Sr. Category Specialist

Role Details – Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities:

- Works in close collaboration with internal business stakeholders to gather requirements for sourcing activities while meeting cost savings initiatives.
- Support cost-savings initiatives as established by the category lead to ensure cost optimization opportunities being met while ensuring continuous improvement.
- Provide strategic inputs and supply market information to guide business decisions and act as a conduit for procurement activities
- Coordinate negotiations, contract development, contract implementation, and supplier contract compliance
- Develop, implement, and report to stakeholders meaningful KPIs that accurately demonstrate performance
- Lead the suppliers and stakeholders of the supply chain through effective engagement and communication by delivering supplier awareness programs.
- Adhere to procurement processes and protocol and apply appropriate solutions for issues for stakeholders.
- Manage complex sourcing, contracting, and supply management activities for assigned categories through a defined sourcing methodology (RFx)
- Gather complex data, draws insights, and executes data analysis for sourcing initiatives
- Conduct category-specific market research, uses insights to provide supplier market intelligence, and realize identified savings opportunities
- Ensures an ongoing review of cos analysis is conducting to support sourcing initiatives for respective vertical.
- Continuously build and maintains key stakeholder relationships both internal and external.
- Become the subject matter expert in terms of developing a strong understanding of descriptions of the product and service offerings, and capabilities and strengths/weakness of current suppliers
- Work in close collaboration with Legal, Finance, and other business functions to obtain needed support, meet overall business objectives, SLA’s to mitigate any risk to the business and their operations.
- Conduct ongoing reviews to ensure suppliers are performing to contracted obligations and service levels are being met.

- Communication: Strong verbal and written communication skills to determine product needs and to create constructive relationships with vendors.
- Project management: Be able to multiple projects at one time. The ability to plan, delegate and evaluate progress toward goals is necessary for managing these projects.
- Negotiation: Negotiating vendor contracts and strong understanding price points and be able to negotiate effectively.
- Problem-solving: Ability to resolve issues of a product or service that don’t meet the quality standards or does not meet business objectives of the respective OpCo.
- Operational experience in working on SAP Ariba, e-Rfx and digital skills
- Stakeholder management

Personal Characteristics and Required Background:

Skillset (job specific technical skills and behavioral competencies needed)

- Working knowledge of Procurement and Contract Management related software a plus.
- In-depth understanding and practiced best-in-class procurement processes, systems and practices
- Fair knowledge of contract terms and conditions and in country laws and regulations
- Customer focused & takes time to understand the needs of the business
- Partnering, influencing and negotiation skills
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English

Minimum experience

- Min 3 years of experience in a related/similar senior Procurement position
- Min 6 years of overall experience in Procurement
- Experience in a large indirect and direct Procurement organization dealing with multiple contract types covering Technology and Digital services
- Experience in Procurement sourcing and oversight for all procurement RFX process for smooth delivery of operations to procurement category managers

Minimum Qualifications/education

- Bachelor’s degree in business, engineering, finance, or in a related field, based on the categories managed and a professional Procurement qualification (e.g. MCIPS) is a plus.