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Corporate Overview
 

Proofpoint is a leading cybersecurity company protecting organizations’ greatest assets and biggest risks: vulnerabilities in people. With an integrated suite of cloud-based solutions, Proofpoint helps companies around the world stop targeted threats, safeguard their data, and make their users more resilient against cyber-attacks. Leading organizations of all sizes, including more than half of the Fortune 1000, rely on Proofpoint for people-centric security and compliance solutions mitigating their most critical risks across email, the cloud, social media, and the web.

We are singularly devoted to helping our customers protect their greatest assets and biggest security risk: their people. That’s why we’re a leader in next-generation cybersecurity. Protection Starts with People.

The Role and the Team
We are seeking a Strategic Vendor Manager to join our dynamic and high-performing Procurement team. This role is integral to supporting the Procurement function with a focus on IT-related vendor agreements, particularly (XaaS), data engineering software and hardware products. The successful candidate will be proficient in negotiations, contracting (both process and commercial language), vendor management, and driving cost savings within these specialised areas.

The Strategic Vendor Manager at Proofpoint will be responsible for managing and coordinating relationships with stakeholders, buyers, and specialist teams with a specific focus on IT Software (XaaS), product consolidation and IT engineering needs. This role involves implementing processes and assessing the organisation's capability to execute supplier contracts, performance management, and relationship management within these and associated categories.
 

As a Strategic Vendor Manager, you will be responsible for supporting the organisation's efforts in procurement, developing category strategies to deliver value for money solutions, collaborating with the sourcing teams to deliver desired outcomes, and managing contracts and suppliers both globally.

Job Responsibilities

• Lead supplier sourcing projects, RFPs, negotiations, and vendor management across IT and engineering-related categories, implementing strategic agreements to optimise procurement for XaaS, IT hardware, and IT engineering needs.

• Proactively manage IT service renewals and upcoming contracts, ensuring alignment with cloud-based (XaaS) and data-centric solutions.

• Develop and implement a strategic sourcing framework that focuses on cost, risk mitigation, and supplier performance management within these categories.

• Establish and manage demand and supply policies to meet organisational goals for cost and operational efficiency.

• Sourcing Team Collaboration: Drive and support sourcing teams to achieve optimal procurement outcomes, ensuring alignment with category and company objectives.

• Collaborate with key internal stakeholders, including Executive Management, to understand business requirements, develop appropriate sourcing strategies, and ensure alignment with organisational goals.

• Streamline IT products and solutions to enhance efficiency and simplify supplier management across the organisation.

• Execute agreements with a thorough understanding of terms, SLAs, addendums, and contractual elements specific to IT hardware and software, ensuring compliance with IT security protocols and IT engineering standards.

• Partner with Legal and Finance to support contracting, cost allocation, and timely vendor payment.

• Lead spend management projects, focusing on cost savings, operational improvement, and vendor consolidation or diversification within the IT hardware and software categories.

• Manage Value-Added Reseller (VAR) agreements to ensure they align with business goals and deliver optimal value.

• Provide support on ad hoc requests and projects, collaborating with procurement teammates to drive functional success.

• Support and promote company-wide procurement policies, with a focus on compliance and best practices for IT hardware and software procurement.

Qualifications

• Experience, IT procurement, program or project management, cloud-based services, data centers, and/or software renewals.

• Bachelor’s degree in business, management, or a related field.

• Strong negotiation skills with a proven track record of securing specific vendors and key contractual terms and conditions in the IT hardware, software, and VAR sectors.

• Ability to analyse data and effectively communicate interpretations and recommendations specific to IT hardware, software, and VAR partnerships.

• Experience managing cross-functional projects and programs, with an ability to work closely with diverse teams.

• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic, and constantly changing work environment.

• Highly organised and detail-oriented, with strong multi-tasking abilities.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Highly proficient in Microsoft Office Suite.

• Procurement system knowledge preferable (Dynamics 365, JIRA, Agiloft software, Power BI, a plus).

This position offers an exciting opportunity to contribute to Proofpoint's mission by ensuring that the organisation's procurement processes are efficient, cost-effective, and aligned with our overall strategic goals. If you are a proactive and strategic thinker with a passion for vendor management, and you thrive in supporting your team and handling ad hoc requests, we encourage you to apply.

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If you like wild growth and working with happy, enthusiastic over-achievers, you'll enjoy your career with us!