Manager, Supplier & Contract Management

Do you love to solve problems and find better ways of getting things done?  Do you love asking ‘why’ about pretty much everything? And does it make you happy when things are perfectly aligned and standardized? Can you pick the small pieces to create a big picture? Do you have the tendency to look into the end-to-end issue rather than just focusing on an incident? If so, then this role might be for you.

About the Role:

• Act as Thomson Reuters’ subject matter expert for assigned supplier contracts
• Act as an escalation point on supplier matters, liaising with and advising the business and TR senior leaders as necessary, to achieve the best outcome for Thomson Reuters
• Manage and negotiate to resolve major disputes, including on SLAs, unit rates, and contract compliance, to minimize commercial leakage and risk while sustaining healthy partnerships with suppliers
• Control costs and limit financial risk and exposure through managing contracts and negotiating contract changes and settlements
• Ensure contract deliverables and obligations, as well as stakeholder expectations, are met using Obligation Management practices and tools
• Diagnose supplier performance and compliance issues relating to the contract, as well as recommend options and secure buy-in for plans to improve supplier performance/compliance
• Manage, draft, redline, and negotiate contract changes including amendments and change requests and secure internal buy-in/approvals
• Implement a methodology for price and performance benchmarking to ensure agreements remain commercially optimized over time
• Implement best practice contract and commercial governance to reduce value leakage and erosion including adoption of a commercial issues log and leading contract and commercial governance meetings.
• Support 360-degree supplier relationship assessments and joint account planning with suppliers
• Drive creation of formal supplier strategies in coordination with the business, stakeholders and senior leaders
• Support Executive Business Review meetings and planning to align executives of Thomson Reuters and our most important suppliers on how to optimize the 360-degree relationship (buy from, sell to, partner with)
• Represent Supplier & Contract Management in operational/service management governance forums with strategic suppliers.
• Manage contract terminations for cost-efficient and successful contract exits

Scope of Impact:

• Provide expert counsel support to business and stakeholders.
• Proactively manage global suppliers, including their account leaders, to industry best practices for a reduced risk perimeter and to minimize value leakage and erosion.
• Drive achievement of contracted deliverables and obligations by implementing formal Contract Obligation Management.
• Perform rigorous issue management and resolve supplier disputes through contract expertise and negotiation.
• Achieve value beyond the contract through market-leading 360-degree supplier relationship management methodologies.

About You,

• Law degree (LLB) / Advanced degree (JD, LLM, MBA) - Mandatory.
• Experience in contract management and/or supplier relationship management discipline, including experience of successful management of global contracts in excess of USD 15m value
• Combined 5 years of experience in contract management, supplier relationship management, strategic sourcing, and/or contract-related discipline.
• 3 years of contract management or supplier relationship management experience
• Advanced negotiation and contract drafting skills, familiarity with contract and commercial management methodology, and a demonstrated track record of working ethically to achieve excellent outcomes.
• Advanced fluency in contract terminology (including legal and business terms and SLAs) and ability to master highly complex contracts.
• Rigorous attention to detail, expert analytics, advanced ability to interpret contract terms and conditions and advise and make recommendations.
• Strong business acumen with ability to navigate and analyze complex commercials of a deal
• Strong ability to manage a varied range of stakeholders.
• Excellent (external and internal) relationship management
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Advanced strategic thinking and communications skills
• Advanced skills in Microsoft Office Suite including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, as well as S