Senior Associate, Specialist Technology Procurement, Technology & Operations

Business Function

Group Technology and Operations (T&O) enables and empowers the bank with an efficient, nimble and resilient infrastructure through a strategic focus on productivity, quality & control, technology, people capability and innovation. In Group T&O, we manage the majority of the Bank's operational processes and inspire to delight our business partners through our multiple banking delivery channels.

Job Description

A specialistTechnology Procurement shall be driving strategic sourcing, contract negotiations, and vendor governance for critical IT infrastructure, software, and services. [1, 2, 3]

Role Overview

• Department: Group Procurement / Technology & Operations
• Key Focus: Driving cost optimization, mitigating third-party risk, and ensuring strict regulatory compliance in a highly secure financial environment. [1, 2, 3]

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Sourcing & Category Management:

• Lead end-to-end procurement projects for major technology portfolios, including IT Infrastructure – Switches, Routers, Storage, core banking applications, cybersecurity solutions, data centers, and IT professional services.
• Develop multi-year category strategies aligned with the bank's digital transformation and operational goals.

Commercial Negotiation & Cost Optimization:

• Drive complex commercial negotiations with major tier-1 technology vendors to achieve Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) reductions.
• Establish pricing models, volume discounts, and favorable service level agreements (SLAs).
• Conduct Reverse Auctions to discover pricing

Risk & Regulatory Compliance:

• Ensure all technology vendor engagements adhere to financial regulatory frameworks
• Partner with Risk, Information Security, and Legal teams to perform vendor due diligence and risk assessments.

Vendor Lifecycle & Relationship Management (SRM):

• Manage strategic vendor performance reviews, contract renewals, dispute resolution, and vendor rationalization.

Stakeholder & Team Leadership:

• Collaborate with internal business partners (CIOs, CTOs, Finance, and Legal) to forecast technology demand and streamline the procure-to-pay (P2P) lifecycle.

Job Requirements

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Engineering with MBA from reputed institute shall be an added advantage
• Experience: 8 to 10 years of progressive experience in IT procurement, strategic sourcing, or commercial management, with significant exposure to a regulated banking or financial services environment.
• Technical Knowledge: Deep understanding of software licensing metrics, cloud consumption models, hardware infrastructure, and IT service agreements.
• Skills: Advanced contract negotiation, Advance excel skills, executive-level stakeholder management, financial modeling (TCO/ROI analysis), and risk mitigation.
• Tools & Certifications: Familiarity with e-procurement platforms, COUPA etc