Senior Procurement Specialist - Technology

We are in Business for People, empowering people in service organizations with innovative Enterprise and Business software solutions. We’ve innovated and taken a new approach to delivering ERP that works for people. Self-driving, adaptive and intuitive software that is changing the way people work. Our solutions empower people and deliver a better people experience so people can spend time on meaningful high value work they live for.

Read more on our website about how we transform work and how people feel about it, so our customers and their people can thrive.

The Global Procurement Function is responsible for vendor selection, negotiation, and contracting of the (indirect) spending within Unit4. The spending includes so-called global spending concerning vendors delivering to Unit4 globally, including (travel, global cloud, IT licenses, IT connectivity, etc.) and local spending above a certain spend volume (office leases, cleaning, etc.).

The objectives of the Global Procurement Team are the following: -

• Improve the financial performance of Unit4 through pricing and external expenditure controls.
• Deliver maximum value from the goods and services procured and achieve Unit 4 business objectives at the best overall value.
• Ensure Unit4 and its suppliers comply with the changing regulatory and legal landscape it operates.
• Ensure effective management of supply chain third party risks.
• Procure goods and services per ethical, environmental, and social requirements and considerations.
• Encourage realisation of Unit4 growth opportunities through strategic supplier alignment and collaboration
• Encourage continuous improvement by embedding best practices and enabling efficient procurement processes.

As a team, we work on these objectives with two Senior Procurement Specialists and one Supplier Relationship Specialist, who report to the Global Head of Procurement.

We seek an extremely talented and ambitious Senior Procurement Specialist in Technology to support Unit4’s Global IT, Cloud Operations and R&D functions. 

As a global role, you will work with stakeholders in different time zones and must accommodate your time to ensure the required Procurement support is delivered to their satisfaction. The role is dynamic and fast-moving, with sometimes multiple priorities; therefore, effective time and stakeholder management and a sound knowledge of license management and IT-based contracts, including SaaS, are crucial to success. 

If you’re looking for a challenge in an inspiring, dynamic, international environment where you can pragmatically work towards your targets, this job is for you.

• The teams in Unit4 are truly Global, and stakeholders are situated in various regions—Europe, the UK, and APAC. As the global procurement technology lead, you will work closely with Global and Regional Teams.
• You will work closely with and provide Procurement support to the Chief Information Officer and Chief Technology Officer and their associated management teams. You will build lasting strategic relationships, understand business requirements, and identify opportunities to create commercial and business value.
• You must be a team player and comfortable to work on your own initiative and as part of a team.
• You will always promote the Global Procurement Policy to internal stakeholders across Unit4 and external suppliers.
• You will follow internal finance governance surrounding the approval and signing of all contractual agreements.
• You will procure in a way that meets our company objectives and corporate governance according to the Global Procurement Policy;
• You will negotiate a wide range of contracts with respect to the spend areas and liaise with suppliers to resolve issues;
• You will analyse and summarise global commodity spending trends to identify cost-saving opportunities;
• You will actively use Unit4’s source-to-contract platform for contract management, project support requests, spend analysis and supplier management;
• You must be competent to review and markup standard and non-standard supplier contracts with the assistance and support of the local legal teams.

• Proven experience in working and delivering in high performance Procurement teams at either a Senior Procurement level or a Procurement Manager wanting that next step up;
• You must have an in-depth knowledge of the Technology spend category and other indirect spend categories. A generalist approach to category management is preferred;
• You must have a good knowledge of category management processes and principles.
• You have excellent stakeholder management skills at all levels, including up to C-Level
• You have excellent time management skills and the ability to balance multiple priorities at any one time;
• You are creative and have strong negotiation and influencing skills at all levels;
• You must have a good knowledge of software licensing and reviewing and updating IT contracts, including SaaS;
• You are an excellent team player with the ability to communicate at all levels;
• You can manage and control activities in multi-functional areas or sections;
• You take ownership and have the capacity to evaluate and solve complex issues;
• You have broad experience in developing high-level specifications to use within competitive tender processes across various categories;
• You are fluent in English, both written and spoken.

Join Unit4 and be part of one of the most exciting journeys in the cloud ERP software space. We’re a fast-paced, high-growth, people-centric company, delivering enterprise software for a great people experience, and offering our own people a host of benefits and development opportunities. Grow with us!

At Unit4, we offer:

•  a culture built on trust - giving you the freedom and autonomy to be successful, 
•  balance - with our uncapped time off policy, remote working opportunities and Global Wellbeing Days when the whole company can switch off and prioritize well-being,
•  talented colleagues, role models and mentors - work, learn and be inspired by some of the best talent in the software industry,
•  a commitment to sustainability - with initiatives such as our Act4Good program, a way for everyone at Unit4 to come together and engage in actions that benefit society and the planet,
•  a safe and inclusive working environment – supported by our Employee Resource Groups, which are open to all and include Women at Unit4, Pride at Unit4, Mental Health and Access