Senior Project/Indirect Buyer

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The Senior Indirect/Project Buyer is responsible for developing and implementing strategy for a considered subject in collaboration with key stakeholders. Such strategy is built with proper transparency and stakeholder engagement to get Buy-in and traction for implementation. These strategies result from a deep understanding of (i) the business needs and evolution (ii) the market trends and (iii) risks.

The strategy deployment should allow significant benefits: from innovation for business, reduced risk exposure, to cost reduction.

Dimensions

• Spend: depends on topic from 2M to 120 M
• HR services, Consulting, tooling, Facility Management
• Savings: TBC – significant potential
• Transformation challenges towards more structured and simple processes

Context

• The Project buyer develops and maintains professional working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, especially:
• CPOs and Opco procurement teams
• Any other stakeholder depending on the topic – HR, General Services….

Main activities

The Project Buyer is responsible for:

• Global Strategies: he/she co-builds with stakeholders the relevant strategies taking into account (whilst challenging) business needs, market trends and risks. Benefits will be delivered on a dynamic basis, including cost, innovation, service support with the right level of risk. The strategy will anticipate and encompass key contract renewals.
• Link with Opco procurement: PB will ensure proper links between her/his team and the Opco procurement team (including CPO) to develop transparency on common work/vendors/challenges and support local projects in “pull” mode.
• Challenging the needs: PB will challenge the needs and have a dialog with business Areas to set the right conditions to optimize benefits. This dialog, with the help of Sourcing Business Partners, will not be a simple “push” of Procurement agenda, but a mature and positive discussion enhancing trust.
• Market knowledge: PB will consistently keep abreast of market and vendor trends, detecting disruption in the market and vendor strategies to anticipate and mitigate risks as well as seize opportunities. Market scouting will allow for a dynamic refresh of our supplier ecosystem, allowing for innovative approaches: new vendor, new geographies with talent pool, new sourcing approaches.
• Negotiation and procurement process: PB will make sure the Procurement process is respected, considering the right stakeholders at the right time, including Risk framework, Legal, Data Privacy. CM will lead or support key negotiation with large / high stake vendors.
• Tools and governance: To enhance productivity, auditability and knowledge management, PB will leverage the use of the relevant tools and methods in the team: e RFx, Contract databases, data analytics, project trackers. PB will also be a key member of various governance to align internally within Procurement.
• Local support - compliance: PB will organize proper hand-over to contract manager, when relevant. PB will organize support and act as escalation point or advisory for operational – performance issues in the category.

Key Deliverables

• Up to date category strategy and dynamic category negotiation plans.
• Savings and benefit tracking.
• Tool implementation.
• Compliance and traceability – 100% for GDPR, vendor risk, Group Standards.
• Project trackers.

The Category Manager will work in a global -yet decentralized- and multi-cultural work environment

Technical and professional skills

• Negotiation skills.
• Ability to design / articulate a strategy / a plan.
• Broad understanding of subject (beyond the lines).
• Good General Expenses overview.
• Knowledge of key contractual clauses and stakes.
• English - Fluent in speaking and writing - another European language is a plus.

Soft skills

• Interest in technologies.
• Strategic thinker.
• Integrity.
• Ability to synthesize and communicate efficiently, adjusting to technical / procurement audience.
• Collaborative.
• Negotiator, Influence, convincing skills vis-a-vis peers and senior stakeholders.
• Strong leadership communication skills.

Experience

• Graduate caliber with significant experience (> 5 years) in General expenses / indirect Procurement and processes.
• Previous successful experience in Category management and/or Project Buyer.
• Leadership in multi-country and decentralized environment.

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We set the tone by triggering and empowering the evolution of our insurance business model through technology and innovation, driving its concrete implementation globally at speed, with a high quality of advisory and execution.

We are present across 17 countries with committed, highly qualified teams. We leverage technology, data, sourcing, security and investment allocation in a global way, but also achieve economies of scale and synergies when necessary.

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• State-of-the-art Data Technology to drive customer experience.
• State-of-the-art Procurement & Sourcing to drive efficiency and better manage risks.
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