Sourcing Senior Specialist

About the Role

This role ensures effective operation, strategic alignment, and integration of global sourcing and IT supply chain activities across all NTT Operating Companies. It carries accountability for the overall performance of the IT supply chain within NTT Global Sourcing, including ownership of key functional, operational, and strategic objectives. The position is responsible for executing business plans, delivering savings targets, and driving sourcing initiatives that support NTT’s global IT supply chain.

The role supports and helps implement the overarching sourcing strategy across NTT’s multi-billion-dollar annual spend in hardware, software, and related IT services. This includes ensuring that all sourcing activities align with NTT Global Sourcing priorities and broader corporate goals, while contributing to consistent, optimized, and strategically guided procurement practices across the organization.

Responsibilities

• Support and help manage all elements of the strategy, including reducing cost, improving operational performance, mitigating risk, and enhancing the overall financial performance of NTT through its acquisition and management of IT assets.
• Manage the strategy on an ongoing basis, ensuring it is communicated and adhered to across all regions and Operating Companies. This includes assembling and leading cross-functional teams to drive the IT Supply Chain and Sourcing strategy.
• Partner with stakeholders in Operating Companies, Accounts, Delivery, Alliances, and Global Procurement (GP) on IT cost savings and performance improvement initiatives.
• Work alongside other Procurement leaders and teams, as well as leadership across NTT Operating Companies, to analyze spend, assess market forces in the IT industry, and evaluate current commercial arrangements to identify and drive improvement opportunities.
• Develop working relationships with key internal stakeholders to ensure IT requirements are defined and demand is accurately reflected.
• Partner with NTT Operating Companies to drive improved operational performance, such as supply/demand planning, cycle times, forecasting, maintenance practices, and contractual compliance.
• Manage contract lifecycle and operational activities, including amendments, target tracking, and maintaining records in relevant project management systems.
• Analyze historical spend and asset usage data from multiple sources to create data-driven roadmaps for cost reductions and operational improvements.
• Assess current practices within NTT Global Sourcing and Operating Companies across IT sub-categories involving multiple vendors, and collaborate with stakeholders to develop comprehensive supply chain strategies.
• Evaluate industry best practices and pricing benchmarks, compare them across Operating Companies, accounts, business units, and regions, and develop gap analyses to identify savings and improvement opportunities.
• Develop strategies to close gaps, delivering improved economics and operational performance to NTT.
• Document IT technical and service level requirements where none exist and obtain stakeholder alignment.
• Analyze current IT agreements for alignment with end-customer agreements and implement strategies to improve alignment where misalignments exist.
• Work across multiple accounts and delivery organizations globally to build aggregated demand forecasts for common hardware components and incorporate them into negotiation strategies to increase buying power.
• Analyze asset acquisition practices to identify opportunities for cost reduction and risk mitigation, and partner with account leadership and regional delivery leads to drive these initiatives.
• Communicate effectively with leadership and influence business stakeholders on strategic initiatives involving change management.
• Perform financial analysis, including investment ROI, lease vs. buy modeling, capital planning, asset valuation, make vs. buy modeling, and "should cost" analysis, and communicate findings effectively with Finance organizations.

Requirements

• Minimum 8 years of experience in progressively challenging roles in supply chain management, strategic sourcing, and/or category management, primarily within the Information Technology space.
• Minimum 3 years of experience in IT cloud sourcing and contracting.
• Experience sourcing Microsoft (MSFT), AWS, or Google Cloud Platform (GCP) products and services at a global level, with a fair understanding of their contracting, product, and service terminologies.
• Hands-on experience managing a category of IT spend and delivery on a global or regional basis, with a demonstrated track record of driving cost savings and performance improvement.
• Experience in supplier relationship and vendor management, including conducting business reviews with suppliers.
• Strong understanding of IT vendor sales and pricing models, as well as support and maintenance services from major global IT vendors.
• Demonstrated ability to manage commercial and strategic relationships with Tier-1 IT suppliers on a global basis.
• In-depth knowledge and experience in managing supply chain, sourcing, and/or procurement for IT sub-categories such as software, SaaS, IT hardware (EUC and servers), and security software is an advantage.
• Experience defining and driving key aspects of supply chain operational excellence in a global, multi-business unit environment, including demand planning, forecasting, maintenance optimization, and performance measurement.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in Engineering, Science, Mathematics, Computer Science, Information Technology, or an equivalent technical discipline.
• An advanced degree in one of these disciplines and/or an MBA is preferred.
• Fluent written and verbal English is required.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong analytical skills with attention to detail and the ability to maintain data and project hygiene.
• Self-starting, proactive, and self-learning with the ability to assess complex data and develop coherent, data-driven roadmaps.
• Ability to analyze current practices and collaborate with stakeholders to forge comprehensive supply chain strategies.
• Proficiency in assessing industry best practices and pricing benchmarks to identify savings and improvement opportunities.
• Strong verbal, presentation, and written communication skills, with the ability to influence business stakeholders and leadership on strategic initiatives.
• Solid knowledge of financial analysis, including investment ROI, lease vs. buy modeling, capital planning, asset valuation, make vs. buy modeling, and "should cost" analysis.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications.

Impact & Scope

Regularly interacts and engages with senior executives internally and externally. Works across multiple businesses, cultures, and regions to meet business needs in a cost-effective manner.