Strategic Sourcing Specialist

The Specialist, Strategic Sourcing supports strategic sourcing efforts across a diverse portfolio of Technical and Port Operations spend categories. This includes, but is not limited to, ship systems, safety, hotel, furnishings, navigation, environmental, repair & maintenance, terminal operations, port services, and other operational services. The role supports initiatives that deliver value, drive savings, increase efficiencies, and mitigate supply chain risks.

This position will work closely with stakeholder groups across our North American brands (Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruise Line, Holland America Line & Seabourn) as a strategic partner who listens to understand business needs; provides expertise in planning and implementing sourcing initiatives; and maintains a focus on project timelines and deliverables to ensure business goals and objectives are met. 

The Specialist serves as a sourcing and category support resource throughout the sourcing lifecycle, assisting with supplier qualification, competitive sourcing, market analysis, contract implementation, supplier performance management, and continuous improvement initiatives. By leveraging data, market insights, and category knowledge, this role helps drive value creation, mitigate supply chain risk, improve supplier performance, and ensure the continuity, quality, and cost-effectiveness of products and services across assigned categories.

Essential Functions:

• Support strategic sourcing initiatives across assigned spend categories by assisting with opportunity assessments, requirement gathering, sourcing strategy development, supplier evaluations, competitive events, negotiations, and implementation activities. Collaborate with stakeholders to ensure sourcing initiatives align with operational and business objectives.

• Support assigned categories through spend analysis, category research, supplier assessments, and identification of standardization, efficiency, and value-creation opportunities. Assist in developing category strategies and maintaining sourcing documentation and market intelligence.

• Conduct supplier research, market intelligence, benchmarking, and market assessments to identify qualified suppliers, innovative solutions, and opportunities to improve quality, service, sustainability, and overall value.

• Analyze spend, pricing trends, supplier performance metrics, lifecycle costs, and operational data to identify sourcing opportunities, improve efficiencies, and support data-driven recommendations.

• Support supplier performance management through scorecards, business reviews, corrective action plans, and continuous improvement initiatives while maintaining collaborative supplier relationships.