Description
Principal Manager - Procurement Excellence & Sourcing Governance – DubaiJob PurposeA leading multinational Telecommunication organization is seeking a Principal Procurement Excellence & Sourcing Governance professional to drive procurement transformation, governance, compliance, process excellence, and data-driven decision making across a complex, international operating environment.This is a high-impact role for an experienced procurement, supply chain governance, or operational excellence specialist who combines strong process expertise with advanced analytics capabilities to improve sourcing compliance, strengthen controls, optimize procurement performance, and reduce organizational risk.The successful candidate will work closely with global procurement leaders, category teams, risk functions, and business stakeholders to deliver procurement best practices, governance frameworks, supplier risk controls, and continuous improvement initiativesKey ResponsibilitiesLead and continuously enhance procurement governance, sourcing compliance, and procurement assurance activities across multiple business units, ensuring adherence to established procurement policies, delegated authority frameworks, and organisational standards.Develop, implement, and maintain robust procurement policies, governance frameworks, operating procedures, control libraries, and compliance mechanisms that promote transparency, auditability, consistency, and best-practice procurement management.Drive end-to-end procurement process optimisation initiatives, leveraging data analytics, automation, and operational excellence methodologies to improve efficiency, reduce cycle times, eliminate process bottlenecks, and strengthen procurement outcomes.Design and implement predictive compliance monitoring, risk detection models, automated controls, and governance reporting capabilities that proactively identify sourcing risks, policy deviations, and control weaknesses before they impact business performance.Oversee sourcing governance activities across RFx processes, supplier evaluation methodologies, award recommendations, and procurement decision-making to ensure compliance with internal policies, regulatory requirements, and recognised procurement best practices.Champion supplier due diligence, supplier risk management, contract compliance, and supplier performance governance, ensuring effective mitigation of operational, financial, commercial, and reputational risks throughout the procurement lifecycle.Partner with category management, sourcing, legal, risk, compliance, and business stakeholders to identify process inefficiencies, strengthen governance controls, and deliver sustainable procurement transformation initiatives.Conduct compliance assessments, governance reviews, and post-award audits to validate sourcing decisions, improve accountability, and ensure transparency throughout procurement and supplier selection activities.Support the establishment and continuous refinement of enterprise-wide risk mitigation programmes, ensuring procurement controls remain effective and aligned with evolving business requirements and market conditions.Monitor supplier quality, sourcing compliance levels, and procurement control effectiveness, implementing corrective actions where required and promoting a culture of continuous improvement and operational excellence.Act as a subject matter expert for procurement governance, compliance management, process excellence, and analytics, providing guidance, coaching, and best-practice recommendations to procurement teams and stakeholders.Promote the adoption of leading procurement technologies, governance tools, and digital solutions to strengthen procurement visibility, control effectiveness, supplier oversight, and overall procurement maturity.Required Skills & CompetenciesInterested in speaking with professionals from procurement excellence, procurement transformation, supply chain governance, sourcing governance, operational excellence, process improvement, procurement analytics, or procurement risk management backgrounds.Essential Experience13+ years of experience within Procurement, Supply Chain, Strategic Sourcing, Governance, Risk, or Operational Excellence environments.7+ years experience in procurement governance, compliance management, and process controls.Proven experience using data analytics to drive process improvement, supply chain governance compliance monitoring, and business performance.Experience with procurement systems such as SAP, Oracle, Coupa, Ariba, Ivalua, or similar platforms.Knowledge of supplier risk management, sourcing governance, procurement policy, and control frameworks.Exposure to Python, R, data science, spend analytics, or advanced reporting tools is highly desirable.Experience in continuous improvement through the implementation of best practicesPreferred QualificationsDegree in Business, Supply Chain, Procurement, Finance, Analytics, Computer Science, or related discipline.CSCP, MCIPS, Six Sigma, Scrum Master, or equivalent professional certifications preferred.