Rachel Thaxton
Minneapolis,MN
Summary
Results-driven Senior Advanced Supply Chain Specialist with over 7 years of progressive experience specializing in Services Procurement, high-value contract management, and strategic supplier negotiations within the defense and technology sectors. Proven track record managing multi-million dollar commodity spends—including a $25M+ enterprise calibration contract and $15M+ annual PO spend—while generating hundreds of thousands in negotiated cost savings and $6.9M+ in deobligations. Subject Matter Expert (SME) in DFARS flow-down compliance, complex Statement of Work (SOW) executions, and cross-functional team leadership.
Overview
8
8
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Advanced Supply Chain Specialist
General Dynamics Mission Systems, Inc.
02.2021 - Current
- Services Procurement Leadership: Serve as the lead buyer and Subject Matter Expert (SME) for all direct and indirect Services procurement, managing complex procurement actions, statement of work (SOW) executions, and high-visibility vendor agreements across multiple business lines.
- Strategic Procurement & Contract Management: Oversee and issue complex purchase orders, agreements, and enterprise-level service contracts, including managing a companywide calibration contract valued at over $25M.
- High-Impact Savings & Cost Avoidance: Spearheaded a purchase order open commits project for the Professional Services team, driving $6.9M+ in direct-charge deobligations YTD. Managed over $15M in annual PO spend, generating $326K+ in negotiated savings in a single year.
- Negotiation & Compliance Expertise: Drive high-visibility supplier negotiations on complex terms and conditions, utilizing deep expertise in direct procurement procedures and strict DFARS flow-down compliance.
- Supplier & Program Leadership: Manage strategic supplier relationships across multiple lines of business, re-sourcing vendors to optimize cost and performance. Served as the designated Supply Chain Advocate for an internal program, representing commodity teams in executive leadership meetings.
- Cross-Functional Initiatives: Led procurement support to successfully in-source an enterprise-wide employee training program, establishing and managing a new network of 100+ service suppliers.
- Financial Analysis & Process Success: Conduct rigorous price analyses for complex, high-stakes service procurements, ensuring all commitment actions are fully compliant with corporate policies and government regulations.
- Prior Roles: Advanced Supply Chain Specialist (03/2023 – 02/2026) | Senior Supply Chain Specialist (02/2021 – 03/2023)
Supply Chain Associate
Acara Solutions
Scottsdale, Arizona
08.2019 - 01.2021
- Contracted Procurement Support: Contracted to support General Dynamics Mission Systems (GDMS), handling micro-purchases for the Electro-Mechanical commodity team before transitioning to the Services commodity for procurements up to $10K.
- High-Volume Execution: Efficiently processed 2,353 purchase requisitions for direct programs while conducting price analyses and maintaining strict compliance with government-required documentation.
- Sourcing & Risk Mitigation: Prepared and issued purchase orders by negotiating pricing, evaluating terms and conditions, and assessing vendor risks across three commodity areas.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partnered with leadership to optimize supply chain workflows and consistently provided surge support to assist adjacent commodity teams.
E-Commerce Supply Chain Associate
Spearmint Ventures LLC
Scottsdale, Arizona
06.2018 - 08.2019
- Inventory Management: Developed and enhanced inventory control procedures and cycle-counting protocols, resolving stock discrepancies to increase operational efficiency and lower costs.
- Fulfillment & Customer Operations: Managed high-volume order shipping via ShipStation and independently resolved customer support inquiries, returns, and exchanges.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Retailing and Consumer Sciences
The University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona05.2018
Skills
- Services Procurement & SOW Execution
- DFARS / FAR Compliance & Direct Procurement
- Vendor Negotiation & Contract Management
- Cost Avoidance & Price Analysis
- Strategic Sourcing & Supplier Relationships
- Cross-Functional Team & Program Leadership
Timeline
Senior Advanced Supply Chain Specialist
General Dynamics Mission Systems, Inc.
02.2021 - Current
Supply Chain Associate
Acara Solutions
08.2019 - 01.2021
E-Commerce Supply Chain Associate
Spearmint Ventures LLC
06.2018 - 08.2019
Bachelor of Science - Retailing and Consumer Sciences
The University of Arizona