Training: Knightner has nearly a decade of corporate sourcing experience that she developed through on-the-job training.
Skills: Collaboration with the vice president of corporate sourcing and project managers, as well as building relationships with suppliers, is critical in Knightner’s leadership role. Since she works with contracts, critical thinking is a necessary part of assessing risk and negotiating terms and conditions with suppliers. Strong listening and communication skills are also required because after Knightner receives a request from a business unit, she schedules a meeting to review the specifications and requirements of a contract. “There are specific questions I have to ask like, is it in the budget? Does it affect the entire enterprise? What lives or businesses are going to be involved or affected by the services or goods that are being purchased?â€
Learning Curve: Since there were acronyms and jargon in finance that were not transferable to healthcare, Knightner studied on her own time to familiarize herself with the language of her new industry. “I had to read contracts that were already in place so I could gather enough information to speak intelligently when I sat down with my clients.â€
Advice for Aspiring Professionals: Corporate sourcing allows for assimilation into many fields, so Knightner suggests looking into college programs that offer a procurement degree and research certification opportunities. She also advises joining organizations such as the Institute for Supply Management.
Best Lesson Learned: “Let go and let God. I had no idea that I was going to be on this path right now. If I had listened to some of my colleagues at my former employer, I would have been stuck.â€