Wireless Procurement Specialist
JOB DESCRIPTION:
Reporting to the Senior Manager of Access Networks Material Procurement, the Procurement Specialist position is an essential role within the Procurement and Supply Chain department. The successful candidate will have knowledge of hardware and commodities as it relates to the Wireless and/or Cable Access Networks and will become an expert on this spend category. The candidate will be quickly recognized by the business partner as a valued contributor in helping implement commercial strategies on capital programs and projects. This individual must be an excellent communicator with proven ability to influence at all levels within the organization.
The successful candidate will be responsible for setting savings targets for the spend category and be accountable for working collaboratively with other groups within Procurement and with our business partners in Network and Finance to realize those savings through market tenders and negotiations. The individual will need to work across different pillars within the organization to corral and drive the overarching procurement point-of-view and to realize the desired outcomes. The Procurement Specialist will cultivate a strong rapport with key technical, business and finance stakeholders / partners based on foundational trust, respect, collaboration, cooperation and help in achieving their business objectives. The Procurement Specialist will work closely with leaders within the vendor marketplace.
You’ll be focused on capital inititives such as:
• Create and maintain comprehensive category strategies based on category historic spend, top suppliers, marketplace intelligence, new entrants, disruptors, issues, gaps, opportunities, innovations, new products, industry trends, competitive intelligence, commercial models, delivery models, best practices, business direction, budget requirements and other factors
• Execute sourcing events, product set-up and securing materials for new and ongoing Network programs/projects
• Take full end-to-end ownership of the overarching and integrated spend category strategy to drive category transformation and short / medium / long term saving targets
• Act as the primary interface to key category business stakeholders
• Provide category leadership and direction to business partners and the Sourcing & Supplier Management team
• Influence the business with respect to gaining buy-in and alignment on the category strategy
• Drive relationships with key suppliers
• Identify cost savings objectives for the category and drive the total cost of ownership reductions
• Aggregate demand to leverage our scale and scope to drive standardization and cost savings
• Ensure procurement cost saving challenges are built into the capital and operating budgets and Procurement’s projects and efforts are aligned to meet budget expectations
• Ensure procurement projects and savings are tracked against the budget and targets
• Manage the analysis of spend data to assist with the identification of sourcing and cost take-out opportunities
• Assist in additional analytical related activities including but not limited to compliance, catalogue adoption rates, procurement metrics and dashboards, etc.
What you bring:
-Deep knowledge of procuring Cable or Wireless Access Networks hardware and commodities which may include the following:
-Equipment enclosures, power systems & batteries, test equipment, etc.
-Coaxial Passives: Splitters, couplers, taps, cabling & assemblies, connectors, etc.
-Electrical Passive: Power cabling & assemblies, power distribution bars, Category cabling, modular plugs, connectors, RJ-x patch panels, etc.
-Equipment Housing & Cable Management: Basic equipment enclosures wireline cabinets, vaults, peds, 19/23″ racks/server racks, cable tray, indoor fiber trough, etc.
-Optical Passives: Pads, equalizers, attenuators, fiber splice enclosure, fiber trays & splitter, fiber patch panels & patch cables, outdoor fiber jumpers, etc.
-Infrastructure Cabling: Coax hardline cabling, drop cabling & connectors, FTTx fiber cabling (FlexNap, ABF/Microduct, direct buried), FTTA (DC and Fiber) cabling, etc.
-Towers and Steel Structures: Towers, foundation rebar, dampening system, steel mounts (pinwheel, ballast, chair), radio and MISC. mounts, etc.
MUST HAVE:
• 3-7+ years of relevant work experience in the wireless or comparative industry preferably in Network, or managing an Access Network Services category in a procurement setting
• Knowledge of category’s market trends and impacts to cost structures
• Strong relationship building and business acumen are required. Needs to be able to quickly establish credibility and influence with business stakeholders
• Excellent interpersonal and communication (verbal and written) skills. Ability to communicate / present complex topics to executive leaders and to “sell” by influencing their thinking and decisions
• Requires proficiency in Microsoft products including PowerPoint, Word, Excel and Project
• University/post-secondary degree required in engineering, computer science, business, commerce or economics. An MBA or M. Eng. is desirable but not required
NICE TO HAVE:
• Demonstrated mastery of Strategic Sourcing practices is preferred but not mandatory
ADDITIONAL SKILLS:
• Ability to deal effectively with ambiguity and resolve multi-party conflicts to get to the “right answer”
• Ability to be resilient when faced with opposition with a solutions mentality
• Works collaboratively with members of their team and stakeholders across the business and seeks input as needed
• Understands the power dynamic within the spend category and will create his/her own network for success
• Must be a motivated self-starter and quick study of complicated technical topics
• Experience leading high level negotiations for technical products and services
• Proven analytical and problem-solving skills are required, as well as excellent attention to accuracy and detail
• Proven ability to be adaptable in a fast paced, consistently changing environment
• Must be able to create comprehensive project plans and execute with discipline