Sr Manager, Procurement Center of Excellence

Pilot Travel Centers LLC

Knoxville, TN

JOB DETAILS
SKILLS
Accounting, Analysis Skills, Best Practices, Business Administration, Candidate Sourcing, Category Management, Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM), Communication Skills, Competitive Analysis/Strategy, Construction, Continuous Improvement, Contract Management, Cost Control, Dental Insurance, Establish Priorities, Expense Analysis, Expense Reports, Finance, Financial Reporting, Health Plan, Human Resources, Leadership, Legal, Logistics, Maintain Compliance, Market Analysis, Market Trend Analysis, Marketing, Mentoring, Metrics, Needs Assessment, Negotiation Skills, Process Improvement, Procurement Management, Procurement Planning, Project Management Professional (PMP), Project/Program Management, Purchasing/Procurement, Quality Management, Reporting Dashboards, Retail, Retail Operations, Risk Management, Sales, Scalable System Development, Sourcing Strategy, Supply Chain, Supply Chain Operations, Team Lead/Manager, Time Management, Transportation and Logistics, Trend Analysis, Trucking, Vehicle Fleets, Vendor/Supplier Evaluation, Vendor/Supplier Management
LOCATION
Knoxville, TN
POSTED
9 days ago

Pilot Company is an industry-leading network of travel centers with more than 30,000 team members and over 750 retail and fueling locations in 44 states and six Canadian provinces. Our energy and logistics division serves as a top supplier of fuel, employing one of the largest tanker fleets and providing critical services to oil operations in our nation''s busiest basins. Pilot Company supports a growing portfolio of brands with expertise in supply chain and retail operations, logistics and transportation, technology and digital innovation, construction, maintenance, human resources, finance, sales and marketing.

Founded in 1958 by Jim A. Haslam II and currently led by CEO Adam Wright, our founding values, people-first culture and commitment to giving back remains true to us today. Whether we are serving guests, a fellow team member, or a trucking company, we are dedicated to fueling people and keeping North America moving.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.

Military encouraged to apply.

The Senior Manager, Procurement Center of Excellence (CoE) is a strategic leadership role responsible for building and overseeing the enterprise procurement enablement engine. This role drives measurable procurement impact by establishing best‑in‑class contract management practices, sourcing project governance, spend and category analytics, and a robust catalog of tools, templates, and intelligence that enable buyers to perform at a higher level.

The Senior Manager acts as a force multiplier for the procurement organization-standardizing how work is done, ensuring sourcing initiatives are effectively managed and measured, and translating data and market intelligence into actionable insights for leadership and category teams.

Key Responsibilities

Procurement Impact & Governance

  • Define and implement a procurement impact measurement framework, including savings, cost avoidance, value creation, and risk mitigation metrics
  • Establish governance standards for sourcing and contracting activities to ensure consistency, compliance, and transparency
  • Partner with Procurement leadership and Finance to align reporting methodologies and validate results

Sourcing Project Management Office (PMO)

  • Design and lead a sourcing project management framework, including intake, prioritization, milestone tracking, and post‑award validation
  • Ensure sourcing initiatives are executed with discipline, on time, and with clear accountability
  • Provide portfolio‑level visibility into sourcing pipeline health, capacity, and outcomes

Contract Management Enablement

  • Oversee contract management standards, templates, and playbooks to improve cycle time, risk management, and value realization
  • Partner with Legal and category teams to ensure contracts are leveraged effectively post‑award
  • Drive continuous improvement in contract compliance and lifecycle management practices

Spend Reporting & Category Analytics

  • Lead the development of enterprise‑level spend reporting and analytics capabilities
  • Translate spend and category data into insights that inform sourcing strategies, demand management, and supplier decisions
  • Establish recurring executive‑level dashboards and ad hoc analytical support for leadership

Tools, Templates & Buyer Enablement

  • Build and maintain a centralized catalog of procurement tools, templates, guides, and best practices
  • Standardize sourcing, contracting, and supplier management artifacts to improve quality and efficiency
  • Continuously assess buyer needs and evolve resources to increase effectiveness and consistency across the organization

Market Research & Intelligence

  • Develop a scalable approach to category research, supplier intelligence, and market trend analysis
  • Ensure category and sourcing teams have access to relevant insights to support negotiations and strategic decisions
  • Curate internal and external intelligence sources to support long‑term procurement planning

Leadership & Stakeholder Management

  • Serve as a trusted advisor to Procurement leadership, category managers, and functional stakeholders
  • Influence without authority to drive adoption of standards and processes
  • Lead, mentor, and potentially manage CoE team members as the function matures
  • Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, Finance, or a related field
  • 8-12+ years of progressive procurement, finance, accounting, or related experience
  • Demonstrated experience leading enterprise‑level initiatives, PMO‑style governance, or centers of excellence
  • Strong analytical capability with experience in spend analysis, reporting, and executive‑level insights
  • Proven ability to design scalable processes, tools, and frameworks
  • Excellent stakeholder management and executive communication skills
  • Master's degree (MBA or equivalent)
  • Experience with procurement analytics platforms, contract lifecycle management (CLM) tools, and sourcing suites
  • Prior people leadership or CoE build‑out experience
  • Professional certifications (e.g., CPSM, CPM, CIPS, CFP, PMP)
  • Nation-wide Medical Plan/Dental/Vision
  • 401(k) Flexible Spending Accounts
  • Adoption Assistance
  • Tuition Reimbursement
  • Weekly Pay
  • This position requires candidates to be legally authorized to work in the United States without employer sponsorship.

About the Company

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Pilot Travel Centers LLC

Our care and commitment to our employees comes from a deeply rooted history that started nearly 60 years ago when James Haslam II opened the first Pilot in Gate City, VA. Since that opening we have celebrated many accomplishments and have stayed true to our mission of "Connecting people and places with comfort, care and a smile at every stop." We are proud to be family owned and we welcome each new team member as part of the family.

Pilot Flying J is one of the best retail and restaurant employers in North America. If you enjoy working in a hands-on, high-energy environment, apply for one of our jobs today and join the Pilot Flying J family! We offer both full and part-time positions with plenty of growth opportunities. Please visit our Careers website for more information, including videos, testimonials, and current openings.

COMPANY SIZE
10,000 employees or more
INDUSTRY
Travel, Transportation and Tourism
FOUNDED
1958
WEBSITE
http://www.pilotflyingj.com