Senior Procurement Associate (Professional Services)

edari; Dubai; On-site; AED 223,000 - 357,000; Part time

Job summary

edari is seeking a Senior Associate - Category Management in Dubai to execute category management and strategic sourcing activities, supporting spend analysis, market intelligence, cost optimisation, supplier relationship management and strategic procurement projects for a renewable 12‑month contract. The role sits within the Procurement Department and reports to the Category Manager.

The ideal candidate has 5+ years in procurement, with exposure to indirect procurement and professional

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Procurement or a related field.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in procurement, with strong exposure to strategic sourcing or category management.
• Experience in indirect procurement / professional services categories is highly preferred.
• CIPS, Project Management or other relevant professional certification is an advantage.
• Middle East experience is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Execute category management and strategic sourcing activities.
• Conduct spend analysis to identify procurement trends, cost-saving opportunities and areas for improvement.
• Support market intelligence and benchmarking activities, including analysis of market pricing, supplier capabilities and potential supply risks.
• Support sourcing projects throughout the procurement lifecycle, including requirements gathering, supplier evaluation, selection, negotiation and contract award.
• Work closely with business stakeholders to understand demand, project pipelines and procurement requirements.
• Conduct cost-benefit and value analysis and provide recommendations to support commercial decision-making.
• Identify sourcing constraints, supplier risks and opportunities and support appropriate mitigation plans.
• Support the development and implementation of category and supplier strategies.
• Monitor strategic sourcing projects, savings targets and procurement performance.
• Support supplier relationship management, including supplier evaluation, performance monitoring, risk management and issue resolution.
• Prepare procurement reports and dashboards covering category performance, savings and supplier performance.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders including Contract Management, Legal, Procurement Excellence, Internal Audit and other Group Service functions.

Skills

Category management

Strategic sourcing

Spend analysis

Market intelligence

Supplier relationship management

Contract management

Negotiation

Stakeholder management

Procurement project delivery

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration / Supply Chain / Procurement

Job description

We are looking to hire a Senior Associate - Category Management who will be responsible for executing category management and strategic sourcing activities, supporting spend analysis, market intelligence, cost optimisation, supplier relationship management and strategic procurement projects for our client based in Dubai - which is one of the largest companies in the region.

This position is a contract role with an initial duration of 12 months and is renewable.

The role sits within the Procurement Department and reports directly to the Category Manager.

We are looking for a passionate procurement professional about delivering strategic sourcing and category management initiatives. You should also have experience in strategic sourcing, spend analysis, supplier relationship management, contract management and procurement project delivery, ideally across indirect procurement / professional services categories such as consultancy, outsourced manpower, recruitment, training, insurance, leasing or other corporate services.

Key responsibilities

Execute category management and strategic sourcing activities in line with procurement policies and business requirements.

Conduct spend analysis to identify procurement trends, cost-saving opportunities and areas for improvement.

Support market intelligence and benchmarking activities, including analysis of market pricing, supplier capabilities and potential supply risks.

Support sourcing projects throughout the procurement lifecycle, including requirements gathering, supplier evaluation, selection, negotiation and contract award.

Work closely with business stakeholders to understand demand, project pipelines and procurement requirements.

Conduct cost-benefit and value analysis and provide recommendations to support commercial decision-making.

Identify sourcing constraints, supplier risks and opportunities and support appropriate mitigation plans.

Support the development and implementation of category and supplier strategies.

Monitor strategic sourcing projects, savings targets and procurement performance.

Support supplier relationship management, including supplier evaluation, performance monitoring, risk management and issue resolution.

Prepare procurement reports and dashboards covering category performance, savings and supplier performance.

Collaborate with internal stakeholders including Contract Management, Legal, Procurement Excellence, Internal Audit and other Group Service functions.

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Procurement or a related field.

Minimum 5 years of experience in procurement, with strong exposure to strategic sourcing or category management.

Experience in indirect procurement / professional services categories is highly preferred.

Relevant experience may include consultancy services, outsourced manpower, recruitment, training and education, insurance, leasing services, financial products or other corporate services.

Strong understanding of category management, strategic sourcing and supplier relationship management.

Experience managing procurement projects from planning through execution and delivery.

Strong understanding of contracts, commercial terms and procurement processes.

Strong analytical skills, including spend analysis, market benchmarking, cost-benefit analysis and cost-saving initiatives.

Strong negotiation, stakeholder management and supplier relationship management skills.

Experience working within a procurement shared services environment is preferred.

Middle East experience is preferred.

CIPS, Project Management or other relevant professional certification is an advantage.

Availability

Preference will be given to candidates available immediately or within a maximum of 30 days after accepting the offer.