Software Procurement Lead

Verdantas - India Careers; Pune District; On-site; INR 1,500,000 - 2,700,000; Full time

Job summary

Keka Inc. is seeking a Software Procurement Lead in Pune to oversee software procurement, licensing, renewals, and governance. The role emphasizes AI-enabled automation, reporting, and collaboration with Legal, Finance, Security, and IT to optimize costs and maintain compliance.

The candidate will drive procurement processes, partner with vendors, and implement governance controls while ensuring audit-ready documentation and data integrity across systems.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree preferred in supply chain, business, IT, or related field.
• Proven experience in software procurement, licensing, renewals, and asset management.
• Experience with ServiceNow for procurement workflows.
• Experience collaborating with onshore and offshore teams.
• Strong negotiation and vendor management skills.

Responsibilities

• Analyze software and technology-service requirements with internal stakeholders.
• Research and coordinate with vendors to support sourcing decisions.
• Negotiate pricing and contract terms with stakeholders.
• Process and track procurement requests, POs, subscriptions, renewals, and invoices.
• Maintain audit-ready records of purchases and contracts.
• Identify cost-saving and value-optimization opportunities.
• Collaborate with Legal, Finance, Security, and IT to meet requirements.
• Use ServiceNow to manage procurement and software assets.
• Develop operational reports and dashboards on spend, renewals, and compliance.

Skills

Procurement management

Vendor management

Negotiation

Data analytics

Education

Bachelor's degree in supply chain management

Tools

ServiceNow

Microsoft Copilot

Low-code platforms

Job description

The Software Procurement Lead will be responsible for overseeing software procurement, vendor partnerships, licensing, renewals, compliance, ServiceNow processes, reporting, and AI-enabled automation to drive operational efficiency, cost optimization, and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities:

• Analyze software and technology-service requirements in partnership with internal stakeholders.
• Research, evaluate, and coordinate with vendors and suppliers to support sourcing decisions.
• Negotiate pricing, commercial terms, renewals, and contract conditions in coordination with relevant stakeholders.
• Process and track procurement requests, purchase orders, subscriptions, renewals, entitlements, invoices, and receiving activities.
• Resolve supplier, ordering, licensing, renewal, and invoicing issues in a timely manner.
• Identify cost-saving, consolidation, and value-optimization opportunities while maintaining business continuity
• Establish and follow procurement governance standards, approval controls, compliance checkpoints, and escalation paths.
• Maintain audit-ready records for purchases, contracts, approvals, renewals, entitlements, invoices, and supplier decisions.
• Support policy compliance, risk reviews, licensing controls, and appropriate segregation of duties.
• Partner with Legal, Finance, Security, and IT teams to ensure procurement activity meets organizational and contractual requirements.

ServiceNow & Process Integration

• Use ServiceNow to manage procurement requests, purchase orders, software assets, entitlements, renewals, and related workflow activities.
• Ensure procurement and software asset data is accurate, complete, and aligned across relevant processes and systems.
• Partner with ServiceNow administrators, developers, IT asset teams, and process owners to improve integration and workflow effectiveness.

Reporting, Metrics & Operational Insights

• Develop and maintain operational reports, dashboards, and performance metrics for procurement demand, renewals, spend, savings, cycle time, compliance, and exceptions.
• Provide clear, concise updates and actionable insights to leadership and stakeholders.
• Maintain reliable source data and validate report outputs before distribution.
• Identify and prioritize opportunities to automate repetitive procurement, reporting, data-validation, notification, and documentation activities.
• Use Microsoft Copilot and other approved AI capabilities to support reporting, summarize information, draft documentation, and improve routine operational workflows.
• Evaluate functional automation and low-code workflow tools, including ServiceNow capabilities and other approved platforms, to reduce manual effort and improve process consistency.
• Define business requirements, expected benefits, controls, exception handling, and success measures for automation initiatives.
• Monitor automated workflows, validate outputs, address exceptions, and ensure automation follows organizational security, privacy, and governance requirements.
• Document current and future-state processes, business requirements, system enhancements, workflows, controls, test results, release notes, and standard operating procedures.
• Maintain version-controlled and user-friendly documentation that supports training, knowledge transfer, audit readiness, and operational continuity.
• Create feedback loops with users and process owners to measure adoption and improve the effectiveness of implemented enhancements.
• Collaborate effectively with onshore and offshore teams, suppliers, and technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Facilitate requirement-gathering sessions, communicate status and risks, and drive decisions and follow-up actions.
• Build productive relationships across IT, Finance, Legal, Security, Operations, and business functions.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain management, Business Administration, Information Technology, or a related field is preferred; equivalent relevant experience will be considered.
• Proven experience in software or IT procurement, sourcing, vendor management, licensing, renewals, or software asset administration.
• Hands-on experience using ServiceNow for procurement, purchase orders, software asset management, entitlements, receiving, renewals, or related workflows.
• Experience working with global onshore and offshore teams in a cross-functional environment.

Functional & Technical Skills:

• Strong understanding of software purchasing subscription management, renewals, vendor governance, and procurement controls.
• Ability to create and interpret operational reports, dashboards, metrics, and business insights.
• Experience identifying process-automation opportunities and translating business needs into clear workflow requirements.
• Practical exposure to Microsoft Copilot, approved AI-assisted tools, low-code platforms, workflow automation, or similar functional automation capabilities.
• Strong process-documentation skills, including requirements, workflows, controls, test outcomes, enhancements, and operating procedures.
• Strong analytical, organizational, negotiation, and problem-solving skills.

Preferred Knowledge:

• Understanding of software licensing, software asset management, compliance, and audit practices.
• Familiarity with IT service management, financial controls, security reviews, and lifecycle contract activities.
• Experience supporting process improvement, user adoption, and change enablement initiatives.