Strategic Buyer

The World Economic Forum, committed to improving the state of the world, is the international organisation for public-private cooperation.

The Forum engages the foremost political, business and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas.

Why we are recruiting

The Forum Procurement is going through a transformation journey where the End to End Source to Pay (S2P) processes are being reviewed with a focus on Supplier Selection,   Contract Management, Purchasing and Compliance.

The Forum is recruiting for a strategic buyer who will be involved on key indirect categories as well as on-going end-user support with related systems and processes. This is an excellent opportunity for a procurement professional to further develop experience in the indirect procurement spectrum.

Reporting Lines & Interactions

• The Strategic Buyer will report to the Procurement function, which sits under the Chief Finance Officer. The successful candidate will be in day-to-day interaction with a variety of internal stakeholders, as well as working closely with teams involved into end-to-end S2P operations, such as Accounts Payable/ Financial planning/ Legal and Compliance team and technical support teams as required. (S)he will manage end to end process from stakeholder engagement at the requirement phase, RFPs, supplier onboarding and contract review and signatures.

Breakdown of main responsibilities

• Strategic Sourcing of Indirect procurement categories (such as IT services, Hospitality, General Services, Travel, Events, Corporate Services as assigned by the Head of Procurement.    

• Collaborate with, listen to, educate and influence internal stakeholders. Build successful business relationships and develop pipeline of activities.

• Manage end to end tactical or strategic sourcing initiatives to ensure best value for money and service, and quality satisfaction. Executing negotiations (including contracts) and driving competitive bidding processes.

• Supplier management for selected categories.

• Perform spend and market data analysis, identify synergies, produce recommendations and reporting for the assigned Category(ies).

• Define and negotiate preferred supplier list for own category seeking both process efficiency and best commercial terms.

• Ensure compliance with Procurement Policies, standard operating procedures and guidelines. Including the retention of relevant data  for audit purposes     .

• Provide guidance to stakeholders to ensure compliance, process improvement and best value for money (Sourcing initiatives, negotiations, RFP/RFX, contract reviews, supplier management).    

• Take on (contribute to, or lead) projects or business improvement activities as assigned by the Head of Procurement.

• Actively take part in continuous improvement of the new S2P process, communication and effective change management, with a focus on driving operational efficiencies.

The successful candidate will be      

  Enabler & facilitator

•  Ability to establish collaborative working relationships (Internal & External)

• Ability to manage and support complex, cross departmental projects

• Customer Service attitude

•  Positive, ‘can-do’ attitude, open-mindedness

• Ability to work with a broad range of people from different backgrounds, cultures, and seniority levels

 Communicator

• Demonstrated ability to write clear, concise memos, presentations, case studies and to explain complex matters with well-constructed summaries

• Ability to clearly and credibly express ideas or facts orally and in writing

Influencer & negotiator

• Strong influencing skills (Internal & external)

• Strong negotiation and communication skills

• Diplomacy and flexibility are key

Value driver

• Demonstrates accountability, ‘ownership’ and timeliness in all activities

• High sense of achievement and confidentiality coupled with strong work ethics

• High attention to detail

• Strong analytical and presentation skills

• Willingness to share knowledge and drive positive change

• Ability to challenge status quo in a constructive way and propose solutions    

Preferred Requirements and Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree, preferably with Professional Procurement Qualifications (CIPS, etc.)

• Previous experience in procurement/sourcing activities of indirect categories. Ideally IT, Travel and Facilities, HR.

• 5 to 7 years’ prior relevant procurement experience

• Strong analytical skills, attention to detail. Ease with data collection and analysis.

• Strong work ethic and sense of compliance.

• Customized customer-oriented, problem-solver - solutions’ finder mindset

• Flexible, creative, curious

• Strong stakeholder management, adaptability due to the diverse nature of indirect spend categories and varying stakeholder needs. 

• Strong communication and presentation skills.

• Operational excellence, customer satisfaction and very important a ”can-do” attitude

• Previous experience in procurement software implementation and / or policies (S2C and/or P2P) is desirable

• English and French Business communication fluency (written and spoken )

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Why work at the Forum:

The Forum believes that progress happens by bringing together people from all walks of life who have the drive and the influence to improve the state of the world by building awareness and cooperation, shaping mindsets and agendas, and driving collective action. Join us and become a driver for positive change!