Procurement Lead - Professional Services

Position Summary

ZEISS India is seeking a proactive and analytical Procurement Lead - Professional Services to manage and optimize procurement across the organization’s professional services category. This includes sourcing and managing vendors for consulting, legal, audit, tax advisory, HR services, marketing, training, and other third-party professional services.

The candidate will lead vendor negotiations, drive digital procurement transformation, and build efficient, compliant, and value-driven indirect procurement processes across all ZEISS India functions: Sales & Service, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Facilities & Real Estate, and the Global Capability Center (GCC).

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Category Management

• Develop and implement category strategies for professional services tailored to the business needs of each functional area.
• Manage the entire sourcing lifecycle from market analysis, RFP creation, supplier evaluation, and negotiation to contracting.
• Actively benchmark supplier performance, industry pricing trends, and identify opportunities for cost optimization and value addition.

2. Vendor Sourcing & Relationship Management

• Build a robust supplier base for professional services including legal, financial advisory, management consulting, marketing & branding agencies, HR services, and training vendors.
• Lead commercial and contractual negotiations to secure the best terms, ensuring alignment with ZEISS’s legal, compliance, and operational standards.
• Establish strong governance and performance tracking mechanisms such as SLAs, KPIs, and quarterly business reviews.

3. Digital Procurement & Transformation

• Lead the digital enablement of the professional services procurement function using e-sourcing platforms like SAP Ariba, Coupa, or equivalent.
• Champion automation in supplier onboarding, RFP processing, contract management, and spend analytics.
• Implement dashboards and analytics tools to track category performance and improve decision-making.

4. Risk, Compliance & Governance

• Ensure full compliance with ZEISS’s internal procurement policies, financial controls, and statutory regulations related to services procurement.
• Mitigate vendor and project risks through detailed contract terms, proper documentation, and continuous compliance audits.
• Drive initiatives that promote diversity, equity, and sustainability in the sourcing of professional services.

5. Cross-functional Collaboration

• Act as a trusted sourcing partner to functions like Legal, HR, Finance, IT, Marketing, Manufacturing, and GCC leadership.
• Understand diverse stakeholder needs and help articulate business cases for vendor selection and investment.
• Provide sourcing insights and updates to senior management on supplier performance, cost optimization, and market dynamics.

Qualifications

• Education:

  Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Finance, Engineering, or a related field. MBA or certification in Supply Chain Management (e.g., CIPS, ISM) is highly desirable.

• Experience:

  7 - 10 years in strategic sourcing/procurement with a strong track record in managing professional services categories in a multinational or matrixed environment.
• Deep understanding of commercial and legal contracting, professional fee structures, and consulting engagement models.
• Familiarity with procurement tools like SAP/S4HANA, Jaggaer, Coupa, or similar digital platforms.

Core Competencies

• Strategic Sourcing & Vendor Management
• Legal & Commercial Negotiation Expertise
• Digital Fluency in Procurement Platforms
• Category Intelligence in Professional Services
• Analytical & Financial Acumen
• Strong Interpersonal and Stakeholder Engagement Skills
• Process Governance & Compliance Awareness
• Results-Oriented with a Continuous Improvement Mindset

Why ZEISS?

ZEISS is a global leader in optics and optoelectronics, renowned for innovation and precision. As a part of ZEISS India’s procurement transformation, you will shape the future of how we source and partner with professional service providers. Your expertise will directly contribute to enabling excellence across our Sales & Service teams, Manufacturing sites, Real Estate operations, and the Global Capability Center.

Join us and see beyond what’s possible.