Senior Manager Procurement

As the backbone of our procurement function, you will serve as the commercial engine, discovering savings opportunities, building compelling business cases, leading impactful negotiations, and delivering measurable results. Your role will involve partnering with diverse teams across the organization to guide and support their purchasing decisions effectively.

This is an active, initiative-driven position where you will not wait for instructions; instead, you will proactively analyze our spending data, identify areas of overspending, and target them vendor by vendor, contract by contract, and category by category. Your responsibilities will encompass:

• SaaS contracts for our HR, Finance, Product, and Customer Service tools
• Cloud and connectivity contracts for our fleet
• Lease agreements for our warehouses and office spaces
• Contracts with our payment service providers

Beyond mere cost savings, you will create significant value by securing optimal terms, quality, service levels, and lead times.

Key Responsibilities

Shape Procurement Processes, Strategy, and Culture

• Review and modernize our company-wide procurement frameworks and approval flows.
• Collaborate with business stakeholders and the legal team to enhance day-to-day procurement practices and secure the best commercial outcomes.
• Displace traditional thinking with market data, credible alternatives, and sound commercial logic.
• Develop and implement short- and long-term sourcing strategies for our largest vendor expenditures.
• Foster a culture of cost discipline throughout the organization.

Secure Better Terms and Deliver Savings

• Proactively identify savings opportunities by analyzing spend data, recognizing overpriced contracts, and benchmarking against the market.
• Create competitive tension in every sourcing event to maximize our leverage—even with established suppliers.
• Establish long-term partnerships with strategic suppliers while negotiating terms aggressively.
• Lead all key commercial negotiations, owning each deal from initial strategy to final contract signing.
• Present detailed deal reviews to senior leadership, encompassing financial impacts, risks, and trade-offs.

Utilize AI and Automation to Elevate Procurement Efficiency

• Implement AI and automation for streamlined procurement workflows, spend analysis, contract lifecycle management, and benchmarking.
• Automate reporting on critical KPIs, including savings versus budget, risk and compliance, and upcoming renewals, ensuring decisions are based on timely, actionable data.
• Identify, assess, and integrate new procurement technologies to enhance efficiency and provide a competitive advantage.

Qualifications

• Experience : 5–10 years in commercial procurement or strategic finance across a wide range of spend categories.
• Negotiation Skills : A proven track record as a negotiator who successfully closes deals and secures best-in-class terms.
• Self-Starter : Ability to identify opportunities, formulate plans, and execute with minimal direction.
• Start-up Experience : A minimum of 2 years in a fast-paced start-up or scale-up environment, with a comfort level in dealing with ambiguity and building processes from the ground up.
• AI Expertise : Hands‑on experience in building or deploying in‑house AI solutions that enhance procurement efficiency.
• Analytical Skills : Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, including advanced proficiency in Excel or Google Sheets (pivot tables, charts, data modeling).
• System Familiarity : Familiarity with ERP systems, P2P tools, and contract management platforms.
• Communication Proficiency : Excellent communication skills, capable of building strong internal networks, influencing leadership, and substantiating positions with data.
• Confidence : Ability to challenge senior stakeholders and suppliers alike with evidence-based arguments.
• Language Skills : Fluency in written and spoken English.