Group Procurement Manager : Professional Services & HR

Santam; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 900 000 - 1 200 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading insurance company in Southern Africa is seeking a Procurement Manager to drive procurement strategies and manage supplier relationships. This role requires at least 10 years of experience in procurement with a strong focus on strategic category management. The ideal candidate will ensure compliance, drive cost efficiencies, and enhance stakeholder experiences. Exceptional negotiation, communication, and leadership skills are essential for success in this dynamic environment.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 10 years practical experience in procurement or supply chain.
• Experience with procurement transformation projects.
• Experience in sourcing, contracting, and supplier management.

Responsibilities

• Manage and co-ordinate procurement across Sanlam Group.
• Execute strategic category management for cost efficiencies.
• Drive procurement value and enhance stakeholder experience.

Skills

Cross-functional interaction

Planning and organizing

Problem solving

Project management

Change management

Communication

Negotiation

Team leadership

Commercial acumen

Vendor management

Education

BComm or relevant postgraduate qualifications

MCIPS or PMI membership

Job description

What will you do?

This career opportunity is available at Santam for the Group Procurement department that provides procurement support to the Sanlam Group. The role is based in Tygervalley, Cape Town.

This role will report to the Head of Procurement to primarily manage and co-ordinate across the Sanlam Group. This role will be responsible for executing strategic category management that will drive cost efficiencies, compliance, drive procurement value and enhance stakeholder experience. The successful candidate will engage with multiple senior business partners to ensure a common understanding and consistent application of our procurement policy and processes. The procurement manager will ensure all procurement deliverables and milestones are met within the required timelines, budget, scope and quality.

What will make you successful in this role?

• Classification of spend and detailed analysis of spend for Consulting Services, Advisory Services, Legal Services and Human Resources
• Development of procurement business cases for related Professional Services categories
• Initiate procurement initiatives and development of approved category plans.
• Sourcing and contracting management of commodities within the category procurement portfolio.
• Management of costs and achieve savings against agreed budgets.
• Drive strategic sourcing initiatives and show acumen towards driving new initiatives.
• Manage supplier relationships; manage contracted database and new contracts. Ensure necessary compliance processes are adhered to.
• Manage and maintain various reporting platforms and validate system integrity and data quality.
• Internal stakeholder management between procurement, operations / business and clients.
• Attend and provide support in required Cross Functional Sourcing Team meetings.
• Support and deliver on strategic business initiatives that result in the following outcomes : Cost savings Providing Client Delight in terms of optimal supply of service;

Providing "Best Practice" procurement processes to increase efficiency; and Supporting and upholding a team culture of engagement. Achieve transformation goals and objectives.

Qualification and Experience

• BComm (preferable) or equivalent with any other relevant post graduate qualifications
• Member of Charted Institute of Purchasing and Supply (MCIPS) and / or Project Management Institute (PMI)
• Minimum of 10 years practical experience in procurement and / or supply chain environment in financial services industry
• Experience with Procurement transformation projects
• Experience in sourcing, contracting and supplier management across multiple spend categories.
• Experience in the development and implementation of procurement policies, processes and benchmarking
• International experience on Procurement projects will be advantageous.

Knowledge and Skills

• Excellent ability to interact and work cross functionally within organization
• Strong planning and organizing skills
• Problem solving skills
• Project and Change management skills
• Ability to perform under pressure and deadlines
• Presentation skills and excellent communication skills
• Strong negotiating skills and ability to drive and achieve results
• Team leadership skills
• Commercial and business acumen
• Vendor management

Core Competencies

• Cultivates innovation - Contributing through others
• Customer focus - Contributing through others
• Drives results - Contributing through others
• Collaborates - Contributing through others
• Being resilient - Contributing through others

About The Company

Santam is the market leader in the general insurance industry in Southern Africa. As a large, diversified, and expanding company, we are committed to transformation and growth. While our headquarters are in South Africa, we are rapidly extending our presence into emerging markets across Africa and Asia.

With a client base of over 1 million policyholders, Santam serves individuals, commercial enterprises, specialist business owners, and institutions—including 80 of the Top 100 companies listed on the JSE. Our commitment to Insurance, Good and Proper goes beyond just providing cover—we offer peace of mind, ensuring our clients can focus on living in the moment, not worrying about the unexpected. Because at Santam, we believe the freedom to seize every day is worth protecting.

People drive our business, and we are committed to attracting the best talent, whether for permanent roles or short-term opportunities.

Santam is committed to diversity, inclusion, and belonging. As an equal opportunity employer, we encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds, including persons with disabilities. We are dedicated to neuro-inclusivity and fostering a workplace where everyone can thrive.