At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead procurement strategies and negotiate contracts for Microsoft’s cloud operations.
- Company: Join Microsoft, a global leader in technology and innovation.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, comprehensive benefits, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Dynamic work environment with a focus on inclusion and career development.
- Why this job: Make a significant impact on the world’s largest online services and empower organisations globally.
- Qualifications: Master's or Bachelor's degree in relevant fields with significant experience in supply chain and project management.
The predicted salary is between 40000 - 200500 £ per year.
Cloud Operations + Innovation (CO+I) is the engine that powers Microsoft’s core cloud platforms and services that millions of people use every day. With more than 95% of Fortune 500 businesses on Azure, 180+ million using Office 365, and millions using other services – all running on Microsoft's cloud infrastructure – CO+I builds and operates the foundation upon which Microsoft’s mission to empower every person and organization comes to life. Our focus is on smart growth, high efficiency, and delivering a trusted experience to customers and partners worldwide. We are looking for a passionate, high-energy individual to help build the network that powers the world’s largest online services.
Within CO+I, the Global Supply Chain team is responsible for establishing a supply chain that can meet the ever-growing Microsoft Cloud for our customers. We support a portfolio of complex, multi-disciplinary, multi-billion, multi-year datacenter construction and lease projects and operations of those assets. We are looking to fill the critical role of Sub-Regional Procurement Director.
This role will be based at one of our office locations: Reading or Paddington.
Responsibilities
- Compliance: Negotiates and provides strategic oversight for improving existing, or establishing new, Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and/or defined milestones and deliverables, holds accountability and ownership of SLAs with an end-to-end company-wide perspective, and ensures compliance is cascaded down to the business. Strategizes on and communicates SLA terms cross-functionally and/or cross-regionally to internal and external stakeholders. Serves as subject matter expert on the SLA and coaches team members to do the same, manages any escalations related to policy non-compliance, and manages the execution of contingency plans internally and externally as needed.
- Leads partnerships with global stakeholders and suppliers to identify systematic business threats and determine which sustainable elements, alternative solutions, and/or policy changes would optimally mitigate risks at scale moving forward. Champions new policy direction and changes as needed to ensure systematic resolution and remediation of sourcing issues across Microsoft and its partners.
- Drives business impact by establishing functional standards and performance expectations that define relevant process and compliance success metrics, while also identifying opportunities for improving process efficiency and policy compliance. Applies end-to-end expertise and leverages market intelligence to develop and influence Microsoft-wide channel strategies that optimize for value and enable execution with consistency, accuracy, quality, and timeliness. Leads decision making across organizations to determine optimum strategies for suppliers and partners to increase efficiency and manage costs, and drives accountability and governance for adopting workstream improvements and automation at scale to meet and surpass business expectations. Oversees periodic Microsoft-driven supplier audits to ensure compliance with policy/contractual requirements.
People Management: Managers deliver success through empowerment and accountability by modeling, coaching, and caring. Model: Live our culture. Embody our values. Practice our leadership principles. Coach: Define team objectives and outcomes. Enable success across boundaries. Help the team adapt and learn. Care: Attract and retain great people. Know each individual’s capabilities and aspirations. Invest in the growth of others.
Procurement and Contracts: Provides high-level negotiation and sets standards across organizations and company. Resolves high-impact escalations related to pricing and category management issues, and proactively develops strategies to evaluate and drive change in processes broadly across the organization, as needed to ensure teams and/or partners adopt processes that improve the pricing and procurement of goods and services across Microsoft. Oversees price and procurement requests and complex pricing issues across purchasing categories to ensure procedural compliance.
Provides guidance and clarification on contract execution processes for consistency, accuracy, and timeliness across Microsoft. Provides thought leadership and shares best practices on established methodologies to ensure they are aligned with and influence current and anticipated business outcomes, both internally and externally. Drives accountability for resolving escalated contract delivery issues and monitoring the impact of change orders on contracting, and delivers briefings to executive leadership detailing current and projected sourcing contract execution models, anticipated risks, impact models, and contingency plans. Leads enterprise-level claims resolution strategies in collaboration with Legal and executive stakeholders, ensuring systemic issues are addressed and lessons learned are integrated into future contracting practices. Guides supplier and contractor performance management, including safety deliverables, by overseeing internal and external stakeholders and providing timely guidance.
Sourcing: Leads cross-functional contract and price negotiation activities across strategic purchasing categories to ensure contracts reflect Microsoft’s cross-functional engagements with suppliers, and establishes relevant enterprise-level best practices and standards. Identifies systematic, long-term, and scalable cost reduction opportunities to drive supplier cost competitiveness across Microsoft and champions efforts to realize those opportunities across organizations.
Establishes and leads the development of multi-year sourcing strategies and protocols at scale for complex projects and/or purchasing opportunities enterprise-wide, that are rooted in industry best practices and optimized for value, while ensuring continuity of supply and/or services. Defines the vision and priorities for the function aligned to the core business goals, drives cross-functional alignment, and connects key resources across Microsoft, while ensuring risk mitigation plans are in place and driving efficiencies in budgets, time, and resources across the organization. Ensures sourcing strategies incorporate relevant global perspectives by benchmarking data across markets, and sharing thought leadership with internal teams and executive leadership.
Leads the integration of business requirements and sourcing strategies into supplier selection processes for the most complex, undefined, and strategic purchasing categories. Leverages a company-wide, global end-to-end perspective on sourcing operations to define a vision, strategies, and priorities for process management to drive consistency, impact, and improvements in supplier management efforts and outcomes (e.g., risk, cost, time, technology adoption) using data-driven approaches. Validates proposed changes and holds teams accountable for developing and implementing improvement plans, sharing delivery best practices, and identifying insights and root causes of issues across procurement and sourcing processes.
Stakeholder Collaboration: Drives the execution of strategies for business and industry engagements between sourcing teams and cross-functional corporate leadership to determine supply strategy at scale. Defines multi-year strategies for mature business, identifies opportunities to meet agility requirements, and enables business beyond standard purchase categories and historical spend areas. Develops solutions for highly complex and undefined business areas and purchasing categories and adapts delivery plans with cross-functional leaders. Leads industry and ecosystem engagements, proactively defines communication strategies with leadership teams, articulates business cases to support recommendations, and influences leaders to buy in on sourcing decisions and optimizations that can be deployed at scale.
Oversees and leads the pricing and negotiation strategies for the most complex and strategic purchasing categories, develops business groups for optimal cross-functional stakeholder support and business assurance, and broadly fosters internal and external partnerships to negotiate strategic decisions and produce deliverables. Drives consensus in the goals and success criteria with stakeholders both internal and external to Microsoft, shares thought leadership and socializes best practices related to negotiation and collaboration to enable teams to execute negotiations with consistent success.
Directs supplier activity and progress across the most complex and strategic accounts and purchasing categories and leads executive engagements with regional and global suppliers. Leverages corporate strategies to define overall objectives and strategies for supplier management practices to ensure alignment to Microsoft-wide business goals, and shares thought leadership that affects supplier engagement protocols and processes company-wide. Considers broad enterprise engagement opportunities and future supplier and partner innovations, to further optimize for value. Leads Quarterly Business Reviews.
Qualifications
- Master's Degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Data Analytics, Business, Finance or related field AND Significant experience in data science/analytics, finance, project management, supply chain, and/or operation OR Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Data Analytics, Business, Finance or related field AND Significant experience in data science/analytics, finance, project management, supply chain, and/or operation OR equivalent experience.
- Experience sourcing, procuring, and managing contracts for capital equipment within construction projects.
- Experience in Mechanical, Electrical, and/or Construction Services environments.
Background Check Requirements: Ability to meet Microsoft, customer and/or government security screening requirements are required for this role. These requirements include, but are not limited to the following specialized security screenings: Microsoft Cloud Background Check: This position will be required to pass the Microsoft Cloud background check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Master's Degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Data Analytics, Business, Finance or related field AND Significant experience in data science/analytics, finance, project management, supply chain, and/or operation OR Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Data Analytics, Business, Finance or related field AND Significant experience in data science/analytics, finance, project management, supply chain, and/or operation OR equivalent experience.
- Extensive people management and team leadership experience.
Sub-Regional Procurement Director in London employer: Microsoft
Microsoft in Oxford is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work culture that fosters innovation and collaboration. Employees benefit from competitive compensation, a supportive environment, and ample opportunities for professional growth, making it an ideal place for those looking to advance their careers in cloud solutions. The strategic location in Oxford further enhances the experience, providing access to a vibrant tech community and rich cultural resources.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Sub-Regional Procurement Director in London
✨Get Savvy with Industry Perks
Join procurement and purchasing forums or groups where pros hang out, like CIPS (Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply). They'll share the inside scoop on job openings that might not show up on traditional job boards!
✨Show Off Your Skills
Consider creating a portfolio that outlines your achievements in procurement, like cost-saving initiatives or supplier management strategies. Having tangible evidence of your skills can really set you apart when applying to companies like Microsoft.
✨Tap into Your Network
Leverage LinkedIn to connect with professionals in procurement—follow relevant hashtags, join groups, and engage in discussions. This is a great way to get noticed by potential employers before they even post a job!
✨Keep Your Eyes on Job Boards
With full-time positions, timing can be everything. Set alerts on job boards specifically for procurement roles. Don't wait for a job posting to close; apply through our website as soon as you see a fit—being proactive can give you the edge!
We think you need these skills to ace Sub-Regional Procurement Director in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Procurement Know-How:When you're crafting your CV, make sure to highlight any procurement-specific skills you've got. Talk about your experience with supplier negotiations, cost analysis, or inventory management. If you’ve used software like SAP or Oracle, don’t forget to mention that too – it shows you know your way around the tech side of things!
Quantify Your Achievements:In procurement, numbers matter. Use your CV and cover letter to showcase any quantifiable achievements you've made in reducing costs or improving efficiencies. For example, mentioning that you helped save 20% on purchasing costs last year is way more impressive than just saying you managed the budget!
Tailor Your Cover Letter to Microsoft:Your cover letter should read like you’re chatting directly to Microsoft. Research the company’s procurement strategy, mention how your skills align with their goals, and share your enthusiasm for contributing to their success. This personal touch can really set you apart from the crowd!
Professional Certs Can Go a Long Way:If you've got any procurement-related certifications, such as CIPS or APICS, make sure they're front and centre on your CV. These qualifications show you're serious about your career in procurement and are committed to continuous learning. It’s a great way to signal your expertise and dedication to potential employers like Microsoft.
How to prepare for a job interview at Microsoft
✨Show Off Your Negotiation Skills
In procurement, strong negotiation skills are key. Be ready to share examples of past negotiations where you've successfully saved costs or improved supplier terms. We want to hear how you approached those situations and the strategies you used to achieve positive outcomes!
✨Know Your Tools
Make sure you’re familiar with procurement software and tools commonly used in the industry, such as SAP Ariba or Coupa. Come prepared to discuss any experiences you've had with these tools or similar platforms, as we need someone who can hit the ground running at Microsoft!
✨Understand Market Trends
As a procurement professional, being aware of market trends can set you apart. Brush up on recent developments in supply chain management or procurement best practices and think about how they could impact your role at Microsoft. Bringing a current perspective will show your enthusiasm for the industry.
✨Demonstrate Your Team Player Attitude
A full-time position means you'll be working closely with various teams. Be prepared to discuss how you collaborate with others, manage conflicts, and build relationships with stakeholders. Sharing anecdotes about past teamwork experiences will highlight your ability to fit into Microsoft's culture.
