The Associate Director, Procurement Category Management partners with VP-level business or functional stakeholder(s) to develop global procurement strategies, contributing to a cross-functional team that informs strategy through analysis, market expertise, and understanding of broader business objectives. This role builds a capability strategic plan and playbook to enable procurement best practices in this highly complex and changing environment. Specific Categories and Capabilities within leadership are Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies amongst other technologies and services as required.
Responsibilities :
- Partner with VP-level business or functional stakeholders to develop global procurement strategies for AI and Emerging Technologies in alignment with the internal governance, stage gate processes, approvals, and risk/regulatory requirements.
- Drive Innovation/Thought Leadership and lead complex programs, initiatives from strategy through implementation. Orchestrate procurement projects with a strategic lens, ensuring they are not only aligned with overarching business objectives but also contribute to the long-term strategic vision.
- Create comprehensive capability playbook, negotiation strategy and deployment training for the procurement team keeping with trends and market analysis to ensure is continuous evolving
- Ensure education and governance of capabilities are aligned and continuously evolving
- Contribute to a cross-functional team that informs strategic decision-making by leveraging market intelligence, staying abreast of industry trends, emerging technologies, and market dynamics.
- Define and develop strategic value drivers with key category suppliers to secure collaborative partnerships that challenge the status quo to achieve cost savings, optimize processes, and enhance overall procurement value.
- Integrate sustainability and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) measures into category strategies, collaborating with suppliers to enhance sustainable and responsible sourcing practices.
- Lead Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) strategies, driving innovation with key category suppliers and collaborating to enact creative and cutting-edge solutions that deliver on long-term business needs. Develop and activate mitigation strategies to proactively define and manage procurement risk across the relevant category, ensuring compliance.
- Lead the large and complex supplier roadmaps, strategies, programs and negotiations.
- Ensure effective project management from initiation to completion, directing and guiding cross-functional teams to deliver strategic category-related projects. Identify opportunities for process optimization and efficiency gains, leveraging data analytics to develop long-term continuous improvement programs that achieve strategic objectives.
- Drive the end-to-end procurement process from sourcing strategy to contract negotiation and execution, leading negotiations with key category suppliers and strengthening decisions with strong analytical insight and strategic perspective.
- Drive use cases and use case adoption for competitive edge, speed, quality and market place advantages.
- Player – Coach mindset and activities from business partnering, consulting, project/program leadership and training to ensure the capability strategy is pulled through.