Strategic Procurement Advisor - Associate Director

EY; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

EY is seeking a Strategic Procurement Advisor to build and drive strategic relationships with client procurement teams, including CPOs, to win revenue opportunities and expand accounts. The SPA collaborates with Pursuit & Commercial Excellence teams and EY account teams to position EY for success and become the go-to EY resource for procurement.

The role requires coaching, training, and leading negotiations, assessing client needs, and guiding terms in MSAs, rate cards, and supplier programs.

Qualifications

• Proven track record in strategic procurement and client relationship management.
• Experience negotiating complex contracts and MSAs.
• Ability to train and coach cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with P&CE leaders, GCSPs and account managers to prioritize accounts.
• Develop and execute negotiation strategies to grow revenue.
• Guide on MSAs, Rate Cards, and supplier programs during negotiations.
• Identify coaching needs and deliver training for negotiation talents.
• Lead internal trainings for P&CE, Sector, and Service Lines about procurement offerings.
• Support EY responses to RFPs with procurement insights.
• Build onsite relationships with senior client executives to understand procurement processes.
• Advise teams on how client procurement translates into strategic sourcing.

Skills

Relationship building

Negotiation

Strategic sourcing

Stakeholder management

Training and coaching

Market analysis

RFPs

Tools

Power map methodology

Job description

Location: New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, Chicago, Denver, Phoenix, Dallas, Austin

At EY, we’re all in to shape your future with confidence.

We’ll help you succeed in a globally connected powerhouse of diverse teams and take your career wherever you want it to go. Join EY and help to build a better working world.

The opportunity

The Strategic Procurement Advisor (SPA) creates and drives strategic relationships with client procurement teams, specifically the CPO, to positively position EY for competitive and sole source revenue generating opportunities and other account expansion activities. The SPA develops relationships with client procurement, at strategic and tactical levels as required, to become the “go‑to EY resource” for influencing client procurement. By positively influencing client procurement teams, the SPA will assist the Global Client Services Partner (GCSP), Client Executive (CE), and other Service Line and Sector leaders to better understand the client procurement organization, its processes and nuances, and bridge gaps in communication required to successfully close new business opportunities. Sample activities for the SPA include face‑to‑face relationship building opportunities with clients including C‑level client roles, participating in account planning workshops, virtual networking with client procurement teams and timely introductions of new offerings throughout the client ecosystem leveraging client procurement introductions. With a focus on the most complex deals and/or business situations, the SPA will collaborate with the Pursuit & Commercial Excellence (P&CE) teams, account teams, CEs, and GCSPs to support new and existing key client relationships. A key element of the SPA role is to have the ability to thrive in new and unfamiliar environments, as each client situation is different, and navigate the client’s behavior and tactics to drive business development through strategic influence of client procurement. The SPA over time acts as EY’s “Client Procurement Whisperer.”

The individual SPA position is also responsible for conducting training and coaching sessions for P&CE and account team members on Procurement COE topics to expand EY broader audience education efforts.

Your Key Responsibilities

• Responsible for collaboration with P&CE leaders, GCSPs and account managers to help develop a plan that prioritizes accounts and opportunities where SPA’s services can help to drive revenue and improve profitability through client procurement relationships
• Leads efforts with account teams to develop and execute negotiation strategies and activities necessary to achieve revenue growth with new and existing client accounts. Sample activities may include assess client procurement relationships using EY power map methodology, analyze contractual terms, pricing and scoping issues so EY can improve competitive position
• Provides strategic guidance to GCSPs and account managers before and during negotiations for favorable impact; assists and advice on account related tangibles, such as Master Services Agreements (MSA), Rate Cards, Preferred Provider Programs, Supplier Enabled Innovation, etc detailing essential information related to scope of services and associated terms and conditions
• Assesses coaching needs, develops and executes training approaches and drives business meetings to develop partners, engagement leads and other account team members regarding key negotiating talents needed to support the pursuit and to win the client engagement
• Directs internal training sessions/workshops for diverse audiences within P&CE, Sector, and Service Lines; assorted topics could include collaboration with P&CE SPI Group, P&CE Negotiations Group and others for overview/service offerings, negotiation preparation/strategies, coaching on client discussion (e.g., script writing), contractual terms and conditions development strategies, etc
• Oversees and collaborates with account teams to provide strategic guidance during the development of EY’s response to Request for Proposals (RFPs) leveraging intelligence gleaned through client procurement channels
• Partners with account team to sustain and/or expand existing client procurement relationships; understand client expectations by developing key onsite relationships with senior level client executives, understanding the client decision‑making process and helping them see how EY is supporting them
• Collaborates closely with cross‑functional teams to understand clients' procurement needs, objectives, and expectations, and advises teams on how client procurement translates them into strategic procurement strategies
• Acts as a primary point of contact for client Procurement organizations, building and nurturing strong relationships that lead to long‑term partnerships and mutual growth
• Leads discussions with client Procurement teams to understand their unique requirements and align our solutions to their business goals
• Conducts thorough market analysis to provide insights to client procurement organizations on emerging trends, potential risks, and opportunities for strategic sourcing
• Leads negotiations with client Procurement teams to secure favorable terms, pricing and conditions, while maintaining trust and fostering collaboration
• Establishes credible relationships and becomes a trusted advisor to client procurement teams, specifically the