Procurement Lead - Mobile Telecoms Networks (RAN)

Project People; Newbury; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Project People is seeking a Procurement Lead for a 3-month contract in Newbury with hybrid working. You will shape the Networks procurement strategy, manage high-level negotiations and align with governance teams to balance risk, cost, quality and delivery.

You will partner with Senior Procurement Manager, ND&I and Operations, focusing on sourcing strategies, category plans and supplier management across major spend.

Qualifications

• Experience partnering with senior stakeholders and executives to shape procurement strategy.
• Strong ability to translate business needs into sourcing plans and contracts.
• Proven track record in end-to-end procurement programmes within complex telecoms or networks environments.
• Deep knowledge of contract law, negotiation tactics and market dynamics.

Responsibilities

• Develops upstream sourcing strategies and pipelines to meet business objectives and manage risks.
• Maintains current category plans aligned to business goals with clear value opportunities.
• Leads or supports complex negotiations with suppliers, with legal to secure protective contracts.
• Aligns procurement strategy with governance, technology and finance teams to ensure effective supplier management.

Skills

Senior stakeholder engagement

Strategic sourcing

Contract negotiations

Data-driven decision making

Supply market analysis

Job description

Procurement Lead - 3 month contract - Immediate Start - Newbury - Hybrid

This role will be responsible for the Networks Procurement spend and strategy and requires a commercial and contracts subject matter expert that works closely with their line manager, the Procurement Director, VPC and the Financial Governance Director to provide expert advice and guidance to ELT members and their SLT. They will be required to understand business strategy, technology and market developments and providing creative challenge and thought leadership to influence and support business decision making.

The Procurement function is a centre of excellence to ensure the company achieves its near and long-term business outcomes by planning, selecting, contracting and onboarding the very best suppliers, products and services, optimising the balance of risk, cost, quality and delivery.

The Networks Procurement function will fully align with the Networks team within the Company to provide end to end support requirements across the business.

Reporting to Senior Procurement Manager: ND&I and Operations, this role is a highly visible and influential role which will develop and maintain the Procurement and contract strategy for the Networks requirements across the business.

What You’ll Do:

• Works up stream to anticipate procurement challenges and develops the sourcing strategy to ensure the business is equipped to deliver the best possible commercial outcomes, ensuring clarity around areas such as risks, routes to market, resource commitments, supply market dynamics, competitive strategies and delivery plans.
• Maintains a suite of clear and current category plans, wholly aligned to business objectives, which identify a pipeline of procurement opportunities.
• Uses internal and external data, relationships and insight to formulate a clear point of view on business investment decisions (e.g. supply market reviews, business case assessments etc), stimulate creative conversations and encourage innovative thinking within the business
• Develops sourcing strategies and initiatives, on occasion highly complex and high value, using best in class sourcing solutions such as e-Procurement, e-auctioning, strategic sourcing etc.
• Leads or participates in high-value, very complex commercial and contractual negotiations, working with stakeholders and legal to close negotiations with contracts which fully protect commercial and operational risks and interests
• Leads strategies to align with the Procurement, Technology and Strategic Finance Governance and VPC teams to ensure strategic supplier management is considered in all purchase decisions, facilitating the handover into the contract/partner management teams and providing ongoing support and insight to address challenges with incumbent suppliers.
• Ensuring compliance with corporate product, procedural, regulatory, quality, environmental and corporate social responsibility policies
• Interfaces and collaborates with Group companies on related sourcing to maximise leverage in the market place.
• Responsible for leading strategic sourcing initiatives across major spend categories, ensuring the effective use of market intelligence, data analytics, and best-in-class procurement practices to optimise value and mitigate supply chain risks.

Qualifications

Who You Are:

• Experience of senior stakeholder level business partnering.
• Exceptional engagement and relationship building abilities (both internally and externally and, to all seniority levels). Naturally accessible. Able to communicate complex challenges in simple terms
• Strategically minded and creative, able to develop and translate a vision into clear methodical plans with excellent negotiation and problem-solving ability.
• Significant experience of running substantive end-to-end Procurement programmes within mobile telecoms with networks experience
• Deep experience and thought leadership on the Procurement basics - contract law, negotiation, market dynamics, commercial strategy, strategic sourcing, supply management.