Job Title: Lead Specialist, Procurement
Description: In this role, you will be responsible for software sourcing and contracting strategy. This role aligns with industry titles such as Software Procurement category Leader or Software Licencing Manager
Summary Description
In today's rapidly evolving technological landscape, software category leadership is crucial to align an enterprise strategy for software procurement, to cover sourcing, partner management, tiering and license contracting. Additionally, a software category leader is important to ensure that organizations effectively leverage external software technology partnerships to optimize the enterprise software, achieve strategic goals, maximize value, drive innovation, and mitigate risk.
Scope
This role is responsible for the software sourcing and contracting strategy, across both center enterprise technology teams and Pearson business unit divisions. The role is also responsible for the management of activities related to software deal support and renewal pipeline management. The individual will build strong, trusted relationships with internal and external stakeholders to help the business deliver both tactical and strategic directives. They will support the wider Technology Procurement team on key projects and process initiatives across the category when required.
Key Responsibilities
● Support strategic software sourcing and contracting
● Maintain and manage enterprise-wide software renewal schedules
● Collaborate with internal stakeholders to align software vendors with business objectives
● Facilitating monthly and quarterly business reviews with strategic software partners and internal stakeholders
● Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and internal policies. Support dispute resolution if issues arise
● Provide data, analytics, and reporting to procurement team and leaders as needed
● Support the end-to-end software request and approval process in conjunction with the separate Software Asset Management (SAM) team
● Provide training to stakeholders on processes and best practices
Qualifications/Experience/Education
● Software procurement category and software vendor management experience
● Technology procurement sourcing and contracting
● Experience with Procurement technologies (CLM, RFP, etc) and enterprise tools – Jira, Sharepoint, Microsoft Suite/Copilot, Smart Sheets, Ironclad, Service Now, etc.
● Able to influence internal and external stakeholders, executives, and leaders
● Articulate with strong communication, people, and leadership skills
● Experience of working with both virtual and physical global teams
● Strong problem solving and change management ability
● Evidence of managing strategic relationships and technology contracts
● Natural ability to interact positively with all internal stakeholders across cultures, countries, and professional disciplines
● Able to maintain impartiality and drive business outcomes
● Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field
Skills Required
- Software procurement category and software vendor management experience
- Technology procurement sourcing and contracting
- Experience with procurement technologies and enterprise tools (CLM, RFP, SAM, Jira, SharePoint, Microsoft Suite/Copilot, Smartsheet, Ironclad, ServiceNow)
- Ability to influence internal and external stakeholders, executives, and leaders
- Strong communication, people, and leadership skills
- Experience working with virtual and physical global teams
- Strong problem solving and change management ability
- Evidence of managing strategic relationships and technology contracts
- Ability to interact positively across cultures, countries, and disciplines
- Ability to maintain impartiality and drive business outcomes
- Bachelor's degree in a relevant field
What We Do
We are the world’s learning company with more than 22,500 employees operating in 70 countries. We provide content, assessment and digital services to learners, educational institutions, employers, governments and other partners globally. We are committed to helping equip learners with the skills they need to enhance their employability prospects and to succeed in the changing world of work. We believe that wherever learning flourishes so do people.
