Company Overview
Barnes & Noble is the leading book retailer in the United States, with roots dating back to 1873 and a long history of growth through innovation and expansion. Today, under CEO James Daunt and private ownership by Elliott Advisors, Barnes & Noble operates approximately 700 bookstores nationwide, serves over 700 communities across all 50 states, and maintains a robust digital presence through BN.com, NOOK® eBooks and audiobooks, and educational resources such as SparkNotes. The company also includes complementary retail brands such as Paper Source, Books Inc., Tattered Cover, and B. Dalton, further strengthening its market reach. Following a period of revitalization, Barnes & Noble is experiencing strong momentum, with plans to open approximately 60 new stores in 2026, underscoring renewed confidence in physical retail and local bookselling. Combining expansive store networks, curated selections, enhanced in-store experiences, and growing omnichannel capabilities, Barnes & Noble remains the #1 bookseller in the U.S. and a trusted, evolving partner within the publishing and retail ecosystem.
Summary:
The Strategic Sourcing Lead, as part of the Indirect Procurement team, is responsible for leading initiatives including vendor selection, onboarding and ongoing management, offboarding, RF(x) events, contract negotiations, pricing & spend analysis, rebate management, quarterly business reviews, and supporting process improvement initiatives. You will work with several key vendors, managing them end to end keeping Barnes & Noble’s strategic sourcing initiatives in front of mind.
If you love the feeling of walking into a bookstore and finding the perfect title, you'll probably understand the excitement of discovering a hidden savings opportunity, streamlining a process that frustrates users, or negotiating a contract that creates real value for the business. We're looking for an energetic, curious, and driven procurement professional who thrives on solving problems, building relationships, and delivering measurable results. This is an opportunity to help shape how a growing team and organization purchases goods and services while partnering with stakeholders across the entire business. You demonstrate a proactive, solution-oriented mindset and a strong willingness to support the business wherever needs arise. You take initiative, ask thoughtful questions, and are comfortable diving into complex challenges to identify and address gaps. You are energized by promoting responsible spending practices, sourcing critical goods and services, and driving continuous process improvements across multiple areas of Indirect Procurement.
What you ‘ll do:
- Category Strategy & Roadmap: Lead the creation of and execute multiyear sourcing strategies and roadmaps for key suppliers.
- Sourcing & Supplier Selection: Lead RF(x) events, supplier evaluation, and onboarding in partnership with business stakeholders. Identify alternative supplies and new product categories to improve performance and availability.
- Contract Negotiation & Management: Lead the negotiation of commercial terms, SLA expectations, lead times, warranty and service commitments; manage contract execution, amendments, renewals and compliance tracking.
- Vendor Performance & Reviews: Conduct business reviews and scorecards covering spend, on-time and in full delivery, quality, cost savings realization, sustainability, and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Cross Functional Partnership: Serve as subject matter expert for internal teams to align specs, sourcing strategies, timing, and commercial terms with business needs and provide thoughtful recommendations for improvement.
- Risk & Compliance: Monitor supplier risks, ensure regulatory & safety compliance for products and installations, implement mitigation actions when needed.
- Continuous Improvement: Instrumental in driving sourcing process improvements, supplier consolidation where appropriate, green initiatives, and adoption of category specific best practices and e-sourcing tools.
Skills & Behaviors:
- Negotiation & Commercial Acumen: Strong negotiator with the ability to structure complex commercial arrangements, rebates, and performance-based contracts.
- Analytical & Financial: Able to build TCO models, budgeting & usage forecasts, and supplier scorecards while delivering clear, data driven recommendations.
- Relationship Management: Skilled at building collaborative, professional partnerships with both internal stakeholder & key suppliers.
- Project Management: Able to manage multiple, time-sensitive initiatives and projects with disciplined follow-through.
- Communication: Clear written and verbal communication for stakeholder meetings, executive updates, and RFP documentation.
- Influence & Cross Functional Collaboration: Proven ability to influence stakeholders across design, operations, construction, facilities and finance to align on sourcing decisions.
- Documentation Maintenance: Captures processes in a clear & concise manner and is able to share with stakeholders at any time when requested.
- Troubleshooting: Looks for opportunities to assist with troubleshooting with partners when needed.
- Flexibility: Jumps into projects when needed and provides updates to senior leadership.
- Informal Leadership: Able to serve as an informal leader and subject matter expert for sourcing processes, systems, and procurement best practices.
Knowledge & Experience
- Bachelor’s degree, specialized training or equivalent work experience. Master’s degree in related field is preferred.
- Minimum three years of combined business administration, procurement, project management, or retail operations experience required.
- Experience in procurement, specializing in strategic sourcing, contract negotiations, and process improvement.
- Strong organizational and multitasking abilities
- Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills.
- Experience meeting deadlines and being an independent worker
- Ability to learn proprietary software programs
- Ability to accomplish department objectives by meeting work standards
- Ability to work and lead cross-functional teams
- Proficiency in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, PowerBI, and Outlook.
- Exceptional expertise in Excel for data analysis and reporting.
- Experience with projects in multiple technologies, functions, and industries.
- Able to travel up to 10-20%.
Benefits for those who are scheduled to work less than 20 hours per week include Employee Discount, EAP and Sick Pay. For those scheduled to work between 20 and 29.99 benefits include Employee Discount, EAP, Sick Pay and Paid Time Off including paid Maternity and Parental Leave, Company Paid Holidays, Transit and 401(k) with Company Match. For those scheduled to work 30 hours or more benefits include Employee Discount, EAP, Sick Pay and Paid Time Off including paid Maternity and Parental Leave, Company Paid Holidays, 401(k) with Company Match, Comprehensive Health Benefits (Medical, Dental and Vision), Healthcare and Dependent Care Spending Accounts, Healthcare Spending Account, Disability Benefits, Life Insurance, Transit, and Tuition Reimbursement. All benefits provided are in accordance with the terms of the current plan and may be subject to future change. Benefits may vary depending on location/state regulations. More information can be received by the recruiter or Human Resources.
An employee in this position can expect an annual salary between $90,000 - $100,000 depending on experience, seniority, geographic locations, and other factors permitted by law.
