We're hiring right now for a Global Category Leader! Search for #Travelport on LinkedIn and hear from our amazing team. Global Procurement Category Leader develops strategy and directs implementation of category initiatives for strategic partnerships and transactions in key categories of business services, which includes Finance, Legal, Workplace and HR, as well as Marketing and Commercial Operations, and also Technology and Telecom; leading initiatives to optimize category spend and lower costs, and leading projects in strategic sourcing, contract negotiations, and procurement activities, providing necessary linkages and leveraging scale across the organization. Specifically, they will need to work collaboratively to understand business needs, translate these needs into specific supplier requirements, and establish target pricing, terms, SLA's, and success measures. The leader will then need to establish sourcing/negotiating strategies and drive execution and ongoing monitoring efforts to ensure objectives are realized and sustained. The Global Procurement Category Leader is an integral part of the Global Sourcing team at Travelport. Global Sourcing is a highly regarded and broad-reaching team whose contributions ensure Travelport's various business and technical teams have the tools (products and services) they need to deliver industry leading solutions to our customers, Partner with Business Units and Supplier Relationship teams.
Engage & Coach Business Partners
- Engage business units on their strategies and resulting needs for third‑party goods or services
- Lead and coach internal business partners on the sourcing process, including gathering requirements, market analysis, identifying sources, proposal evaluation, negotiations, contract creation, contract management, spend analysis, PR creation, contract execution, and invoicing/Accounts Payable support
- Maintain effective relationships with key internal customers and support organizations
- Set and achieve clear goals for cost savings, value creation and supplier performance aligned with business unit operating plans
- Participate in scorecard development, quarterly business reviews and resolve/escalate supplier performance issues
- Assist in procurement forecasting, demand management, requirements development and sourcing channel identification
- Collaborate with stakeholders to plan and execute procurement activities and category strategies
- Manage vendor service utilization and reduce under‑utilized consumption
Strategic Sourcing
- Develop and execute strategic sourcing plans and use category expertise to refine strategy
- Conduct market analysis to develop supply market strategies and model Total Cost of Ownership
- Utilize understanding of industry dynamics and market trends to identify leverage sources
- Ensure optimal global spend leverage across LOBs and geographies
- Support new business activities within LOBs by identifying appropriate sources within existing strategy
- Drive supplier‑selection processes and lead company‑wide efforts to identify new suppliers, develop suppliers and launch new programs for technology products and services
- Facilitate cost savings initiatives through meeting agendas, documentation and publication of results
Contract Strategy and Execution
- Lead the contract negotiation process with internal partners and suppliers, owning closure on contract
- Develop negotiation strategy, fallback positions, acceptable terms and conditions and lead negotiations to closure
- Evaluate, qualify and select suppliers, and negotiate within contractual framework with technology, business users and legal
- Measure savings and manage off‑contract spend opportunities
- Lead cross‑functional project teams to ensure successful launch, implementation and compliance
Management & Leadership
- Participate in Global Sourcing team supporting company objectives
- Create an environment emphasizing partnership across technology and service delivery processes
- Motivate and collaborate within team and peers
- Lead cross‑functional teams and mentor team members
- Drive business process improvements to support team objectives
Additional Responsibilities
- Maintain contract management repository and Spot project tool
- Ensure accuracy of Supplier Spend Data Analytics Tool
- Raise purchase requests and manage PO & invoice queries
- Serve as contractual and vendor subject matter expert
- Facilitate source‑to‑payment process
Experience & Qualifications
- Experience in procurement organizations encompassing sourcing, supplier management, supplier quality management and procurement execution
- Previous spend responsibility of at least $25+ million
- Ability to work in fast‑paced, complex and dynamic environment
- Strategic thinker who turns information into effective strategies and drives results
- Superior interpersonal and communication skills
- Good judgment in selecting methods and techniques for solutions
- Strong organizational and multitasking capabilities
- Analytical problem‑solving skills
- Team orientation
- Experience with sourcing and procurement practices and tools (e.g., 7 Step Sourcing Process, Oracle iProcurement)
- Understanding of contracting principles and contract structure
- Team building skills to integrate and motivate cross‑organization teams
- Effective communication with vendors and internal partners to maintain credibility and improve supply base performance
- "Can do" attitude, eliminating blockers and getting the job done
- Flexibility and willingness to work within sourcing and operational procurement processes
Preferred
- Degree in Finance, Accounting, Business or related field or equivalent experience in procurement
- MCIPS qualification or working towards it
Travelport is the brains behind lots of your travel bookings—plane, car or hotel. Our technology is used to book that magical holiday, long‑awaited bucket‑list trip or overdue school reunion. While we can’t solve mosquito bites or lost luggage, we can simplify a lot of the technical parts of travel. Join the team of the best thinkers.
We offer a package that includes 25 days annual leave per annum, a hybrid working model, pension contribution, private medical, life assurance and personal travel insurance.
