As the Global Procurement Lead & Category Director, Technology you will be accountable for category teams managing sourcing projects across the entire Technology category portfolio and all of the sub categories therein working closely with teams in delivery centers around the globe.

In this role, you will need to be able to work in a blended environment of category dedicated team and shared services while having the ability to effectively collaborate and influence across the Procurement+ organization in the following areas: Maximize resource utilization to ensure optimal productivity; Ability to be nimble in maintaining the right resource level and mixture; Assist in developing and career tracking resources newer in their professional career; Lead category planning, strategy and execution of plans for the category; demonstrate mastery in the category and strategic development and performance delivery of the sourcing function.

• Lead the P+ Technology Category
• Establish Executive relationships to drive aligned multiyear strategies and enabling agreements with P+ Executive Leadership Team & with the business stakeholders who own the budgets and client relationships.
• Engage with a broad base of senior stakeholders across the organization and business verticals (both Technology and other business functions with technology requirements) to build consensus and drive strategies that will consistently deliver value for Accenture
• Domain comprises of all sub-categories (e.g. Hardware, Software, Telecom or Managed Services) and areas of expertise across business/application field/industry/function supported (e.g. Health & Life Sciences, Security, Industry X.0, V&A…)
• Accountable for developing the Best-in-class, Global category strategy, vision and approach to enabling the vision in the Markets and in the MUs in close alignment with the broader P+ goals/objectives and direction of travel, including Market / MU priorities, if any.
• Accountable for implementation of the Global category and Domain strategy
• Accountable to drive sourcing activities consistent with Global and Domain strategy
• Drive and measure category value and excellent service while ensuring compliance with category strategy and policies
• Drive project pipeline and forecast of sourcing activity
• Continuously design, innovate & improve on the execution of sourcing to lead in the new
• Review operational results and identify opportunities for process changes
• Provide coaching, mentoring and guidance to team leads on stakeholder and project management, with a special emphasis on collaboration, customer focus, delivery excellence, and continuous improvement
• Lead the P+ Technology Category strategy interface with the Ecosystem Supplier Management team:
  • Establish targeted executive relationships to drive aligned multiyear strategies and enabling agreements supporting ESM and Client Deal Team projects
  • Accountable for strategy in alignment with Accenture strategic initiatives and the P+/ESM collaboration model
  • Accountable to implement Global/Market/MU/Domain category strategy and sourcing agreements
  • Drive and measure category value and excellent service while ensuring compliance with strategy and policies
  • Functional or managerial responsibility for P+ team members allocated to this activity
  • Drive project pipeline and forecast of sourcing activity
  • Manage the P+ Technology category team and client, stakeholder relationships
• Functional or managerial responsibility for P+ team members within the Category organization globally & manage direct reports and/or targeted positions including target setting, performance review, and career and training development
• Set stakeholder objectives and obtain ownership buy-in
• Assess impact of domain and changing requirements, including legislation and policies
• Actively support roll-out of Global/Market category development initiatives
• Support strong and robust procurement and category infrastructure aimed at optimizing activities
• Create strong stakeholder and supplier relationships by having regular executive meetings and/or being included in executive staff meetings/reviews
• Ensure execution and measure of the yearly action plans to improve the category performance
• Actively participate in category community calls and foster team spirit and collaboration
• Adopt a cross-category mindset and share Technology knowledge & best practices with team members from other categories Ensure implementation of procurement initiatives and sourcing agreements:
  • Coordinate resource allocation to support Global/Market/MU initiatives and ensure successful rollout
  • Lead and support strategic category management and procurement activities • Support Global/Market/MU category execution by setting implementation plans and measurements/reporting
  • Identify, support and implement other improvement initiatives e.g. specification optimization
  • Promote the use of contracts and buying channels according to category strategies

• Collaborative in nature to effectively manage relationships with both internal and external stakeholders
• Exceptional track record of building relationships with stakeholders that have resulted in high customer satisfaction
• Knowledge of our end-to-end processes (contracting, P2P, account management) and inclination towards process improvement
• General business acumen and ability to manage overall sourcing delivery for a portfolio of clients
• Knowledge of how and when to escalate
• Professional Skills:
  • Demonstrated capability working in a multi-function team environment, including effective influence management
  • Demonstrated ability to effectively lead formal strategic sourcing efforts related to Technology category
  • Comfort with ambiguity and proven ability to figure things out
  • Ability to act independently and can interface with customers and suppliers
• Bachelor’s Degree
• Minimum of 15 years of Procurement experience with at least 7-10yrs in the Technology category
• Minimum of 5 years of people management, supervisory or mentoring experience

Bonus Points

• Strong leadership skills – proven ability to attract, build, mentor and direct a high-performing cohesive team
• Collaborative mindset and ability to partner well with colleagues
• Experience leading cross-functional teams through a defined sourcing process
• Excellent communication, organization/time management, and problem-solving skills
• Exceptional time management skills