Specialist, Sourcing

Fairview International School; Malaysia; On-site; MYR 100,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Fairview International School is seeking a Procurement Strategist to lead sourcing strategies that optimize technology spend and drive commercial outcomes. The role requires strong negotiation skills and the ability to influence stakeholders across business functions.

In addition to leading Request for Proposal (RFP) processes, the ideal candidate will analyze market intelligence to improve procurement decisions. A deep understanding of spend analysis and procurement governance is crucial for success in this role.

Qualifications

• Experience in spend analysis and total cost of ownership.
• Ability to influence stakeholders across business and technology.
• Track record of high-impact negotiations.

Responsibilities

• Own sourcing strategy for critical spend categories.
• Lead Request for Proposal (RFP) processes and negotiations.
• Translate market intelligence into sourcing strategies.

Skills

Commercial instinct

Spend analysis

Negotiation skills

Procurement governance

Stakeholder influence

Job description

• Shape how strategic sourcing unlocks value across critical technology investments.
• Join at a moment of growing complexity, where procurement decisions directly influence scale, resilience, and innovation.
• Work alongside business and technology leaders to drive smart, data-backed commercial outcomes.
• Act at a point where procurement shifts from transactional to strategic decision-making.

TL; DR

• Own sourcing strategy for critical spend categories impacting PayNet’s core systems using spend analysis, market intelligence, and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) thinking.
• Drive Request for Information (RFI), Request for Quotation (RFQ), and Request for Proposal (RFP) processes and negotiations using structured, data-driven frameworks.
• Influence leadership decisions with clear commercial insights and recommendations.
• Lead complex negotiations where trade-offs matter (cost vs. risk vs. speed vs. innovation).

Why This Role Matters

• Decide how millions in technology spend are allocated, optimized, and governed.
• Protect PayNet from commercial, operational, and vendor risks through strong sourcing judgment.
• Enable faster, better business outcomes by selecting the right partners and contract structures.
• Translate market intelligence into sourcing strategies that improve cost, quality, and innovation.
• Strengthen procurement as a trusted advisor, not just a control function.

What You Will Actually Do

• Own sourcing cases end-to-end, from strategy design to supplier selection and contract negotiation.
• Shape category strategies by segmenting spend, assessing risks, and aligning to business priorities.
• Shape and lead complex RFPs, commercial evaluations, build pricing models, and recommend decisions to senior stakeholders.
• Drive standardisation and improvement in sourcing frameworks and decision quality.
• Influence stakeholders on commercial trade-offs and sourcing options.

Examples of This Role in Practice

• Making decision between global vendors for a critical technology platform using Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and risk-based scoring.
• Leading a competitive Request for Proposal (RFP) that balances cost, Service Level Agreements (SLAs), and long-term scalability.
• Challenging a preferred vendor decision by surfacing hidden risks or misaligned commercial terms.
• Restructuring a sourcing approach to avoid vendor lock-in while maintaining delivery timelines
• Advising leadership on sourcing strategy for entering new markets or capabilities.

What Will Help You Succeed

• Strong commercial instinct—ability to evaluate trade-offs beyond price with experience in spend analysis, market benchmarking, and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).
• Deep understanding of procurement governance, controls, and compliance expectations.
• Confidence influencing stakeholders across business and technology functions without relying on authority.
• Track record of leading high-impact negotiations and RFPs.
• Exposure to digital procurement tools, analytics, or emerging practices (e.g., Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled sourcing).