Partner Relations Manager (Telecoms Procurement Manager)

SUMMARY:
Responsible for procurement of the company’s products and services from regional vendors, in order to support internal stakeholders, by establishing and maintaining long-term beneficial relationships and strategies. The role supports sales and project teams in their growth and delivery objectives.

POSITION INFO:
Key Performance Areas:
- Procurement 30%
- Partner Relations Management 20%
- SLA & Credit Management 10%
- Stakeholder Management - Legal Compliance 10%
- Cost Savings - Supplier Changes 15%
- Cancellations 15%

Competency Requirements for Position
Knowledge:
- Product knowledge of Ethernet, MPLS and Internet data solutions
- Knowledge of ISP/data solution providers and markets across Africa
- Basic knowledge of telco regulations and legislation in various countries

Skills:
- Basic Cost-Accounting skills
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to build collaborative relationships with vendors for competitive advantage
- Basic Cost-Accounting skills
- Report Writing skills
- Intermediate skills in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint)

Behavioral:
- Strong negotiation skills
- Strong Business Acumen
- Analytical skills
- Accurate, attention to Detail
- Deadline driven
- Planning and Organisational skills
- Initiative
- Ability to prioritize
- Problem-solving skills
- Stress tolerance
- Team player

Minimum Qualification:
- Bachelors degree in commerce, supply chain or related tertiary qualification
- Project management or service delivery background advantageous

Minimum Experience:
- 5 years’ experience in telecommunications industry, data networking products (MPLS, Ethernet, WAN, etc.).
- Experience in procurement from international suppliers, predominately in Africa and Middle East (preferable)

Other Requirements:
- Valid passport
- Willing to travel internationally on an ad hoc basis
- Prepared to work overtime, if required

Job Grade:
- D1

Key Stakeholder Relationships
Internal
- Finance
- Procurement
- Operations
- Sales
- Project Managers
- Quality Assurance
- Contract Manager.

External
- Customers
- Vendors/Suppliers
- Attorneys

Key Performance Areas & Indicators

Procurement
- Request Pricing for all access sourcing to meet client requirements - Within 48 hours
- Ensure services are sourced and negotiated at market-related prices or less.
- Drive Big Deal spreadsheet and work with the company to provide final pricing. - Ownership of Pricing.
- Negotiate further discounts, based on Qualified requests and obtain official quotes for all requests at 100% probability - Within 48 hours.
- Fully engage with Commercial Manager to confirm any technical requirements, SLA and delivery lead times for all qualified requests.
- Analyze and compare local access pricing received against existing price books.

Partner Relations Management
- Work with suppliers, ensuring open and transparent communication of supplier feedback. - Effective cooperation between parties.
- Develop, review, and refine supplier score cards and procedures. - Performance metrics.
- Conduct Supplier reviews based on Score cards and implement PIP where needed. - Supplier of scorecards.
- Leverage score card analytics to make data-driven decisions and recommendations to stakeholders and leaders. - Corrective action implemented.
- Manage and resolve supplier escalations from internal departments. - Accurate, timely identification of potential risks.
- Responsible for resolving Supplier invoice holds and payment issues from suppliers - Assist the Finance Department

SLA & Credit Management
- Ensure SLA criteria including penalties are in place with all vendors - Accurate feedback, on time, in the required format
- Analyze monthly SLA reporting received from QA for non- performance
- Negotiate necessary credit note with the supplier based on SLA reporting
- Obtain necessary credit note and ensure captured by Finance

Stakeholder Management - Legal Compliance
- Ensure onboarding Compliance document prior to commencing commercial discussions with potential supplier - RFI Document
- Ensure NDA agreement is in place prior to requesting pricing and sharing requirements to new potential suppliers - NDA Agreement
- Manage and resolve supplier escalations from internal departments
- Assist Finance Department to resolve invoicing and billing disputes
- Issues resolved promptly
- Ensure All legal compliances are in place prior to billing been received from new suppliers - MSA, SLA,

Cost Savings - Supplier Changes
- Present commercial model to confirm feasibility and get the necessary approval from all depts - Derive commercial model
- Ensure orders with suppliers are placed timeously for local access. - Double billing occurrences
- Ensure existing circuits are cancelled timeously - No failed cancellations
- Ensure providers have turn down the old link and billing has stopped - Close loop with Finance departments involved
- Drive the various departments involved the ensure the migration is completed within the necessary timelines - Program management of Project plan with PM agreement

Cancellations
- Request cancellation terms from suppliers - All requests processed same day.
- Timeous and accurate processing of all requests on Sales tool and TWYN
- Complete the full cancellation process on TWYN including the confirmation that billing has stopped with the supplier. - Within an average of 2 days