Job Purpose To act as the interface with stakeholders, ensuring the delivery of both their service requirements and those of Procurement. To lead and manage high-spend and crucial category sourcing activities in a timely and cost-effective manner, while meeting group standards and department objectives. Key External Relationships External suppliers, vendors, service providers and business stakeholders involved in sourcing, procurement, negotiation and contract management activities. Essential Roles and Responsibilities Strategic Roles and Responsibilities Add value to the business through strategic sourcing practices that assess internal and external criteria and inputs to drive sourcing strategy. Drive strategic category sourcing strategies, implementing and maintaining risk analysis and mitigating actions to protect stakeholders. Coordinate all required activities within the assigned category of spend to achieve the lowest possible total cost of acquisition / ownership, while matching business expectations in terms of quality and timelines. Ensure full compliance of all sourcing activities with internal policies and procedures. Functional Roles and Responsibilities Stakeholder Management Build relationships with internal stakeholders to proactively plan sourcing activities related to the assigned category of spend. Clarify and negotiate scope of work with internal stakeholders, ensuring the real needs of the business are tendered and not only the wants, by shaping demand and compliance where appropriate. Understand stakeholder / business unit requirements, including business goals, targets, initiatives, direction and supplier performance requirements for their categories. Challenge demand and requirements and manage customer expectations to ensure compliance and drive continuous improvement. Communicate appropriate procurement messages regarding strategies, processes and policies to customers to ensure compliance and support a common understanding of each other’s goals and targets. Compliance Ensure that the end-to-end sourcing process is performed with full transparency, integrity and confidentiality as and when required. Sourcing Translate requirements / scope of work into Request for Information / Request for Proposals. Create and execute RFIs, RFPs and RFQs, together with subsequent structured information analysis wherever possible using the corporate e-sourcing platform. Negotiation Planning and Execution Create detailed pre-negotiation plans, lead and participate in prolonged negotiation sessions with suppliers, and conduct post-negotiation debriefs and follow-through plans. Cost Modeling and Savings Construct detailed cost models / purchase price analysis of goods and services supplied to the Company, typically requiring extensive supplier discussions to create a complete understanding of supplier cost structures. Negotiate best cost, terms and conditions against the final approved scope and shortlisted vendor(s). Contract Management Prepare, finesse and implement appropriate forms of contract and commitment with suppliers. Manage and evaluate contractual agreement terms to ensure compliance in conjunction with Legal and the business unit. Supplier / Vendor Performance Management Ensure that appropriate supplier agreements and relationships have a good supplier matrix embedded within them. Monitor, report, manage and continuously improve supplier performance. Perform quarterly vendor performance reviews with key vendors. Research and Analytics Analyze and report procurement spend across the business to craft sourcing strategies that result in value-adding outcomes beyond savings. Conduct detailed supplier and supply market analysis using facts, data analysis, reports and technology changes, with the objective of providing deep and meaningful insight to stakeholders and sourcing management teams. Create / establish external benchmark analysis, including gap analysis and required actions to achieve competitive advantage. People Management Roles and Responsibilities Manage and coach sourcing specialists and procurement executives. Coach other Sourcing Managers for the leading categories they cover. Allocate activities and projects to team members and supervise execution. Ensure that direct report team members strictly comply with Group procurement processes and policies. Help team members develop technical knowledge and best-practice know-how for the assigned spend category. Job Requirements Education / Certification and Continued Education Graduate in any discipline, preferably with a Finance or Engineering background. MBA preferred. Years of Experience Minimum 7 years’ experience in a similar role within a procurement function. Experience within the UAE and in a centralized procurement model is preferred. Knowledge and Skills Detailed technical understanding of the assigned commodity / category of spend. Strong influencing and facilitation skills to act as the interface between stakeholders / business units and Procurement, balancing customer requirements with the need to adhere to designated procedures. Detailed technical understanding of the assigned commodities / categories of spend. Critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Strong project management skills, showcasing the ability to plan, mobilize and manage a sourcing project, with the ability to solve showstoppers and other potential derailing issues. Outstanding relationship management skills, both internal and external. Analytical and negotiation skills. Market understanding of vendor capabilities, should-costs, supply chain and related areas. Experience with ERPs is a must, preferably Oracle or JD Edwards. Experience with SAP Ariba sourcing is desired. Direct, hands-on experience managing the IT/Technology category specifically, rather than general procurement with occasional IT exposure. Proven people management experience, including direct management of sourcing specialists and analysts. Track record of operating within a centralized procurement model.
Category-Specific Technical Knowledge (IT/Technology) Software licensing and Saa S commercial models (per-user, consumption-based, and enterprise agreements). Cloud/hyperscaler contracts (AWS, Azure, GCP), including consumption commitments, and EDPs. IT outsourcing and managed services. Hardware and telecom/network services sourcing; Call Center Services (CCAAS). Cybersecurity and data privacy contract clauses, particularly within IT MSAs and SOWs. Familiarity with major vendor commercial tactics (Microsoft, Oracle, SAP, Cisco, etc.), including license audits, true-ups, and EA renewals