The Surprising People-Centric World of Procurement | Next-Level Careers

Negotiating the cost of toilet paper, weighing the differences of complex IT software options, seeing how a new chemical is cleaning better than the old, hearing employees happier in their new uniforms – at face value, none of these daily tasks seem to have much of a connection point to the other.  

But if you're Joshua Glazer, Vice President Procurement Services at Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation, it’s all in a day’s work. The idea of being passionate about procurement may not have crossed his mind early in his career at a standalone hotel property in Philadelphia. Still, it's the never-ending opportunity to do something different—from moment to moment and day to day—to grow and learn that has propelled his career beyond expectations.

What makes the work so rewarding at this stage of his career? Doing it at the scale needed for the entire Yuhaaviatam tribe, helping to make every facet of the tribal enterprise more efficient, cost-effective, and operating to its fullest potential. 

For those unfamiliar with the field, procurement is the function responsible for evaluating, sourcing, negotiating and managing the products, services and supplier relationships that help an organization operate effectively. From technology and facilities to uniforms and food service, procurement professionals help ensure teams have what they need while balancing cost, quality, risk and long-term value.

Understanding How to Support a Tribal Enterprise 

Working for the Yuhaaviatam Nation supports an entire community, including its government, community and commercial enterprises with everything from operations and HR to sanitation and the casino and entertainment business. The day-to-day operations blend business excellence and long-term stewardship for each division, demonstrating its own procurement needs to operate, and that’s where Glazer’s experience in hospitality, hotel and gaming operations has served him well, knowing that these types of decisions have an impact on people and place, not just the next quarterly business review. 

And while his own personal learnings and philosophy have made him a reputable and successful procurement partner, it’s the tribe’s culture that truly makes the difference. 

“The culture here is very collaborative, very supportive,” Glazer said. “You can reach out to VPs, SVPs, [or] managers, go into the operations, talk to team members to get the information that they need.” 

Work that Connects to Something Bigger

Early in his career at Caesars Entertainment, Glazer learned that, unlike what is often thought of in procurement, success and fulfillment in the career are really about the people, not the product.

“When I was starting out in the late ‘80s, I felt like it was a lot of people that were just good at saying no and being tough. And I was fortunate enough early on in my career to work for Sheraton, and they had corporate people come down to assess procurement or purchasing roles at the time. They helped me develop my strategic skill set and negotiations, and that was so important, Glazer said. “When you're negotiating with people, look at their desk, look at the pictures they have, look at the little trinkets they have. Start a discussion. Get to know them.”

It’s this people-centric approach that drives outcomes for Glazer and the organizations he supports. In a way, it’s become his superpower in the sense that part of the importance of the procurement role is the ability to offer options and recommendations without actually being accountable for enacting change, but helping to objectively guide critical decision-making. 

“I always tell people [the job is] read-only,” Glazer said. “When you write and change things, it's [about] going back to hard drives. When you're just reading it, you're not making any changes. We're getting the data and information so we can present it to you to make you aware of options. That's where you have to listen and understand what [your clients’] needs are. You have to provide a value to them.”

A Community that Shows Up for Each Other

Not every stage of his career has provided the same opportunity Yuhaaviatam has in terms of applying the principles of the job to noticeable and measurable outcomes. He came into the organization understanding that all departments, role types and levels are equal, ultimately driving the same bus toward the same goal. 

Procurement, in his mind, has the opportunity to be the driver of that bus, to help navigate the entire team toward an outcome that benefits everyone. He’s seen the difference here, where leaders are accessible, answers come quickly and directly, teams step in during peak periods people pitch in without fanfare.

The difference is that respect shows up in small moments. The moments when transparent updates lead to more efficient outcomes, prompt responses reduce project churn, and clean handoffs nurture the trust and satisfaction that strengthen cross-team relationships.

“That culture of being caring, trustworthy, friendly, and community focused is… seen throughout our supplier base. Everyone’s open to jump in to help out and find a solution as quickly as possible,” Glazer said. 

This mentality and practice has been particularly successful within the Yuhaaviatam organization because collaboration is embedded so deeply in the culture. It’s an organization that believes and practices the principles that every individual provides value, which allows him to put his time into the parts of the job that not only move projects forward, but allow for more focus on progress and less on politics. 

“If you feel like at any point you're the passenger on the bus and someone else is driving it, then you're in the wrong seat, and you're not going to get to the destination,” Glazer said. 

This balance of a team-forward mentality and being a strong leader is critical to the procurement role and to cultivating and maintaining a healthy amount of respect. Glazer has learned countless valuable lessons from leaders throughout his career that have stuck with him, but Glazer said one in particular stands out. 

“Don't let somebody else sabotage your success.” 

Career Growth that Moves With You

Procurement is a career that isn’t all that it seems. For Glazer, it’s one that’s led to growth and expansion in all directions and impacted him both personally and professionally. 

Professionally, he’s learned to break the cycle of procurement as the bad cop in negotiations with vendors, demonstrating that the outcome isn’t effective that way and often has the opposite effect, damaging business-critical relationships. 

Personally, it encouraged him to push himself outside his comfort zone and take on challenges that felt uncomfortable and even risky. 

“It’s through mistakes, pushing myself to get involved in things that were new and uncomfortable; I was like, ‘I got this.’ I started building up confidence,” Glazer said.

A Place to Build Something Meaningful

For Glazer, he expressed that the role he’s in with the Yuhaaviatam Nation makes the job all that much more rewarding, because he understands the deep and lasting impact a job well done has on not just his employer, but his community at large. 

“I just love that closed loop… you get to see the impact… on a day‑to‑day basis,” Glazer said. “We deal with thousands of suppliers, and we offer so many opportunities. If you look at those thousands of companies and so many are sole proprietorships, and you know that's multiplied the number of employees that those companies have. It’s upwards of hundreds of thousands of potential employees that overall we’re benefiting.”

Glazer’s work moves in everyday moments, negotiations, handoffs and quick problem‑solving, but at Yuhaaviatam, each thoughtful choice adds to something with deep roots and a steady future, felt by team members, neighbors and local partners alike. 

Procurement taught Glazer that business decisions are rarely about products alone. They're about relationships, trust, and helping people make better decisions. After decades in the profession, that's still what keeps the work interesting.