Category Manager / IT Infrastructure Purchasing Manager

Category Manager / IT Infrastructure Purchasing Manager – Banking Client – Brussels

Duration: 6 -12 months

You will be joining the Non-IT Purchasing Team within the Supply Chain Department. This last one is responsible for the indirect sourcing of all group non-payroll spend and is part of the Finance Division with the headquarter based in Brussels (Belgium).

The SC Department is organized around 3 main streams :

• The IT Purchasing team : purchasing of software, hardware, cloud (SAAS, PAAS, IAAS), outsourcing, Telco network, Cyber security, …
• The Indirect Purchasing team (non-IT): Soft and hard facilities, Professional Services (contractors, consultancy, recruitment, training, payroll…), Data Vendors, …
• The Governance team : processes, policies and control activities for the procurement function as well as both the intra-group and extra group outsourcing, adaptation to new regulatory aspects, …

The main objectives of the Non-IT Purchasing team you will join are to support our stakeholders to materialize their respective projects. For doing so, we do capture needs and elaborate sourcing category plans.

Those are deployed with a set of differentiated sourcing approaches depending of the situation. We leverage on our supplier market and network to ensure business and strategic objectives are met.

In addition to those traditional procurement activities, we strike on an ongoing basis to ensure the two key dimensions are met :

• , it is our role to keep a SAFE Supply Chain for our Customers, Stakeholders and Suppliers : due diligence, gatekeeper on cloud, outsourcing, critical services providers,…

• To develop ourself as an individual and as a team to cope with today complexity. The aim is to act as a trusted advisor bringing INSIGHT at the table from individual knowledge and/or collective intelligence best practices.

Role & responsibilities:

• You will have a leading role in identifying the vision and strategies required to support the long-term objectives of the Professional Services Category in respect with the sourcing guidelines.
• You will therefore develop/update the global category sourcing plan collecting visions, needs and contractual extensions needed for your area of responsibility.
• You will lead and handle the related sourcing activities from the collection of need up to the issuance of the PO to the selected supplier. It includes all the activities in between : the redaction of the RFP stakeholder’s management, offer analysis, negotiations, contract set up, insight at the table, guidance on risk assessment, …
• You will become the go-to person for the Professional Services sourcing activities.
• You will work in team in the Professional Services area with potential supervision on buyers for extension’s activities.
• You will share your experience and vision with SC teams and stakeholders in order to contribute concretely to a continuous improvement philosophy.
• You collect feedback from stakeholders, detect unaddressed needs and identify opportunities for collaboration by raising awareness of sourcing/ supply chain risks.
• You will adhere and contribute to the key values of the Non-IT Procurement Team being : autonomy, responsibility, collaboration, fun and respect.

Required qualifications:

• You have worked for more than 10 years in the Professional Services sourcing industry and have proven experience working with senior management.
• You have working knowledge of every part of this category : players, trends, drivers, TCO components, strategy of major players, …
• You have solid track record in major negotiations around the prof. serv. Spend category : MSP implementation, Contractors area, Consulting, Recruitment, Trainings, …
• You can tackle autonomously all types of sourcing requirement and can provide global & pragmatic recommendations adapted to the project context with little guidance.
• You have excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.
• You are a able to deliver immediate actionable information combined with visionary long term thinking
• You have experience in creating actionable strategies and setting up a small team to deliver it (implementation paths, with clear outcomes and continuous measurement of progress).
• You communicate clearly and maintain positive professional relationships with all internal and external stakeholders
• You have a strong organisational awareness and sensitivity

Good to have:

• Experience in the Financial Services industry and understanding of the complex regulatory environment is a plus.
• Knowledge of post-trade market infrastructures (e.g. CSD) and relevant experience with Agile operating models and frameworks are extra assets.

Please do send across the most up to date CV to eobiechefu@welovesalt.com