Sourcing Professional Services - Senior Consultant

At Chain IQ, your ideas move fast.

Chain IQ is a global AI-driven Procurement Service Partner, headquartered in Baar, Switzerland, with operations across main centers and 16 offices worldwide. We provide tailored, end-to-end procurement solutions that enable transformation, drive scalability, and deliver substantial reductions in our clients' indirect spend. Our culture is built on innovation, entrepreneurship, ownership, and impact. Here, your voice matters - bold thinking is encouraged, and action follows ambition.

Join our Team

It is an exciting time at Chain IQ and our team in Chicago is looking for a Senior Consultant in Professional Services, with a strong and demonstrable background in HR Services sourcing. This role will directly support major clients in the region and will play a critical role in shaping and executing HR procurement strategies.

Chain IQ generates value far beyond cost reduction—transforming indirect procurement into a world‑class, resilient, ethical, digitalized end‑to‑end function. We promote collaboration and shared excellence while encouraging an open and honest exchange of ideas.

As our client base grows, we are strengthening our experienced team to provide best‑in‑industry support.

Role Purpose

To deliver value‑add sourcing services to clients in a structured, professional, and consistent manner, with a specific focus on HR Services category sourcing.

Responsibilities

We are seeking a highly client‑focused Senior Consultant with proven experience in Professional Services, especially HR Services sourcing such as:

• Talent Acquisition & RPO
• Payroll & Benefits Administration
• HRIS / HCM solutions
• Learning & Development / Training Services
• Contingent Workforce Programs (non‑IT)
• Talent & leadership consulting
• Assessment, coaching, and other HR‑related services

Main responsibilities include:

Strategic Intake, Requirement Gathering & Demand Shaping

• Working with stakeholders to define business needs, project scope, timelines, budgets, and success criteria
• Challenging and shaping HR-related demand before requirements are finalized
• Translating business objectives into multi‑year sourcing roadmaps for Professional Services, including HR

Category Strategy Alignment & Optimization

• Ensuring HR sourcing requests align with Professional Services category strategy, preferred suppliers, frameworks, and rate cards
• Supporting updates to category strategy based on market trends and client needs

Market Intelligence & Supplier Ecosystem Development

• Conducting deep market analysis across HR services (labor trends, pricing drivers, delivery models, etc.)
• Building and refining a high‑performing supplier ecosystem, including niche and strategic HR providers

Strategic Sourcing Approach

• Designing sourcing strategies for HR services that maximize long‑term value
• Evaluating alternative delivery models (RPO, MSP, managed services, consulting, hybrid)

RFx Creation & Management

• Leading complex RFI/RFQ/RFP processes, including advanced scoring frameworks
• Driving alignment across client and internal stakeholders

Bid Evaluation & Analysis

• Analyzing proposals across cost, capability, methodology, risk, diversity, innovation, and compliance
• Identifying supplier‑led innovation opportunities in HR

Financial Analysis & Cost Modeling

• Performing rate benchmarking, cost validation, scenario comparison, TCO, ROI, and financial risk assessments

Supplier Shortlisting & Recommendations

• Facilitating evaluation workshops and preparing recommendation decks
• Communicating sourcing outcomes, tradeoffs, and long‑term value

Negotiation Leadership

• Leading commercial and operational negotiations with HR suppliers
• Covering pricing, rate cards, deliverables, SLAs, milestones, and performance‑based incentives

Contract Development & Redlining

• Managing SOWs, MSAs, and contract redlines
• Aligning commercial terms and resolving legal and operational issues

Stakeholder Governance & Approvals

• Managing alignment with business stakeholders, finance, legal, and governance boards

Contract Execution & Supplier Onboarding

• Overseeing execution, archiving, PO creation, and transition to vendor management and operations teams

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain, Finance, Economics, or related field (advanced degree preferred)
• 4+ years of hands‑on sourcing or procurement experience, including commercial evaluations and contract execution
• Minimum 2 years of direct HR Services category sourcing experience — this is a mandatory requirement for this role due to client portfolio needs
• Strong background collaborating with legal, finance, and global category teams
• Proven ability to manage senior stakeholders and suppliers across regional and cultural boundaries
• Skilled in negotiation, financial analysis, market intelligence, and supplier management

What We Offer

A comprehensive compensation and benefits package.
Chicago salary range: $110,000 – $145,000, plus annual discretionary bonus eligibility.
Compensation varies based on education, experience, location, skills, and applicable laws.

Total rewards include medical, vision, dental, 401(k), and extensive paid time off options.

Join a truly global team.

We offer a dynamic and international environment where high performance meets real purpose. We're proud to be Great Place to Work-certified and even prouder of the people who make that possible. Let’s shape the future of procurement - together.

Chain IQ – Create. Lead. Make an impact.

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