Procurement Lead

ZEISS in India

ZEISS in India is headquartered in Bengaluru and present in the fields of Industrial Quality Solutions, Research Microscopy Solutions, Medical Technology, Vision Care and Sports & Cine Optics.

ZEISS India has 3 production facilities, R&D center, Global IT services and about 40 Sales & Service offices in almost all Tier I and Tier II cities in India. With 2200+ employees and continued investments over 25 years in India, ZEISS’ success story in India is continuing at a rapid pace. 

Further information at ZEISS India.

Role Purpose

The Procurement Lead will be responsible for driving strategic sourcing, category management, supplier partnerships, procurement transformation, and governance across multiple indirect procurement categories for ZEISS India.

The role will lead end-to-end sourcing activities across categories such as Real Estate & Workplace Management (REM), Information Technology (IT), Marketing & Communications (MarCom), Corporate Services, Professional Services, Facilities Management, Logistics, and other business support functions. The incumbent will work closely with business stakeholders and global procurement teams to deliver commercial value, operational efficiency, supplier innovation, and risk mitigation.

In addition, the role will act as a Digital Excellence Champion for Procurement, driving sourcing automation, supplier consolidation, analytics, process standardization, and adoption of digital procurement tools aligned with ZEISS global standards.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Category Management & Sourcing Strategy

Develop and execute category strategies across multiple procurement categories including:

• Real Estate & Workplace Management (REM)
• Information Technology (Hardware, Software, SaaS, Managed Services)
• Marketing & Communications (MarCom)
• Corporate Services
• Professional Services
• Facilities Management
• Logistics & Supply Chain Services
• Infrastructure and Capex-related requirements

Key responsibilities include:

• Develop category and sourcing strategies aligned with business and global procurement objectives.
• Build short-term and long-term sourcing roadmaps for key spend categories.
• Conduct spend analysis, demand planning, and supply market assessments.
• Identify opportunities for supplier consolidation, demand aggregation, and standardization.
• Establish preferred supplier frameworks and strategic sourcing programs.
• Drive supplier innovation, sustainability initiatives, and continuous improvement.
• Conduct market benchmarking and commercial assessments to maintain competitiveness.
• Deliver measurable savings, cost avoidance, and procurement value creation.

2. Strategic Sourcing & Commercial Negotiation

Lead end-to-end sourcing initiatives including:

• Opportunity identification and sourcing strategy development
• RFI, RFQ, RFP, and e-sourcing activities
• Supplier discovery, qualification, and evaluation
• Commercial analysis and negotiation
• Contract award and implementation

Drive value through:

• Cost savings and cost avoidance
• Service level improvements
• Risk mitigation
• Supplier innovation
• Working capital optimization

Lead negotiations with strategic suppliers and service providers while ensuring commercial competitiveness and long-term value creation.

3. Procurement Digital Excellence, Automation & Supplier Consolidation

Act as the Digital Excellence Lead for Procurement in India.

Drive adoption and optimization of procurement technology platforms, including:

• SAP S/4HANA
• SAP Ariba
• Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) solutions
• Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) platforms
• Procurement analytics and reporting tools

Lead procurement transformation initiatives through:

• Sourcing and procurement workflow automation
• Digital RFx processes
• Automated supplier onboarding and qualification
• Catalog-driven and guided buying solutions
• Contract workflow automation
• Procurement analytics and AI-enabled insights
• Process standardization and governance improvements

Drive supplier consolidation initiatives across recurring spend categories by:

• Identifying fragmented supplier bases across IT, MarCom, REM, Corporate Services, Facilities Management, Logistics, and Professional Services.
• Consolidating repeat purchases under strategic supplier agreements.
• Establishing preferred supplier programs and sourcing frameworks.
• Increasing utilization of rate contracts and catalog-based procurement.
• Standardizing commercial terms, service levels, and performance metrics.
• Leveraging enterprise-wide demand to improve commercial outcomes and operational efficiency.

Develop dashboards and KPIs for:

• Spend visibility
• Savings and value creation
• Sourcing pipeline tracking
• Procurement automation adoption
• Supplier performance management
• Contract compliance and utilization
• Supplier consolidation effectiveness

4. Governance, Risk & Compliance

Ensure adherence to ZEISS procurement policies, audit requirements, and ethical sourcing standards.

Manage:

• Contract lifecycle governance
• Procurement controls and approvals
• Supplier risk assessments
• Compliance documentation
• Audit readiness and remediation

Support internal and external audits while continuously improving procurement governance frameworks.

5. Stakeholder Management & Leadership

Act as a trusted business partner to key stakeholders across:

• Finance
• IT
• HR
• Marketing
• Operations
• Real Estate & Facilities
• Engineering
• Global Procurement

Key responsibilities include:

• Influencing sourcing decisions and procurement strategy.
• Managing stakeholder expectations and business priorities.
• Driving cross-functional collaboration across local and global teams.
• Promoting procurement best practices and digital adoption.
• Supporting capability development through coaching, mentoring, and knowledge sharing.

Represent ZEISS India in regional and global procurement initiatives and contribute to procurement transformation programs.

Key Skills & Competencies

Technical & Functional Skills

• Strong expertise in strategic sourcing and category management.
• Experience managing multiple indirect procurement categories.
• Advanced negotiation and commercial contracting skills.
• Supplier relationship and performance management expertise.
• Strong spend analysis and cost optimization capabilities.
• Knowledge of procurement governance, compliance, and risk management.

Category Experience Preferred

• Real Estate & Workplace Management (REM)
• Information Technology (IT)
• Marketing & Communications (MarCom)
• Corporate Services
• Professional Services
• Facilities Management
• Logistics & Supply Chain Services

Digital & Analytical Skills

• SAP S/4HANA and SAP Ariba experience.
• Procurement automation and digital transformation expertise.
• Spend analytics and dashboarding capabilities.
• Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) tools.
• Data-driven decision making and reporting.

Leadership & Behavioral Skills

• Strategic mindset with strong execution focus.
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• Strong communication and collaboration abilities.
• Ability to work effectively in a global matrix organization.
• High integrity, compliance orientation, and change management capability.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Business, Commerce, or a related discipline.
• MBA or Postgraduate qualification preferred.
• 3-5 years of procurement and strategic sourcing experience.
• Proven experience managing multiple indirect procurement categories.
• Experience in multinational, manufacturing, healthcare technology, industrial, or R&D environments preferred.
• Exposure to global procurement operating models and matrix organizations.
• Demonstrated experience in sourcing strategy, supplier negotiations, procurement transformation, and digital procurement initiatives.

Why ZEISS India

• Opportunity to shape procurement strategy across diverse business categories.
• Drive procurement transformation and digital excellence initiatives.
• Work with a globally recognized technology and innovation leader.
• Collaborate with international teams and strategic suppliers.
• Contribute to a culture focused on innovation, sustainability, operational excellence, and long-term growth.

Your ZEISS Recruiting Team:

Manoj Badaik