Lead - Transport Network Procurement

airtel; Gurugram District; On-site; INR 1,800,000 - 3,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Airtel is seeking an experienced telecom network procurement professional to lead end-to-end sourcing, RFQs/RFPs, and commercial evaluations for Transport Network hardware, software, and services. You will drive category strategies, collaborate with cross-functional teams, and manage supplier relationships across global and domestic partners.

The role requires 7–12 years in procurement with exposure to RFQs/RFPs, negotiations, and e-sourcing platforms, aiming to optimize lifecycle costs and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, preferably Electronics, Telecommunications, Electrical or related discipline.
• MBA in Supply Chain, Operations or Finance is an advantage.
• 7-12 years of experience in Telecom Network Procurement, Strategic Sourcing, Commercial Management, Network Engineering, Pre-Sales or Product Management with exposure to Transport Networks.
• Experience with telecom OEMs such as Nokia, Ciena, Cisco, Juniper, Ericsson, Huawei, Ceragon, Aviat, Radwin and fibre infrastructure services.
• Proven experience in RFQs/RFPs, commercial evaluations, should-cost/BOM analysis, negotiations, PO management, supplier management, and e-sourcing platforms like Oracle/SAP.
• Strong understanding of pricing models, forex management, tax implications, payment structures, benchmarking and commercial risk allocation.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end sourcing strategy, RFQs/RFPs, commercial evaluation, negotiations and contract closure for Transport Network hardware, software, services, ancillaries and turnkey/managed service requirements.
• Define and refresh category strategies aligned with network architecture, technology evolution, rollout plans, capacity requirements and business priorities.
• Collaborate with Transport Planning, Deployment, Operations, Finance, Legal and business teams to translate technical requirements into commercially robust sourcing outcomes.
• Apply Total Cost of Ownership frameworks covering equipment, licences, optics, spares, implementation, integration, support, AMC, energy, logistics, duties and lifecycle costs.
• Evaluate equipment architecture and BOM, challenge solution assumptions, negotiate with OEMs and key component suppliers, drive value engineering and cost optimization.
• Drive standardization and localization across Transport platforms, cards, optics, power systems, racks, software, services and deployments without compromising performance.
• Structure and negotiate MSAs, frame agreements, SOWs and supply/service contracts covering pricing, discounts, rebates, forex mechanisms, warranties, SLAs, liquidated damages, repair-and-return, EOL/EOS protection and risk allocation.
• Introduce and improve sourcing techniques, commercial models, negotiation levers, supplier incentives and governance with focus on savings, supply security and execution quality.
• Leverage procurement analytics, market intelligence tools, e-sourcing platforms and AI-enabled sourcing practices to improve decision making and transparency.
• Drive supplier due diligence and SRM for global and domestic OEMs, infrastructure partners and service providers.
• Monitor supplier performance, delivery commitments, quality, milestones, SLAs and remediation actions as needed.
• Manage supply continuity and long-term risks including capacity constraints, obsolescence and forex/regulatory changes.
• Develop market intelligence and benchmarks on pricing, technology roadmaps, OEM innovations and commodity trends.

Skills

RFQ/RFP management

Commercial negotiations

Forecasting & cost modeling

Supplier management

Pricing & forex awareness

Education

Engineering degree

MBA in Supply Chain/Operations/Finance

Tools

Oracle/SAP

Job description

Experience Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, preferably Electronics, Telecommunications, Electrical or a related discipline; MBA in Supply Chain, Operations or Finance is an advantage.


• 7-12 years of experience in Telecom Network Procurement, Strategic Sourcing, Commercial Management, Network Engineering, Pre-Sales or Product Management with exposure to Transport Networks.


• Strong experience in sourcing and commercial management of DWDM/OTN, IP/MPLS, Microwave, UBR/iVAN, fibre infrastructure, transport software, support services, ancillaries and turnkey deployment categories.


• Experience working with telecom OEMs such as Nokia, Ciena, Cisco, Juniper, Ericsson, Huawei, Ceragon, Aviat, Radwin and fibre infrastructure/service providers.


• Proven experience in driving RFQs/RFPs, commercial evaluations, should-cost/BOM analysis, negotiations, purchase order management, contract finalization, supplier management, project governance and e-sourcing platforms such as Oracle/SAP.


• Strong understanding of pricing models, forex management, tax implications, payment structures, benchmarking and commercial risk allocation.

Job Description

• Lead end-to-end sourcing strategy, RFQs/RFPs, commercial evaluation, negotiations and contract closure for Transport Network hardware, software, services, ancillaries and turnkey/managed service requirements.


• Define and periodically refresh category strategies aligned with network architecture, technology evolution, rollout plans, capacity requirements and business priorities.


• Collaborate with Transport Planning, Deployment, Operations, Finance, Legal and business teams to translate technical requirements into commercially robust sourcing outcomes.


• Apply Total Cost of Ownership frameworks covering equipment, licences, optics, spares, implementation, integration, support, AMC, energy, logistics, duties and lifecycle costs.


• Evaluate equipment architecture and BOM, challenge solution assumptions, negotiate with OEMs and key component suppliers, and drive value engineering and cost optimization.


• Drive standardization and localization opportunities across Transport platforms, cards, optics, power systems, racks, software, services and deployment activities without compromising technical performance.


• Structure and negotiate MSAs, frame agreements, SOWs and supply/service contracts covering pricing, discounts, rebates, forex mechanisms, warranties, SLAs, liquidated damages, repair-and-return, EOL/EOS protection and risk allocation.


• Introduce and continuously improve sourcing techniques, commercial models, negotiation levers, supplier incentives and governance practices, with focus on savings, supply security and execution quality.


• Leverage procurement analytics, market intelligence tools, e-sourcing platforms and AI-enabled sourcing practices to improve decision making and transparency.


• Drive supplier due diligence, onboarding and structured Supplier Relationship Management for global and domestic OEMs, infrastructure partners and service providers.


• Monitor supplier performance against delivery commitments, quality, deployment milestones, SLAs, repair turnaround time, penalties and contractual obligations; initiate corrective actions where required.


• Manage supply continuity and long-term contractual risks, including capacity constraints, component shortages, technology obsolescence, single-source dependency, credit exposure, forex and regulatory changes.


• Develop market intelligence and benchmarks covering global and domestic pricing, technology roadmaps, OEM innovations, commodity trends, manufacturing capacity, exchange rates and competitive commercial practices.


• Maintain technology, cost and supplier intelligence for Transport equipment and services to support sourcing strategy, forecasting and decision making.


• Ensure procurement governance, ethical conduct, regulatory compliance, transparency and audit readiness across all Transport sourcing and contracting activities.


• Present category strategies, cost insights, sourcing recommendations, savings, supplier risks and performance updates to SCM leadership and senior management.


• Build strategic supplier relationships and identify opportunities for innovation, alternate sourcing, localization, productivity improvement and long-term commercial advantage.

Soft Skills

• Excellent communication and executive presentation skills


• Strong stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration


• Commercial acumen and high-impact negotiation capability


• Analytical thinking with strong ownership and attention to detail


• Self-starter with bias for action and ability to work in a fast-changing technology and regulatory environment