker with a hands-on, proactive mindset Analytical and data-literate Comfortable managing multiple stakeholder interests Mission-driven, with a passion for public service and economic inclusion 

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: 

Positions in this class typically require reaching, fingering, grasping, talking, hearing, seeing, and repetitive motions. 

WORK ENVIRONMENT: 

Sedentary Work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally and all other sedentary criteria are met. SPECIAL 

REQUIREMENTS: 

Safety Sensitive: N 

Department of Transportation - CDL: N 

Child Sensitive: N 

This position requires pre-employment screening(s) that include: background check

The City of Chattanooga, Tennessee is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourage both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.

KJS 082925