Senior Associate, Category Procurement

Circles; Hinoba-an; On-site; PHP 900,000 - 1,700,000; Full time

Job summary

Circles is a global technology company empowering telco operators with a SaaS platform and multiple business lines. We seek a Senior Associate, Category Procurement to manage vendors, negotiate contracts, and optimize services spend across IT and professional services.

You will collaborate with Engineering, Legal, IT and Finance to ensure compliant procurement practices, risk controls, and cost-efficiency. A strong background in telecom/IT procurement and category management is required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Human Resources, Supply Chain, or related field.
• 6+ years in procurement with 3+ years in Category management in Telecom/IT.
• Strong understanding of legal risk clauses and staffing cost structures.
• Experience with vendor management tools and spend analytics.

Responsibilities

• Establish and maintain strategic vendor relationships.
• Develop and monitor vendor performance, risk, and compliance frameworks.
• Lead contract negotiations and renewals, draft MSAs and SOWs.
• Coordinate with legal, compliance and finance for policy alignment.
• Maintain centralized repository of vendor agreements and data.
• Drive end-to-end RFPs for complex projects and staffing services.
• Standardize vendor rate cards and optimize spend across categories.
• Collaborate with IT, Finance, Legal to align purchasing strategies.
• Establish KPIs and SLAs for third‑party vendors.
• Support budgeting and forecasting for services spend.

Skills

Vendor management

Negotiation

Contracting

Spend analytics

Stakeholder management

ERP systems

Jira/Oracle familiarity

P2P process

Excel

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business Admin / Related field

Tools

Jira

Oracle

ERP system

Job description

Senior Associate, Category Procurement Department: Corporate Planning & Regulatory Employment Type: Full-time

Founded in 2014, Circles is a global technology company reimagining the telco industry with its innovative SaaS platform, empowering telco operators worldwide to effortlessly launch innovative digital brands or refresh existing ones, accelerating their transformation into techcos.

Today, Circles partners with leading telco operators across multiple countries and continents, including KDDI Corporation, Etisalat Group (&), AT&T, and Telkomsel, creating blueprints for future telco and digital experiences enjoyed by millions of consumers globally.

Besides its SaaS business, Circles operates three other distinct businesses: Circles.Life: A wholly-owned digital lifestyle telco brand based in Singapore, Circles.Life is powered by Circles’ SaaS platform and pioneering go-to-market strategies. It is the digital market leader in Singapore and has won numerous awards for marketing, customer service, and innovative product offerings beyond connectivity.

Circles Aspire: A global provider of Communications Platform-as-a-Service (CPaaS) solutions. Its cloud-based Experience Cloud platform enables enterprises, service providers and developers to deliver and scale mobile, messaging, IoT, and connectivity services worldwide.

Jetpac: Specializing in travel tech solutions, Jetpac provides seamless eSIM roaming for over 200 destinations and innovative travel lifestyle products, redefining connectivity for digital travelers. Jetpac was awarded Travel eSIM of the Year.

Circles is backed by renowned global investors, including Peak XV Partners (formerly Sequoia), Warburg Pincus, Founders Fund, and EDBI (the investment arm of the Singapore Economic Development Board), with a track record of backing industry challengers.

Key Responsibilities:

• Vendor Management: Establish and maintain strategic relationships with the vendors and service providers.
• Develop and implement vendor performance and risk management frameworks.
• Monitor vendor compliance with contract terms, SLAs, and KPIs.
• Facilitate regular vendor reviews and business reviews.
• Contract Lifecycle Management: Lead contract negotiations and renewals, evaluating and ensuring favorable terms and risk mitigation.
• Draft, review, and manage contracts to structure Master Services Agreements (MSAs) and milestone-based Statements of Work (SOWs).
• Coordinate with legal, compliance, and finance teams to ensure contract alignment with organizational policies.
• Maintain a centralized repository of vendor agreements and contract data.
• Professional Services Spend Optimization: Drive end-to-end Request for Proposals (RFPs) tailored for complex MS projects and human capital services.
• Establish, negotiate, and enforce standardized vendor rate cards, pay caps, and staffing agency markups across diverse skill sets.
• Analyze the spending patterns to identify cost-saving opportunities.
• Support budgeting and forecasting for Services spend categories.
• Standardize agency rate cards and consolidate vendors to optimize spend.
• Work with internal stakeholders (IT, Finance, Legal, etc.) to align purchasing strategies with business goals.
• Establish and monitor Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for third-party vendors.
• Governance and Risk Management: Ensure procurement practices adhere to regulatory, legal, and internal policy requirements.
• Conduct due diligence and risk assessments for new and existing vendors.
• Support audit requests and data analysis related to vendor and contract management.
• Collaborate closely with internal executive teams like Engineering, Legal, and IT to define service requirements.

Qualifications:

• Education and Experience: Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Human Resources, Supply Chain, or a related field.
• 6+ years of overall experience in procurement, category management preferably in Professional Services, IT Services or Contingent Labour with a minimum 3 years of Category experience in a Telecom or IT industry.
• Strong understanding of legal risk clauses, staffing agency cost‑breakdown structures, local employment compliance, and relationship‑driven vendor management.
• Skills and Competencies: Proven negotiation and contracting skills.
• Deep knowledge of procurement processes and tools.
• Ability to interpret complex contract terms and conditions.
• Experience with vendor management tools (e.g., Jira, Oracle, or similar).
• Strong analytical skills and proficiency in Excel or other spend analytics tools.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Solid experience and knowledge about p2p process and financial governance.
• Solid grasp of (at least one) ERP system and governance process.
• Team player who is able to work independently, a problem solver.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Professional certifications (e.g., CPM, CPSM, ITIL, or equivalent).
• Experience in global vendor management or working in a multinational environment.
• Familiarity with data privacy, cybersecurity, and third-party risk standards.

Circles is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, gender, disability or age.

Data Protection and Privacy Statement

By submitting an application for this position, you, as the applicant, or your authorised representative(s), consent to Circles’ Candidate Data Protection and Privacy Policy. You also agree to the collection, use, and/or disclosure of your personal data by us solely for recruitment purposes as specified in the Policy. You acknowledge that you have read and understood the Policy, and you are aware of your rights regarding your personal data, and accept the terms relating to international data transfers, where applicable. You further understand that you may withdraw consent at any time, which may affect our ability to consider your application. In instances where your personal data or application is submitted by a third party, it is understood that such third party has been duly authorised by you to disclose the relevant personal data and provide consent on your behalf, and that you have been made aware of this Policy.

To all recruitment agencies: Circles will only acknowledge resumes shared by recruitment agencies if selected in our preferred supplier partnership program. Please do not forward resumes to our jobs alias, Circles, employees or any other company location. Circles will not be held accountable for any fees related to unsolicited resumes not uploaded via our ATS.