Indirect procurement

This role is for one of the Weekday's clients

Salary range: Rs 2000000 - Rs 4000000 (ie INR 20 - 40 LPA)

Min Experience: 8+ years

Location: Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

JobType: full-time

We are looking for an experienced Indirect Procurement Manager to lead the sourcing, procurement, and vendor management of enterprise hardware, software, and technology-related services. The ideal candidate will have 8–20 years of experience in indirect procurement with deep expertise in negotiating technology contracts, managing strategic supplier relationships, optimizing procurement processes, and delivering measurable cost savings while ensuring business continuity.

In this role, you will collaborate with IT, Finance, Legal, Security, and business stakeholders to develop procurement strategies that support organizational growth and operational excellence. You will be responsible for managing the complete procurement lifecycle, from demand planning and supplier evaluation to contract negotiation, purchasing, and vendor performance management.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute sourcing strategies for enterprise hardware, software, cloud subscriptions, SaaS platforms, IT peripherals, and technology services.
• Lead end-to-end procurement activities including vendor identification, RFIs, RFPs, RFQs, bid evaluations, negotiations, contract finalization, and purchase order management.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with strategic technology vendors, distributors, OEMs, and service providers.
• Negotiate commercial terms, pricing models, licensing agreements, warranties, maintenance contracts, and service-level agreements (SLAs).
• Work closely with IT, Infrastructure, Cybersecurity, Finance, and Legal teams to align procurement activities with business objectives and compliance requirements.
• Identify opportunities for supplier consolidation, spend optimization, and cost reduction without compromising quality or service delivery.
• Monitor supplier performance using defined KPIs and implement corrective actions where necessary.
• Ensure procurement policies, governance standards, and regulatory requirements are consistently followed.
• Analyze procurement data, market trends, pricing benchmarks, and supplier risks to support strategic sourcing decisions.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives by implementing procurement best practices and leveraging procurement automation tools.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Commerce, or a related discipline. MBA or relevant procurement certifications are preferred.
• 8–20 years of experience in indirect procurement, with significant exposure to enterprise hardware and software procurement.
• Demonstrated experience managing high-value procurement programs and strategic vendor relationships in large organizations.
• Strong understanding of software licensing models, hardware procurement lifecycles, maintenance agreements, and technology sourcing practices.
• Experience with ERP and procurement platforms such as SAP, Oracle, Ariba, Coupa, or similar systems is highly desirable.

Must-Have Skills

• Hardware Procurement
• Software Procurement
• Strategic Sourcing
• Vendor Management
• Contract Negotiation
• Supplier Relationship Management
• Procurement Operations
• Cost Optimization
• Spend Analysis
• Procurement Lifecycle Management
• RFx Management (RFI/RFP/RFQ)
• Purchase Order Management
• SLA & Contract Management
• Commercial Negotiation
• Cross-functional Stakeholder Management

Preferred Skills

• Cloud Procurement (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud)
• SaaS Licensing & Subscription Management
• IT Asset Management
• Category Management
• Procurement Analytics
• Risk Management
• Supplier Performance Management
• Procurement Automation Tools
• Financial Analysis
• Compliance & Governance