IT Procurement Lead

Key Responsibilities

• Define, execute, and continuously mature the enterprise IT procurement strategy, aligning spend, risk, and vendor decisions with IT and business priorities.
• Establish and maintain procurement policies, standards, approval frameworks, and controls for all IT-related purchases.
• Own and govern standard software and hardware catalogs, ensuring alignment with security, architecture, and support models.
• Partner with IT leadership to plan procurement strategies that support growth, modernization, and long-term technology roadmaps.
• Serve as the executive owner of strategic IT vendor relationships, including OEMs, ISVs, SaaS providers, cloud platforms, telecom, and service partners.
• Lead complex commercial negotiations covering pricing models, enterprise agreements, renewals, MSAs, DPAs, SLAs, and licensing terms.
• Partner closely with Legal, Finance, and Information Security to ensure contracts meet compliance, risk, privacy, and data protection requirements.
• Monitor vendor performance, financial exposure, and risk posture; drive vendor consolidation or remediation where needed.
• Provide senior oversight of enterprise software licensing, including complex and high-risk publishers (e.g., Microsoft, Autodesk, Adobe, security platforms).
• Ensure mature lifecycle management of IT assets—from acquisition through reclamation and disposal.
• Lead license optimization and reclamation strategies to eliminate waste and improve utilization.
• Ensure audit readiness across licensing, contracts, asset inventories, and procurement records.
• Act as the procurement subject-matter expert for M&A activities, including inherited vendor contracts and licensing agreements.
• Partner with IT, Finance, Legal, and Integration teams to ensure rapid stabilization and long-term optimization of acquired environments.
• Function as the lead-with-influence owner of the IT procurement team, mentoring specialists and setting clear expectations and standards.
• Define role clarity, operational handoffs, and scalable workflows across procurement activities.
• Prepare the procurement organization for growth through process design, skill development, and future people leadership.
• Transition into formal people leadership as the function matures and headcount expands.
• Partner with Finance and Accounts Payable to ensure forecast accuracy, budget alignment, chargeback consistency, and invoice integrity.
• Deliver executive-ready reporting on IT spend, vendor exposure, savings initiatives, and procurement KPIs.
• Identify and lead cost-optimization initiatives that balance financial discipline with operational and security requirements.
• Continuously improve procurement processes through simplification, standardization, and automation.
• Evaluate and implement tools or platforms that improve procurement visibility, controls, and reporting.
• Design procurement frameworks capable of scaling with organizational growth, geographic expansion, and acquisitions.

Qualifications

• 8–12+ years of progressive experience in IT procurement, strategic sourcing, vendor management, or technology finance.
• Demonstrated experience owning enterprise-level vendor relationships and complex commercial negotiations.
• Strong background in software licensing models and contract governance.
• Experience supporting or leading procurement activities during mergers and acquisitions strongly preferred.
• Prior mentorship or functional leadership experience preferred; direct people management experience a plus.
• Deep understanding of enterprise IT procurement best practices, vendor models, and contract structures.
• Strong negotiation skills with a demonstrated ability to drive measurable business outcomes.
• Executive-level communication skills; able to translate complex details into clear, decision-ready guidance.
• High operational rigor, attention to detail, and commitment to compliance and auditability.
• Comfortable operating in fast-paced, evolving environments with multiple stakeholders and priorities.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Supply Chain, Information Technology, or a related field (equivalent experience accepted).