WNS Denali is a procurement-focused, technology-agnostic managed services provider that enables organizations to win at procurement: influence more spend through Category Management and transition to a New Procurement Operating Model. We support Global 1000 companies by offering an array of best-in-class procurement solutions, including Category Management, Strategic Sourcing and Category Management, Contract and Supplier Management, Tactical and Transactional Procurement, and Accounts Payable. We bring deep Category expertise extending across various direct and indirect spend categories.

Our efforts to integrate human capital strategy into the overall growth strategy have been acknowledged on several leading platforms. We were recently recognized in the AON Best Employer 2017 rankings, a feat that we have achieved for the second consecutive year. The WNS-Denali office in Pittsburgh was named a “Best Place to Work” in 2016, 2017 and 2020.

WNS Denali, provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

The Group Manager/Delivery Lead will lead a client procurement service delivery team, acting as the focal point of the procurement execution for a specific client, making operational decisions and assignments to service the client and manage the performance of the overall team.

The Group Manager/Delivery Lead will attend to day-to-day team operational issues and act as the liaison (i.e. point of escalation) with the client for their team’s management issues.  He/she will be expected to use discretion in applying best practices and procedures to resolve issues, demonstrate a broad and thorough understanding and application of technical and/or specialized concepts and knowledge in business and procurement operations. 

The Group Manager/Delivery Lead also leads the development and execution of complex sourcing projects as well as provide guidance to team members on their sourcing projects

The Group Manager/Delivery Lead may manage a team of Sr. Sourcing Associates, Sourcing Associates, and Analysts and is accountable for driving the performance, quality, and consistency of the delivery while guiding the career development of team members. 

Key Responsibilities / Job Duties

• Contract/Sourcing Execution: Provide contract and sourcing services (RFx, reverse auctions, negotiations) to our clients based on predefined service levels; Lead and execute the Denali sourcing process from start to finish, e.g., spend data collection and analysis, supply market analysis, RFx development, publishing and management, reverse auctions, negotiations, bid response analysis, and synthesis

Client and Program Management:

• Conduct operational review meetings with the client team
• Manage changes to SOPs, tools, and templates in a structured way
• Develop and manage the reporting of metrics, SLAs
•  Act as the first point of escalation with the team and client, communicating and resolving operational issues, escalating to Client Program manager as needed
• Provide Client Program Manager with insights into project work and daily operational and/or project issues
• Assist with preparation, tracking, and reporting of team metrics (e.g., resource/team bandwidth, project metrics)
• Lead quality assurance processes and regular audits of client delivery team
• Lead process improvement discussions to enhance operations. Communicate changes to the Client Program Manager and delivery team
• Perform efficiency and effectiveness projects to improve productivity and customer satisfaction

  Delivery Team / People Management:

• Manage project pipeline, assign projects to team members based on availability
• Manage resource capacity of their delivery team so they can ensure support of client requirements and balance the team’s workload
• Manage additional resource requests (screening and interview for fit, on-boarding)
• Arrange and coordinate training needs of the team
• Provide leadership and guidance on complex/strategic projects with high importance and visibility within the client
• Lead quality assurance processes and regular audits of client delivery team
• Set individual objectives at the start of the year and manage those objectives during the rest of the year
• Manage performance and growth of their respective teams
• Mentor and coach on skills and competency development for team members

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Deep understanding of strategic sourcing methods and approaches and an ability to apply various concepts to category-level activities at the client
• Expertise in one or more indirect spend categories including understanding external market dynamics, top suppliers, market trends and highlights, and procurement strategies
• Managing a portfolio of projects
• Ability to determine the appropriate procurement strategy for assigned categories and business requirements
• Ability to draft simple to complex contractual agreements
• Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills
• Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to provide custom solutions to address the client’s challenges
• Ability to manage and prioritize multiple projects and initiatives simultaneously
• Strong leadership skills, including the ability to motivate and manage people
• Proficiency using Microsoft Office tools such as Excel, Word, and PowerPoint

Required Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree
• Must have Professional Services Category Experience (Marketing)
• 8 years of work experience in contracts, negotiations, procurement, or sourcing
• 10+ years of experience with strategic sourcing or supporting a sourcing organization