Procurement Lead - Remote (Volunteer)

*Note: The following is an opportunity for flexible, part-time, volunteer work. Please DO NOT APPLY if you are looking for paid employment only. All positions are remote/ work-from-home.

WhoWhatWhy is seeking a Procurement Specialist or Vendor Management Specialist to help us professionalize our approach to finding, negotiating, and maintaining relationships with our suppliers.

Are you an experienced procurement specialist who wants to make a difference? Do you want to work with smart and talented people to produce great journalism in the public interest? Can you commit 10 hours a week, working remotely on your own schedule? Are you looking for an exciting challenge and an opportunity for leadership experience? Join our diverse and values-driven team of students, retirees, and everything in between, from every part of the globe.

WhoWhatWhy.org is the operating arm of Real News Project, Inc., a global nonprofit news organization committed to rigorous journalism, unbound by corporate interest, a political agenda, or search-engine algorithms. Our mission is to deliver fact-based, objective news with contextual analysis to help the public understand a fast-changing, complex world.

We launched with the idea that the public deserves courageous and thorough investigations into powerful institutions, entities and individuals that shape our world. We support traditional journalism, but this grave moment in time calls for a stronger response — a journalism more urgent and ambitious. We pride ourselves on having no sacred cows, and covering stories that no one else will touch. At WhoWhatWhy, we believe that quality information changes minds — and that when you change minds, you change everything.

We do not accept ads and we are not underwritten by a wealthy benefactor. We operate independently and leanly through our unique staffing model: based on public contributions, we pay a core management team and professional freelance writers — and support them with a large infrastructure of dedicated volunteers. WhoWhatWhy is a non-hierarchical organization reliant upon individual ingenuity and initiative. We pair newcomers with veterans to develop the skills and leadership traits required for the challenging and changing news landscape.

Responsibilities

• Develop a standardized process for procurement across all areas of the organization
• Gather key business criteria to help identify suitable vendors and products for enterprise wide purchasing decisions
• Locate, onboard, and manage relationships with vendors and suppliers
• Manage company-wide evaluation of solutions and products
• Act on purchasing decisions to acquire products and services
• Negotiate and manage proposals, quotes, pricing, and contracts

Minimum Qualifications

• Experience in a purchasing, procurement, or vendor management department
• Experience managing review and evaluation of products and services at an organization with many stakeholders and decision makers
• Experience reading and red-lining contracts and license agreements and explaining these agreements to non-specialists
• Experience managing relationships with vendors, suppliers, and partners
• Able to use good communication and basic project management skills to keep procurement projects and plans on track.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience creating systems for purchasing, procurement, or vendor management
• Experience researching, evaluating, and driving enterprise-level decisions about software solutions

Perks

• Channel your passion in a stimulating environment.
• Learn the nuts and bolts of nonprofit operations in an up-and-coming organization.
• Develop new skills and gain valuable experience that can enhance your professional trajectory.
• Do amazing work on a flexible, part-time basis.
• Have fun while you make a difference.

Expectations

You will be expected to attend your department’s recurring meetings. Beyond this, you will work on your own schedule. We ask for a minimum commitment of 6 months for at least 10 hours a week. Because our team is spread throughout the world, we rely on a combination of Slack, email, and conference calls, and expect everyone to be responsive in a timely manner.

To Apply

We will not review applications that appear to be mass submissions. To apply, send your resume and a customized cover letter, making clear you are familiar with our mission and work. You should confirm your understanding that this is a volunteer position. If there is no option to attach a cover letter, please send a cover letter to [email protected].

Please note that response emails from us sometimes end up in spam folders; don’t forget to check them. Thank you!