Procurement Manager - Global Procurement

Sun Life Financial; India; Hybrid; INR 1,800,000 - 3,200,000; Full time

Job summary

Sun Life Financial is seeking an experienced Procurement Manager to lead a global team across US and Asia operations with a focus on governance, supplier engagement and process improvements.

You will leverage SAP Ariba and data-driven insights to optimize procure-to-pay cycles, contracts and supplier performance while aligning with enterprise guidelines and risk controls. Hybrid work is available.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in Business, Commerce, Finance, Supply Chain, Engineering or related discipline.
• 10+ years of procurement-related experience including team leadership and outsourcing or shared-services environments.
• Experience with SAP Ariba for requisitions, POs, contracts, catalogs and invoicing.
• Strong governance, controls, and contract management knowledge with audit readiness.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coach a team of procurement professionals, setting objectives and accountability.
• Oversee requisitions, purchase orders, contract workspaces, catalogs, and invoicing with governance checks.
• Drive procurement transformation, process improvements, and digitization initiatives.
• Partner with category managers to develop supplier strategies and improve value realization.
• Provide insights from data analysis to guide leadership decisions.

Skills

Leadership

SAP Ariba

Procurement governance

Stakeholder management

Data analysis

Negotiation

Process improvement

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business/Commerce/Finance/Supply Chain/Engineering

Tools

SAP Ariba

Microsoft Excel

PowerPoint

Word

Outlook

Job description

You are as unique as your background, experience and point of view. Here, you’ll be encouraged, empowered and challenged to be your best self. You'll work with dynamic colleagues - experts in their fields - who are eager to share their knowledge with you. Your leaders will inspire and help you reach your potential and soar to new heights. Every day, you'll have new and exciting opportunities to make life brighter for our Clients - who are at the heart of everything we do. At Sun Life, we're driven by our Purpose: helping our Clients achieve lifetime financial security and live healthier lives. Our values shape how we work: caring, authentic, bold, inspiring, and impactful. When you join Sun Life, you'll work with passionate colleagues and empowering leaders who support your growth and celebrate your contributions, so you can make a meaningful difference in our Clients' lives. Discover how you can make a difference in the lives of individuals, families and communities around the world.

Job Description

Job Description – Procurement Manager - Global Procurement ( US and Asia )

Location: Hybrid

Role Summary We are seeking an experienced Procurement Manager to lead a team of procurement professionals supporting tactical and operational procurement activities across global business units. The role will be accountable for people leadership, commodity management, service delivery, procurement governance, stakeholder engagement, and the identification and implementation of process improvements. The successful candidate will combine strong buyer-level expertise with operational leadership, SAP Ariba knowledge, procurement transformation capability, and disciplined execution across US and Asia operations.

What You Will Do

• Lead, coach, develop, and manage a team of procurement specialists and senior specialists, establishing clear objectives, accountability, and consistent operating practices.
• Allocate work, monitor capacity and productivity, manage priorities, and ensure timely delivery against service-level agreements and business commitments.
• Provide operational oversight and quality governance across purchase requisitions, purchase orders, contract workspaces, Contract Terms, supplier catalogs, invoices, and transaction exceptions.
• Act as the escalation point for complex procurement matters, ensuring timely resolution, appropriate stakeholder communication, and documented risk-based decisions.
• Manage assigned commodities at buyer level, including business requirement review, supplier engagement, commercial analysis, purchasing execution, and ongoing commodity performance oversight.
• Partner with category managers and sourcing teams to support commodity strategies, demand consolidation, supplier opportunities, compliance, and value realization.
• Ensure procurement transactions comply with Enterprise Operating Guidelines, delegated authorities, contracting requirements, financial controls, and defined policies and procedures.
• Identify, assess, prioritize, and implement process improvements across procurement operations to enhance quality, cycle time, controls, stakeholder experience, and operational efficiency.
• Lead procurement transformation initiatives, including process redesign, workflow automation, system enhancements, testing, change management, adoption, and benefits tracking.
• Use procurement data and operational metrics to identify trends, risks, recurring exceptions, capacity requirements, and improvement opportunities, and present actionable insights to leadership.
• Build strong relationships with business partners, Finance, Accounts Payable, Legal, Risk, suppliers, and other procurement teams to support effective end-to-end service delivery.
• Support internal audits, control reviews, compliance assessments, corrective-action plans, and maintenance of audit-ready documentation.
• Develop team capability through coaching, knowledge sharing, quality calibration, succession planning, and structured performance conversations.
• Promote standardization, collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement across global procurement operations.
• Provide flexible operational coverage and leadership support across US and Asia working hours.

What You Need to Succeed

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent graduation qualification in Business, Commerce, Finance, Supply Chain, Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Minimum 10+ years of total relevant experience in procurement, purchasing, tactical buying, contract management, sourcing support, procure-to-pay, or procurement operations.
• Prior team-handling experience, with demonstrated responsibility for coaching, work allocation, performance management, capability development, and operational delivery.
• Hands-on experience managing commodities at buyer level, including stakeholder requirements, supplier engagement, commercial evaluation, purchasing execution, and issue resolution.
• Demonstrated experience identifying and implementing process improvements across procurement, supported by measurable operational or business outcomes.
• Strong working knowledge of SAP Ariba, including requisitions, purchase orders, contract workspaces or Contract Terms, catalogs, supplier processes, invoicing, and transaction approvals.
• Strong understanding of procurement governance, controls, contracting, supplier lifecycle, purchase order management, invoice reconciliation, and exception management.
• Experience leading procurement transformation, digitization, workflow automation, process redesign, system enhancement, or change initiatives.
• Project management expertise covering planning, governance, stakeholder engagement, risks, dependencies, implementation, and benefits tracking.
• Experience working in a global, shared-services, or matrixed procurement environment.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook, and reporting or analytical tools.

Core Skills and Capabilities

• People leadership, coaching, performance management, and team development.
• Procurement operations and service-delivery management.
• Commodity management and buyer-level commercial expertise.
• Stakeholder management, influencing, and cross-functional collaboration.
• Procurement transformation, process improvement, and change management.
• Operational governance, controls, risk management, and audit readiness.
• Data analysis, management reporting, root-cause analysis, and decision-making.
• Strong communication, negotiation, problem-solving, and conflict-resolution skills.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and lead effectively in a high-volume global environment.
• Continuous-improvement mindset with strong ownership and accountability.

Measures of Success

• Achievement of service levels, quality targets, and operational commitments.
• Improved team capability, productivity, engagement, and consistency of delivery.
• Effective management of assigned commodities and procurement risks.
• Reduction in process exceptions, transaction defects, and procurement cycle times.
• Successful implementation and sustained adoption of process improvements.
• Compliance with Enterprise Operating Guidelines, policies, controls, and audit requirements.
• Positive business-partner experience and timely resolution of escalated matters.
• Measurable value delivered through transformation, automation, standardization, and continuous improvement.

Working Hours and Flexibility The role requires flexibility to support both US and Asia business hours. The successful candidate must be willing to work rotational schedules and adjust working hours based on operational coverage, leadership responsibilities, and business priorities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional certification in procurement, supply chain, project management, or process improvement.
• Experience supporting procurement operations across multiple regions or business units.
• Experience implementing digital procurement tools, workflow automation, analytics, or other procurement transformation solutions.

Job Category: Procurement Posting End Date: 27/09/2026

Shine together

At Sun Life, you can be your most brilliant self. Our supportive, flexible, and inclusive work environment is one where you – and your career – can thrive. Whatever your aspirations, collaborative leaders and colleagues are ready to help you learn, grow, and succeed.

Make life brighter We’re a global company with a passion for people. Our purpose is to help Clients achieve lifetime financial security and live healthier lives. As a team of 30,000 across 26 countries, our impact is far-reaching, and locally relevant There’s power in numbers. As part of Sun Life’s growing team, you have an impact on people in your community and around the world.

Shape the future With an optimistic eye on a brighter future, we drive to innovate. Be part of leading change, push boundaries and try new ways of working. Use data to drive bold actions. Be agile and pivot as we test and learn. At Sun Life, we’re driving transformation, sustainability and innovation for our Clients, employees, partners, and communities.

Join us. Together, we can make the future brighter. Join a top employer for a brighter future. Visit Sun Life Careers