Telecoms Procurement Manager

An extraordinarily talented group of individuals work together every day to drive TNS’ success, from both professional and personal perspectives. Come join the excellence!

Overview

An extraordinarily talented group of individuals work together every day to drive TNS’ success, from both professional and personal perspectives. Come join the excellence!

Overview

TNS are looking for a Telecoms Procurement Manager responsible for the EMEA region. This role is both commercial and operational with a strong focus on TNS’ colocation sites and telecoms vendors covering voice, broadband, leased lines and mobile.

As our Telecoms Procurement Manager, you will support the Vice President of EMEA Operations in ensuring that TNS’ vendors are providing the expected levels of service and value to the TNS business. The commercial element of the role will focus on identifying and driving cost savings in the business, negotiating vendor contracts, supporting the sales teams by negotiating quotes from TNS’ telecom vendors and executing on TNS’ vendor strategy ensuring a level of value creation that enables TNS to provide excellent service. As a candidate with strong commercial acumen, the Vendor Manager will also be responsible for supporting the EMEA Procurement team in negotiating contracts with non-telecom vendors (covering hardware, software, services etc).

From an operational perspective the Telecoms Procurement Manager will be an escalation point for other teams such as Service Delivery and the Network Operations Centre to carry out account level vendor escalations. You will work closely with a range of Internal Stakeholders to ensure that the vendors are providing the service that the business requires, ensuring that agreed SLA’s are in line with ITIL best practice.

TNS are looking for a candidate comfortable dealing with C level engagement. The Telecoms Procurement Manager will chair Service Review Meetings (SRMs), resolve operational issues that the BAU teams cannot manage and support Problem Management within TNS. This position has influence within TNS and would enable the Telecoms Procurement Manager to continue to mould both this role and to set the strategy regarding TNS’ colocation and telecom vendors going forward.

Responsibilities

• Demonstrate leadership in development of long-term colocation and telco contracts with key vendors across EMEA ensuring in the creation of increased value to TNS
• Chair regular vendor Service Review Meetings with the support of stakeholders to report and review vendor performance with the focus being on overall performance in delivery of services and compliance
• Responsible for developing and executing on cash generation activities in the region to hit the region’s agreed targets
• Implement vendor selection programs (RFI, RFQ, RFP) to ensure that the best vendors are secured when new opportunities arise
• Work closely with TNS teams to ensure that vendors are meeting the expected service levels and address if any exceptions arise
• Troubleshooting vendor issues such as purchase orders, delivery schedules, technical documentation, product queries, pricing models, SLAs and contractual obligations
• Experience of working with network routing maps in identifying resiliency, underlying cable systems and latency of certain routes
• Monitor compliance of preferred colocation and telco vendors; Resolve or escalate important colocation and telco vendor performance, compliance, and pricing/billing issues
• Support negotiation teams in complex sales opportunities with global and key accounts
• Coordinate with a team of procurement professionals; Assist with purchasing efficiency to ensure work aligns with contract terms and conditions
• Support TNS product managers as an interface between them and TNS’ key vendors
• Ensure good governance by continuing to develop the Vendor Management strategy and policies ensuring adherence to these
• Represent TNS at conferences and build strong relationships with key strategic vendors

Qualifications

Education, Requirements and Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain management, business administration, or related field
• Strong commercial and operational experience of working with colocation partners and telecom vendors in EMEA with 10+ years vendor relations ideally working with major hardware and software vendors
• Experience within the Financial Markets, Telecommunications and Payments would Markets be advantageous
• Experienced in negotiating Master Service Agreements (MSAs) and other contracts with a strong commercial acumen on what makes a good contract
• ITIL Foundation qualified or understanding the basics of ITIL and operational excellence would be advantageous
• Knowledgeable of fixed network technologies such as broadband, leased lines, wavelength and dark fibre as well mobile experience
• Experience of running SRMs, escalating issues to senior management at vendors and Problem Management
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills

If you are passionate about technology, people-engagement, love personal growth and opportunity, come see what TNS is about!

If you are passionate about technology, love personal growth and opportunity, come see what TNS is all about!

TNS is an equal opportunity employer. TNS evaluates qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, protected veteran status, disability/handicap status or any other legally protected characteristic.

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