Job position overview:

About PwC
Established in the region for 40 years, PwC has around 8,000 people in 12 countries across the region: Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Oman, the Palestinian territories, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Our regional team operates across the Middle East bringing international experience delivered within the context of the region and its culture. We can bring the collective knowledge and experience of more than 328,000 people across the entire global PwC network in advisory, assurance and tax to help you find the value you are looking for.

Role Summary

Procurement sits within the centralised Finance Function and is managed by the Director of Procurement. The team is responsible for the development of procurement processes, procedures, strategy development, implementation/administration of procurement activities, optimisation of procurement spend via category management, as well as support for IT management operations and spend.

The IT Procurement Category Lead is responsible for setting, monitoring, and continuously improving the firm's IT procurement processes, including vendor management and the introduction of new technology and innovation. This role manages the firm's IT procurement consultancy contracts, software agreements, Telecom agreements, hardware agreements, and IT services agreements.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

Financial/ Procurement

• Manage IT Procurement opportunities to ensure best value through the formulation and implementation of category and strategic sourcing strategies.
• Contribute and shape initiatives that supports the Procurement strategies
• Prioritisation Process and Procurement Policy to achieve business objectives.
• Lead Category opportunity assessment and the formation of category and sourcing strategies.
• Responsible for leading end-to-end procurement process for strategic tenders securing buy-in from Stakeholders to ensure the strategic goals and objectives in all stages of the procurement cycle are achieved.
• Support across PwC Divisions to leverage the capabilities of third parties and ensuring effective and robust supply chain due diligence and governance.
• Shape and deliver the Procurement Strategy and support the delivery of the firms Services and strategy.
• Ensure compliance, continuous improvement and enable the delivery of a sustainable Procurement.
• Delivering Value for Money as part of Category Management and Strategic Sourcing processes.
• Embed world class Category Management and lead the management of regional procurement activities, to ensure that these are operating effectively and provide the best value to the firm
• Manage and develop the production of metrics from third parties and organisational data sources to inform business decisions and actions which results in a measurable improvement in business performance and trends.
• Contribute to cost savings targets, cost avoidance, and initiatives aligned to the Procurement Cost Drivers that increase efficiency whilst maintaining performance and risk management.
• Support Contract Owners with Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) principles, and shape how these are administered by Divisions throughout the supplier lifecycle ensuring compliance of third parties against contract terms and alignment to agreed budgets.

Customer/Stakeholder

• Manage internal stakeholder relationships to cultivate effective working relationships and drive the reputation of the Procurement Dept.
• Build collaborative relationships with a common goal of optimising functional procurement budgets.
• Identify key function leads within each category of spend and lead the development of a sourcing plan based on future needs to identify strategic spend areas on a proactive basis. Support the Strategic sourcing team (where required) in achieving the same within defined categories of spend.
• Manage external service provider relationships with key partners in the markets, particularly across the key categories of spend and in strategic, high impact areas/contracts.
• Ensure internal customer satisfaction with corporate procurement services across categories. Proactively seek ways of listening to the business and obtaining objective feedback
• Provide informative procurement reporting as and when required
• Promote innovation and technology throughout the procurement process

Internal Process

• Support and adhere to the procurement policy, procedure and processes, leading training and information sessions with the team when required.
• Provide information to procurement members/teams regarding best practices, industry trends and business opportunities, as well as feedback on the overall performance of procurement processes and tools.
• Support company-wide communication to all internal stakeholders on these processes and policies to improve awareness and understanding.
• Support the procurement risk management and mitigation approach for all projects, and execution for contracts and agreements.
• Manage the risk, quality and independence process and promote fair trade within the firm.
• Work with key stakeholders to identify internal 'business partners' to help ensure understanding of customer needs and implementation options to provide guidance in the delivery of efficient procurement processes and tools in the region.
• Regularly engage the Strategic sourcing team, procurement leads, wider procurement team members and key stakeholders to ensure business needs are being met in a timely manner balanced with PwC requirements, strategies and policies.
• Provide excellent customer services and complaints resolution.
• Work with the Head of Strategic sourcing to support, design and implement new opportunities/improvements within the team.
• Highlight and promote areas of efficiency for the firm including reducing administration support and promoting technology.
• Manages the RFI / RFP processes for own spend categories, including creation of scopes of work, technical and commercial evaluation, recommendation and facilitation of sign off with key stakeholders.
• Supports risk management and mitigation approach identification, as well as execution for agreements.
• Reviews contract terms and recommends amendments that support the position of / benefits PwC, particularly strategies for financial negotiations for all significant areas of spend, with aim of achieving year on year reductions in like for like to spend.
• Investigates, recommends and implements new forms of technology and innovation for the firm.

Learning & Growth

• Build capabilities within the procurement team/function, develop leadership skills of direct reports in the Strategic sourcing team, and ensure that training plans are in place to develop the procurement function's staff technically and managerially.
• Ensure that team has the resources and capabilities to deliver assignments efficiently, and proactively identify areas for improvement and future development.
• Capture templates and standards into a repository to build the team's own knowledge management database.
• Ensure 100% adherence to policies and procedures, and drive the same across the procurement team.
• Responsible for the continuing professional development of self and junior team members.
• Support internal knowledge management best practices, creating communities of practice both within own team and across wider function.
• Act as a key resource and liaison to other functional areas of the business, building cross-functional relationships as needed.
• Establish and maintain a healthy working environment among teams.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in business administration, Accounting, Finance or related field required
• CIPS qualification or equivalent required
• Fluency in written and spoken English, proficiency in Arabic is an advantage
• 7+ years of experience in a logistics management or procurement function, experience within the IT industry is an advantage, of which at least 2 year is in a people management role
• Experience in the Professional Services industry in a top tier Big 4 firm preferred or experience in the IT procurement Category within a large multinational organisation
• Prior people management experience is an advantage
• Experience in the placement and management of vendor agreements and relationships, managing and monitoring of SLAs
• Experience in optimising procurement related spend and enforcing compliancy
• Experience within the Middle East market is an advantage

Knowledge and Skills

• Excellent knowledge of the IT or indirect procurement category, preferably in a large organisation
• Strong knowledge of developing and implementing procurement policies and procedures
• Knowledge of vendor management and managing SLAs
• Strong negotiation skills and assertiveness in dealing with external vendors and third parties
• Knowledge of applying cost improvement initiatives
• Understanding of legal terms and conditions
• Excellent customer service orientation
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Excellent people management skills
• Ethical Conduct

Our Culture

At PwC, we prioritise our people and lead with the heart. Our value of care drives us to find ways to help our people, our clients, and one another. We offer a range of financial and non-financial rewards and benefits designed to encourage your growth and development. Our inclusive and diverse culture empowers people to be themselves, valuing their strengths and enabling them to be the best they can be.

Why You'll Love Working for PwC

• A competitive remuneration plan that rewards your success and acknowledges the value you provide to our company.
• A flexible work-frame to encourage work-life balance.
• Support for mental health and well-being through specialists, meditation, yoga, and other relaxation online sessions.
• Limitless opportunities for continuous learning and digital upskilling.
• A friendly atmosphere that encourages innovative mindsets, relationship development, and assisting others in growing and working in ways that bring out their best.
• Competitive Schooling allowance and insurance packages (As per PwC policy).

Job category: Procurement
City: Dubai
Country: UAE - Middle East (Multiple countries)
Schedule: Full-time
Remote work: No
Relocation: Not specified
Position type: IT Procurement Category Lead

Additional Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in MBA/Finance
• CIPS qualification
• Fluency in English
• proficiency in Arabic
• 7+ years of experience