Global Strategic Sourcing Vice President - Technology

About this role

Business Unit Overview:

BlackRock Finance consists of finance professionals across several disciplines such as Financial Planning & Analysis, Treasury, Tax, Finance Controls, Global Strategic Sourcing (“GSS”), Finance Platform Support and Controllers. GSS is a global team, with team members primarily based in New York, Gurgaon, and Budapest. GSS aims to be an organization of trusted strategic sourcing advisors enabling BlackRock to achieve more value. The GSS team advises and supports business functions on all their supplier-related initiatives whether they involve supplier identification, evaluation, selection, negotiation, performance management or escalation management.   GSS seeks to avoid certain costs, deliver tangible cost reductions, furnish reliable analytical data and insights for improved decision making, and enable a socially responsible and diverse supplier base.

Background:

At BlackRock, we believe operational excellence is core to delivering long-term value—for our clients, our shareholders, and our people. We are seeking a dynamic Vice President in Technology Sourcing to join our Global Strategic Sourcing team, focused on executing high-impact initiatives that reshape our global sourcing landscape and optimize third-party spend across the enterprise.  This individual, reporting to the Technology Sourcing Category Lead in New York, will be amongst those driving a $200M external spend optimization initiative by identifying and accelerating high-impact sourcing opportunities as well as supporting the implementation of new policy / process changes for discretionary spend categories. The successful candidate will bring substantial category planning and tracking expertise and advanced analytics capabilities to shape sourcing strategies that directly support the firm’s multi-year operating income growth targets.

You’ll be instrumental in shaping our supplier ecosystem, driving cost efficiency, and enabling our operating model through supplier consolidation, nearshoring, and other strategic sourcing programs.

Principal duties include:

• Strategic Advisory: Serve as a strategic advisor to all levels of management on all matters related to sourcing and procurement, offering insights and recommendations to optimize the vendor portfolio and achieve corporate transformation objectives.  Build and deliver executive-ready presentations using advanced analytics (Power BI, SQL, Tableau) to support sourcing decisions and business cases.  Contribute to enterprise-wide cost optimization programs by identifying and accelerating high-impact sourcing initiatives.
• Sourcing Strategy Development: Conduct rigorous external spend analysis to uncover opportunities for cost optimization.  Design and execute comprehensive sourcing strategies to reduce cost, improve delivery resilience, and streamline vendor portfolios through competitive bidding, proofs-of-concepts, demand management, supplier consolidation, and process reengineering efforts that align with the company's overall business goals, ensuring cost-effectiveness, and quality. 
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with internal stakeholders to align sourcing strategies with enterprise cost targets and transformation goals.  Build and manage cross-functional cost optimization programs to drive accountability and transparency in sourcing decisions.
• Supplier Relationship Management: Build and maintain strong relationships with key suppliers, negotiating and drafting favorable terms into contracts, ensuring the highest standards of quality and service.
• Market Analysis: Conduct thorough market research and analysis to identify trends, risks, and opportunities within the supply chain, and prepare PowerPoint decks to support informed sourcing decision-making.
• Risk Management: Identify potential risks within the supply chain and develop mitigation plans to ensure business continuity and minimize disruptions.
• Cost Management: Implement cost-saving initiatives and strategies to reduce overall expenses without compromising on quality or performance.
• People Management: Recruit, coach, mentor, and indirectly manage junior staff as necessary.

Experience required:

• 8+ years of experience in strategic sourcing or supply chain strategy in a complex, global environment—ideally within financial services, tech, or consulting, with a proven track record of success in a technology-related strategic sourcing procurement role.  The individual must be well-versed with different software licensing pricing models.
• A passion for the technology sector, including a comprehensive understanding of IT market drivers, trends, and dynamics.
• Experience working with the likes of Microsoft, Oracle, SAP, AWS, Google, IBM, Citrix, and/or Adobe.
• Experience working in or partnering with a Financial Planning and Analytics function or other budget-setting and spend tracking function.
• Exceptional program and stakeholder management skills with a strong bias for execution.
• Strong command of procurement analytics and ability to translate data into actionable insights and persuasive narratives.
• Expertise with category planning, competitive bidding techniques (RFI, RFP, RFQ), creation of business cases, vendor selection, vendor risk due diligence, operations management, and vendor dispute/escalation management.
• Financial modelling skills to build multiple negotiation scenarios, total cost of ownership models, consumption models, and demand forecasts based on spend analytics and other data sources.
• Depth in drafting, redlining, and negotiating global contracts, including experience drafting service level agreements (SLAs).   This includes a solid understanding of contract law, including demonstrated ability to understand, interpret and articulate key legal terms in agreements.

Competencies:

• Highly strategic thinker with a proactive approach to challenges and opportunities, possessing superior analytical skills, including the ability to translate analyses into negotiation strategies and results
• Strong leadership and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively in a team-oriented environment, eliciting support for key initiatives from senior management and other key stakeholders, by building and delivering clear, well-structured presentations
• Detail-oriented and organized, with a commitment to excellence and continuous improvement.
• Adaptable and resilient, with the ability to thrive in a fast-paced and dynamic business environment and with the willingness to adapt working hours to meet business needs and deadlines, understanding that most of the BlackRock supplier portfolio is comprised of firms based in the United States.
• Proficient MS Office skills, including experience using CoPilot and other AI software products.

Education Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree, with preferences for Accounting, Finance, Computer Science, Engineering, Economics, Data Science, Operations Research, Technology or Supply Chain Management, or Entrepreneurship.
• Advanced degrees in Business, the Sciences, Engineering, Law, or related areas are a plus.

Our benefits

To help you stay energized, engaged and inspired, we offer a wide range of employee benefits including: retirement investment and tools designed to help you in building a sound financial future; access to education reimbursement; comprehensive resources to support your physical health and emotional well-being; family support programs; and Flexible Time Off (FTO) so you can relax, recharge and be there for the people you care about.

Our hybrid work model

BlackRock’s hybrid work model is designed to enable a culture of collaboration and apprenticeship that enriches the experience of our employees, while supporting flexibility for all. Employees are currently required to work at least 4 days in the office per week, with the flexibility to work from home 1 day a week. Some business groups may require more time in the office due to their roles and responsibilities. We remain focused on increasing the impactful moments that arise when we work together in person – aligned with our commitment to performance and innovation. As a new joiner, you can count on this hybrid model to accelerate your learning and onboarding experience here at BlackRock.

About BlackRock

At BlackRock, we are all connected by one mission: to help more and more people experience financial well-being.  Our clients, and the people they serve, are saving for retirement, paying for their children’s educations, buying homes and starting businesses. Their investments also help to strengthen the global economy: support businesses small and large; finance infrastructure projects that connect and power cities; and facilitate innovations that drive progress.

This mission would not be possible without our smartest investment – the one we make in our employees. It’s why we’re dedicated to creating an environment where our colleagues feel welcomed, valued and supported with networks, benefits and development opportunities to help them thrive.

For additional information on BlackRock, please visit @blackrock | Twitter: @blackrock | LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/blackrock

BlackRock is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.  We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to age, disability, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation and other protected characteristics at law.