NICHOLE SOFGE
Jacksonville,FL
Summary
Category Manager with more than 10 years of supply chain and Indirect material management experience with demonstrated leadership capabilities amongst global indirect employee groups. Employs tact, sound judgment and maintains professional demeanor in communication and relationships with others while striving to deliver best quality in daily work. Well-versed supplier contracts, product conformity and problem solving methodologies
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
Work History
Category Manager
Medtronics, Inc.
12.2023 - Current
- Manage $100 million annual spend for multiple Indirect MRO Categories (Pharmaceutical, Tissue, Packaging, Cutting Tools, Chemicals, Industrial Gases)
- Lead Strategy build & implementation team for Planisware project management software implementation
- Lead, train, develop global MRO team consisting of 15 employees
- Advocate on behalf of supply management function with business units and operational partners to ensure support for core business objectives
- Negotiate contracts that provide year-over-year benefits in performance
- Identify and develop business cases for a healthy year-over-year cost reduction pipeline with suppliers through lean, should costing, process improvement, and tier 2 strategies
- Perform market analysis in identifying the best cost country sourcing per category, provide guidance to technical sourcing and engineering with supplier innovations, and proactively develop forward buy agreements where appropriate
- Define and manage category strategies
- Manage vendor relationships and drive year-over-year performance improvements with quality, delivery, and costs
- Lead regular business reviews with suppliers
- Analyze received quotations, select or recommend new suppliers
- Rationalize existing supplier base through stratification, market analysis, supplier development, and supplier consolidation
- Lead new and ongoing supplier audit activities to ensure the supply base has robust process controls and capabilities to meet existing and future Medtronic business requirements
- Conduct supply chain risk reviews
Principal Sourcing Specialist/ Category Lead
Medtronics, Inc.
05.2022 - 12.2023
- Develop strategy and cost down plan for MRO spend of 36 million & Indirect Packaging spend of 28
million - Provide project management and sourcing expertise to cross-functional, cross-divisional commodity teams.
- Lead, trained, developed MRO global team consisting of 150 employees
- Educate and trained business group personnel on key indirect supply management initiatives and policies
- Organize and present regular updates for Operations leadership that facilitate connections between strategies and AOP goals
- Facilitates teams in the development and execution of long-term strategies that will optimize quality, cycle/response time, technology, risk, and total cost.
- Engage and influence stakeholders at the manufacturing sites, R&D locations, and Business Unit HQs to adopt and implement strategies developed
- Developed and implemented strategic purchasing procedures and control systems to reduce direct costs and carrying costs.
- Administered agreements by negotiating change orders, executing contract extensions and resolving administrative issues.
- Collaborated with strategic partners to develop and manage key performance indicators and quality assurance processes.
- Calculated and reported actual and projected sourcing savings by spend categories.
- Supported recovery activities to prevent supply disruptions caused by business closures and accounting delays.
- Liaised with internal and external stakeholders to identify and leverage contract value opportunities.
- Streamlined portfolio, negotiated payment terms and promoted spending transparency to support cross-disciplinary goals.
- Managed and developed relationships with suppliers to attain maximum cost efficiency and leverage buying power.
- Communicate market condition and technology trend information regarding specific
categories and suppliers; suggest and implement appropriate business strategy changes
Sr. Strategic Sourcing Specialist
Medtronics, Inc.
02.2020 - 05.2022
- Provided Supply Management support for 8 Manufacturing plants
- Develop robust data gathering and data quality maintenance protocols to ensure spend transparency and support development of baseline for sourcing efforts
- Obtain and communicate market condition and technology trend information regarding specific categories and suppliers; suggest and implement appropriate business strategy changes
- Lead day-to-day sourcing project management and execution
- Create and establish internal and external benchmark analysis including gap analysis, and required actions to achieve functional advantage
- Engage with business stakeholders to share key metrics. savings opportunities and supplier quailing and business continuity metrics
- Administered agreements by negotiating change orders, executing contract extensions and resolving administrative issues.
- Monitored labor markets and conducted market intelligence to optimize savings and avoidance opportunities
- Developed and implemented strategic purchasing procedures and control systems to reduce cost
- Analyzed spend data to identify and execute cost-savings, cost-avoidance and value analysis opportunities.
- Managed and developed relationships with suppliers to attain maximum cost efficiency and leverage buying power.
Strategic Sourcing Specialist
Medtronics, Inc.
09.2018 - 02.2020
- Developed and managed cost reduction plan resulting in 20% overall reduction in MRO spend.
- Settled complex new and existing agreements or statements of work, including requests for information or requests for proposals.
- Provided project management and sourcing expertise to cross-functional, cross divisional team.
- Facilitates these teams in the development and execution of long-term strategies that will optimize Medtronic's position in terms of quality, cycle/response time, technology, risk, and total cost.
- Mitigates risk, leverages technology and purchase power, improves processes and systems, and reduces overall cost of ownership and acquisition.
- Negotiates, establishes and monitors supplier agreements.
- Led initiative for implementing Ariba purchasing system and implementation of Vendor Inventory Management Program at the Jacksonville site.
Value Stream Specialist /Indirect Material Manager
Medtronic
04.2015 - 09.2018
- Provided support to Operations leadership team, including budgets, reports, and other request as needed for the business.
- Lead continuous improvement projects resulting in improvements in manufacturing processes and overall cost savings for the site.
- Ordered and distributed indirect purchases while ensuring that the site followed purchasing processes.
- Scheduled and conducted monthly trainings/meetings for the site.
- Managed supplier onboarding process for the site.
- Monitored and coordinated all facets of corporate events, including budget management, venue selection, transportation and entertainment.
- Managed payroll for 300 permanent employees and 150 contractors.
- Reviewed purchasing requisitions for entire Operations Organization to verify clarity and completeness, quantity and quality requirements and proper authorization of funding.
- Interacted with vendors to maintain on-time deliveries.
- Negotiated with suppliers for best pricing of Indirect materials
- Led Ariba implementation for the Jacksonville manufacturing site consisting of 800 employees
Project Coordinator
Medtronic
12.2011 - 04.2015
- Tracked hours and expenses to keep project on task and within budgetary parameters.
- Supervised multiple projects from project start through delivery by prioritizing needs and delegating assignments.
- Liaised between departments to facilitate communication and keep appropriate parties updated on project developments.
- Oversaw onboarding and mentorship, planned and executed meetings and developed project documentation.
- Developed executive presentations and reports to facilitate project evaluation and process improvement.
- Sourced, vetted and managed vendors needed to accomplish project goals.
- Scheduled and facilitated meetings between project stakeholders to discuss deliverables, schedules and conflicts.
- Implemented innovative programs to increase employee loyalty and reduce turnover.
Administrative Assistant
Remedy Staffing/Medtronic
03.2010 - 12.2011
- Created and maintained backorder and inventory reports for Jacksonville, Puerto Rico, and France.
- Provided administrative support to Sr. Director of Operations.
- Event planning, including associated travel and logistical requirements.
- Coordinated domestic and international travel arrangements, including booking airfare, hotel, and transportation.
- Created detailed expense reports and request for capital expenditures.
- Assisted in Talent Acquisition with interview scheduling and travel arrangements for interview candidates.
- Assisted HR with onboarding for new hires.
- Scheduled conference rooms, prepared agendas and maintained calendars to prepare for meetings and events.
- Recorded meeting minutes to provide historical account of actions, measure progress against strategic plan and drive accountability.
Store Manager
Things Remembered
04.2008 - 03.2010
- Hired, trained and managed team of 11 associates, including evaluating performance and enforcing disciplinary actions.
- Processed shipments and maintained stock shelf organization.
- Secured store perimeter and enforced procedures to minimize losses and protect store assets.
- Assessed, optimized and elevated operations to target current and expected demands.
- Increased profits 30% by restructuring store layouts, enabling more efficient inventory management, financial planning and sales performance metric analysis.
- Developed and optimized store schedules to meet expected coverage demands and maintain optimal service levels.
- Minimized financial discrepancies by accurately controlling monthly operations budget.
- Delegated work to employees based on shift requirements, individual strengths and unique training.
- Coached sales associates in product specifications, sales incentives and selling techniques, significantly increasing customer satisfaction ratings.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Business Management
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO2018
Development Certificate Program in Leadership Essentials - undefined
University of North Florida
Jacksonville, FL2017
Certificate in Lean Sigma Yellow Belt - undefined
2017
Associate of Science - Business Management
Florida State College at Jacksonville
Jacksonville, FL2005
Skills
- People Management - Coaching, Development, Mentoring
- Category Management
- Project Management
- Process Development
- Negotiation Strategy Development
- Strategic Business Relationship Development
- Contract Negotiation
- Vendor Management
- Cost Containment
- SAP & Ariba ERP system
- Microsoft Office
- PPM, InfoPath, Daisy, & Planisware Project Management Systems
- MicroSoft Powerbi
- ReadSoft
- Viva Engage
Additional Information
- Accomplishments , 2010 Outstanding Employee Award 2013 ERG Excellence Award 2014 Crane Award 2017 Quality Award
Timeline
Category Manager
Medtronics, Inc.
12.2023 - Current
Principal Sourcing Specialist/ Category Lead
Medtronics, Inc.
05.2022 - 12.2023
Sr. Strategic Sourcing Specialist
Medtronics, Inc.
02.2020 - 05.2022
Strategic Sourcing Specialist
Medtronics, Inc.
09.2018 - 02.2020
Value Stream Specialist /Indirect Material Manager
Medtronic
04.2015 - 09.2018
Project Coordinator
Medtronic
12.2011 - 04.2015
Administrative Assistant
Remedy Staffing/Medtronic
03.2010 - 12.2011
Store Manager
Things Remembered
04.2008 - 03.2010
Bachelor of Science - Business Management
Colorado State University
Development Certificate Program in Leadership Essentials - undefined
University of North Florida
Certificate in Lean Sigma Yellow Belt - undefined
Associate of Science - Business Management
Florida State College at Jacksonville
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