Summary
Work History
Education
Skills
CORE COMPETENCIES
Timeline
pwb
LATISHA JAMES

LATISHA JAMES

Suffolk,Virginia

Summary

Strategic Sourcing and Procurement Professional with 20+ years of experience in manufacturing, supply chain management, procurement, sourcing, and supplier relationship management. Proven expertise in strategic sourcing, contract negotiations, procurement operations, inventory optimization, supplier development, and cross-functional collaboration. Skilled in cost reduction initiatives, RFQs/RFPs, category management, supply chain risk mitigation, ERP systems, and lean manufacturing support. Strong ability to drive operational efficiency, improve supplier performance, and support new product introductions within fast-paced manufacturing environments.

Work History

Strategic Sourcing Specialist

Sumitomo Drive Technologies
Chesapeake, VA
11 2024 - Current
  • Lead supplier management activities including supplier evaluation, sourcing selection, contract negotiations, and long-term supplier relationship development for manufacturing materials and services.
  • Negotiated pricing, delivery schedules, and service-level agreements (SLAs), contributing to 12% reduction in annual procurement costs.
  • Analyze procurement spend data, supplier performance metrics, and market trends to identify sourcing opportunities and category management improvements, resulting in 15% improvement in sourcing efficiency.
  • Prepare, review, and execute RFQs/RFPs, supplier bids, purchase agreements, and sourcing contracts in accordance with procurement policies and procedures.
  • Collaborate cross-functionally with Engineering, Design, Manufacturing, Finance, Quality, Procurement, and Project Management teams to support sourcing strategies and new product development initiatives, improving project launch timelines by 20%.
  • Ensure purchased materials and components meet production timelines, quality requirements, and cost targets while maintaining 98% on-time supplier delivery rate.
  • Drive supply base optimization initiatives including SKU reduction, lead time reduction, supplier consolidation, and warranty improvement efforts, reducing lead times by 18% and production shortages by 15%.
  • Monitor supplier performance, quality trends, and delivery metrics while implementing corrective actions and supplier development initiatives that improved supplier performance scores by 25%.
  • Support new product introductions and part validation processes to ensure successful production launches and supply continuity with zero major supply disruptions.
  • Identify supply chain risks and implement mitigation strategies that reduced supplier-related disruptions by 20%.
  • Lead value analysis/value engineering (VA/VE) initiatives focused on continuous cost improvement and operational efficiency, generating approximately 10% in material cost savings.
  • Maintain compliance with procurement policies, supplier standards, export control regulations, and industry requirements while achieving 100% audit compliance.
  • Utilize ERP and procurement systems to manage purchasing activities, supplier communications, procurement reporting, and sourcing documentation, improving procurement tracking accuracy by 30%.

Direct Buyer

MCC Label
Chesapeake, VA
08 2023 - 06 2024
  • Led sourcing and procurement activities for manufacturing materials and operational services supporting production requirements.
  • Negotiated supplier contracts, pricing, and payment terms, achieving 15% annual cost savings through strategic sourcing initiatives.
  • Managed procurement activities for more than $5M in annual spend while maintaining inventory availability and on-time supplier delivery performance.
  • Collaborated with Engineering, Operations, Quality, and Supply Chain teams to support demand forecasting, inventory optimization, and supplier performance improvements.
  • Developed and implemented supplier scorecards and performance metrics, improving supplier reliability and delivery performance by 20%.
  • Conducted supplier audits and compliance reviews, reducing supplier non-conformance issues by 25%.
  • Supported procurement process improvements and inventory reduction strategies, lowering excess inventory levels by 10%.
  • Utilized ERP and procurement systems to manage purchase orders, supplier communications, and procurement reporting.

Customer Service Specialist

RemX
Remote
08 2021 - 08 2023
  • Managed high-volume customer communications while maintaining 95% customer satisfaction rating.
  • Resolved billing discrepancies, shipment concerns, and service-related issues with 90% resolution rate.
  • Maintained detailed customer and transaction records utilizing CRM software systems.
  • Trained and mentored new team members, improving team productivity and operational efficiency.
  • Supported process improvement initiatives that enhanced customer responsiveness and service quality.

Procurement Generalist

Bob Barker
Fuquay Varina, NC
07 2019 - 08 2021
  • Managed sourcing and procurement activities for indirect materials and operational services within manufacturing and distribution environment.
  • Led supplier negotiations and implemented strategic sourcing initiatives resulting in approximately $2M in annual cost savings.
  • Conducted supplier capability evaluations, performance reviews, and sourcing analysis to support procurement strategies and supplier development.
  • Negotiated long-term supplier agreements to improve pricing stability, supply continuity, and vendor performance.
  • Implemented lean procurement and inventory management improvements, reducing procurement cycle time by 20% and stock-outs by 15%.
  • Collaborated cross-functionally with Finance, Operations, and Supply Chain teams to improve purchasing efficiency and cash flow performance.
  • Managed purchase orders, supplier communications, and procurement reporting using ERP and procurement software systems.

Supply Chain Coordinator

Beacon Roofing Supply
Goldsboro, NC
01 2016 - 06 2019
  • Coordinated logistics, transportation, and supply chain operations for 50+ weekly shipments across multiple distribution channels.
  • Managed supplier and carrier relationships, negotiating freight rates that generated annual savings exceeding $100K.
  • Supported operational process improvement projects that increased supply chain efficiency by 20%.
  • Analyzed inventory demand patterns and forecast requirements to reduce excess inventory by 15%.
  • Developed KPI reporting dashboards to improve operational visibility and support supply chain decision-making.
  • Collaborated with warehouse, operations, and procurement teams to improve inventory accuracy and reduce fulfillment errors.

Education

Associate Degree - Business Administration

Strayer University
Raleigh, NC
05.2018

High School Diploma - Business

Union Beach School
Union Beach, NJ
06.1996

Skills

  • ERP Systems: SAP, Oracle
  • Procurement Systems: Ariba, AS400
  • Inventory Management Systems: NetSuite,
  • CRM Systems: Salesforce, HubSpot
  • Business Intelligence Tools: Tableau,
  • Microsoft Office Suite: Excel, Word, PowerPointe
  • Financial Analysis Tools: SAP BusinessObjects,

CORE COMPETENCIES

  • Strategic Sourcing
  • Procurement Operations
  • Supplier Relationship Management
  • Vendor Negotiations
  • Contract Management
  • Cost Reduction Initiatives
  • Supply Chain Management
  • Inventory Optimization
  • Category Management
  • Purchase Order Management
  • Supplier Performance Management
  • Manufacturing Procurement
  • Cross-Functional Collaboration
  • Demand Forecasting
  • Logistics Coordination
  • Lean Manufacturing Support
  • RFQs/RFPs
  • Risk Mitigation
  • Data Analysis
  • Process Improvement
  • Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
  • New Product Introduction (NPI)
  • Supplier Audits
  • Procurement Analytics
  • Inventory Control

Timeline

Strategic Sourcing Specialist

Sumitomo Drive Technologies
11 2024 - Current

Direct Buyer

MCC Label
08 2023 - 06 2024

Customer Service Specialist

RemX
08 2021 - 08 2023

Procurement Generalist

Bob Barker
07 2019 - 08 2021

Supply Chain Coordinator

Beacon Roofing Supply
01 2016 - 06 2019

Associate Degree - Business Administration

Strayer University

High School Diploma - Business

Union Beach School
LATISHA JAMES