Senior Global Technology Sourcing Manager

Company Description

Block is one company built from many blocks, all united by the same purpose of economic empowerment. The blocks that form our foundational teams — People, Finance, Counsel, Hardware, Information Security, Platform Infrastructure Engineering, and more — provide support and guidance at the corporate level. They work across business groups and around the globe, spanning time zones and disciplines to develop inclusive People policies, forecast finances, give legal counsel, safeguard systems, nurture new initiatives, and more. Every challenge creates possibilities, and we need different perspectives to see them all. Bring yours to Block.

Job Description

As the Strategic Sourcing Senior Manager in Technology, you will play a pivotal role in driving the organization's success through expert management of IT sourcing and strategic negotiations. Your primary responsibility will be to develop and execute robust category management strategies for critical IT domains, including Cloud Services, Enterprise Software Solutions, and Network Hardware. By leveraging your deep industry knowledge and negotiation prowess, you will lead initiatives to achieve substantial year-over-year savings, ensuring compliance with legal requirements and fostering strong supplier relationships.  You will be an individual contributor role and will report to the Global Procurement Lead.

You will:

Category Management:

• Develop and implement robust category management strategies for IT categories, encompassing hardware, software, cloud services, reseller, and other technology-related products and services.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to understand business needs and align category strategies with organizational objectives.
• Utilize market intelligence, benchmarking, and industry trends to stay informed and proactively identify opportunities for improvement.
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the success of category management initiatives.
• Create and execute improvement plans for short, medium, and long-term goals, ensuring alignment with the organization's strategic objectives.
• Continuously assess and optimize supplier relationships to drive performance and achieve cost savings.

Sourcing Strategy:

• Lead the development of enterprise-wide sourcing strategies for technology, incorporating supplier segmentation, risk profiles, and spend & cost analysis.
• Stay abreast of industry best practices and emerging trends to inform and enhance sourcing strategies.
• Conduct thorough market research to identify potential suppliers and evaluate their capabilities, ensuring alignment with organizational needs.
• Employ various sourcing tactics, such as RFP/RFI/RFQ, E-auctions, and benchmarking, to negotiate favorable contracts and achieve 10%+ savings targets.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure sourcing strategies align with business goals and requirements.

Negotiation:

• Demonstrate expert negotiation skills in engagements with Cloud Service Providers and top-tier Enterprise Software Providers.
• Lead contract negotiation, ensuring agreements are favorable, cost-effective, and compliant with legal and regulatory requirements.
• Establish and maintain strong relationships with key vendors to drive mutually beneficial outcomes.
• Monitor contract performance, addressing issues promptly and proactively identifying opportunities for improvement.

Supplier Relationship Management:

• Champion the Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) program with tier 1 and critical suppliers, fostering collaborative partnerships.
• Implement initiatives to improve the total cost of ownership, quality of service, and delivery from key suppliers.
• Conduct regular business reviews, evaluating supplier performance against established KPIs and SLAs.
• Work closely with suppliers to identify areas for continuous improvement and innovation.
• Effectively manage risks associated with supplier relationships, ensuring business continuity and compliance.

Team Collaboration:

• Collaborate closely with procurement team members and cross-functional teams to share best practices, successes, and lessons learned.
• Provide mentorship and guidance to junior team members, fostering a culture of continuous learning and development.
• Contribute to building a high-performing team through effective communication, collaboration, and knowledge sharing.

Qualifications

You have:

• 10+ years of experience in IT sourcing, specifically in enterprise software/SaaS, Cloud services, and Network Hardware.
• 7+ years of experience managing senior-level