Senior IT Sourcing Lead, Global Procurement - SaaS & Software

Ecolab Global Services; Pune District; Hybrid; INR 3,500,000 - 6,000,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible hours

Travel as required

Job summary

Ecolab Global Services in Pune, India, is seeking a Senior IT Sourcing Lead for Global Procurement focusing on SaaS and software subscriptions. You will own end-to-end category strategy, lead complex negotiations, and partner with enterprise tech teams to optimize licensing, usage, and renewals.

The role is an individual contributor with no direct reports, requiring strong negotiation, data-driven decision making, and ability to influence senior stakeholders across a global matrix organization.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, IT, or related field.
• 7-10 years in strategic sourcing or technology procurement.
• Proven experience negotiating SaaS and software licenses.
• Fluent English required.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end SaaS renewals including usage validation and license optimization.
• Develop category strategy and renewal calendars with stakeholders.
• Negotiate pricing, terms, and renewal protections with major software suppliers.
• Coach and guide sourcing colleagues, track performance and compliance.

Skills

Advanced negotiation

Stakeholder influence

Data-driven analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent in Business, IT, or related discipline

Tools

SaaS license management

Spend analytics tools

Contract lifecycle management

Job description

Location: Pune, India | Level: C4 | Individual Contributor | Reports to: Manager, IT Procurement

Reporting to the Manager, IT Procurement, the Senior IT Sourcing Lead, Global Procurement - SaaS & Software owns the category end to end, including SaaS and software subscriptions, licensing, true-ups and the renewal calendar for software outside the strategic platforms owned by Enterprise Technology Procurement in St. Paul. The role leads complex negotiations and supplier interventions and delivers measurable value, risk reduction and service outcomes for global IT stakeholders. This is an individual-contributor role with no direct reports; the Senior Lead works independently and coaches sourcing colleagues.

1. Category Strategy & Sourcing Leadership

• Develop the category plan and renewal calendar with the Manager; maintain early-warning dates so renewals start with enough lead time to protect leverage.
• Independently lead strategic and complex SaaS and software initiatives, including license-model changes, consolidation and competitive challenge.
• Build commercial strategies using usage and demand validation, benchmarking, license optimization and should-cost logic.
• Coordinate with Enterprise Technology Procurement in St. Paul on boundaries and usage data for strategic platforms such as SAP, Microsoft, ServiceNow and Salesforce.

2. IT Stakeholder Partnership

• Act as the senior Procurement partner to application owners and business technology leaders; frame options on right-sizing, consolidation, retirement and renewal terms.
• Engage stakeholders early on demand and usage to avoid auto-renewals; align Finance, Legal, Information Security and Privacy on data, security and licensing terms.

3. Supplier & Contract Management

• Lead strategic and complex SaaS renewals, including usage validation, license-model evaluation, competitive challenge and negotiation.
• Lead major negotiations on pricing, uplift caps, term and flexibility, audit rights, data and security obligations, and termination and transition protections.
• Lead performance interventions with critical software suppliers; identify concentration, continuity and contractual risks.

4. Performance, Governance & Team Contribution

• Track pipeline, value, cycle time, supplier performance and compliance; validate benefits with Finance and report them under Global Indirect Procurement requirements.
• Analyze license, usage and spend data to find shelfware, duplication and price-uplift leakage; provide usage data and benchmarks to St. Paul negotiations on request.
• Coach the IT Sourcing Lead on deal strategy and negotiation preparation; route routine work through the Procurement Hub and Go-to-Market team; serve as delegate for the Manager on selected forums.

Candidate Profile

• Advanced negotiation and analytical skills (total cost, pricing, demand and risk trade-offs); turns technology requirements and market information into executive-ready recommendations.
• Influences senior stakeholders and coaches others without direct authority in a global, matrixed organization; clear communicator with sound judgment and ethical decision‑making.

Basic Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in Business, Supply Chain, Procurement, Finance, IT, Engineering or a related discipline. Fluent English required.
• 7-10 years of relevant experience in strategic sourcing, technology procurement or category management, preferably in a global or matrixed organization.
• Has independently led complex end‑to‑end sourcing initiatives, including negotiation and contracting, and influenced senior stakeholders.
• Has sourced and negotiated SaaS or software agreements, including renewals, licensing models and usage validation.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with software asset management, license optimization or application rationalization; knowledge of SaaS pricing practices and renewal tactics.
• Familiarity with e‑sourcing, contract lifecycle management and spend analytics tool; CIPS, CPSM, or PMP certification

Working requirements: Based in Pune, India; flexible hours for global time zones; travel as required.