Corporate Planning & Management, Procurement / Purchasing, Vice President, Birmingham

Job Title: Corporate Planning & Management - Global Procurement - Strategic Supplier Management

Divisional Overview

The Corporate Planning & Management (CPM) division integrates financial planning, spend management, third-party risk management, product management and engineering teams to support strategic decisions across the firm.

Finance & Planning

Drives business planning, budgeting, and analytics across revenue, expense, liquidity, and capital. The pillar includes divisional CFOs providing strategic finance advisory, Product Finance managing non-compensation expense governance, and Corporate Insurance & Advisory overseeing the firm's insurance needs and risk mitigation.

Global Procurement

Strategically manages third-party engagement, optimizing value and mitigating risks across the supply chain. Key functions include Strategic Sourcing, Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM), Procure to Pay (P2P), Travel, and Sustainable Operations driving ESG initiatives.

Product & Reporting

Manages the product lifecycle for CPM technology platforms and delivers comprehensive reporting, dashboards, and analytics. The team oversees financial planning and analysis systems, spend management tools, and TPRM solutions while providing stakeholders with actionable insights for evidence-based decisions.

CPM Engineering

Provides engineering solutions enabling third-party spend management, data automation, budget planning, financial forecasting, and expense allocation aligned with strategic objectives.

CPM Management

Provides strategic oversight, operational support, communications and change management, and risk governance across the division.

Role Overview

Professionals in CPM have an analytical mindset, exhibit intellectual curiosity and are from diverse academic backgrounds. This role sits within the Global Procurement pillar in the newly formed Strategic Supplier Management (SSM) Team.

The SSM Team is at the forefront of transforming how the firm manages its most critical supplier relationships. You'll have the opportunity to help shape the SSM function while working directly with senior stakeholders across divisions to create long-term value, foster innovation, mitigate risks, and ensure strategic alignment with our key partners. As an SSM, you will be the primary interface for these strategic relationships, ensuring that supplier performance delivers on expectations, and that the firm continuously leverages supplier capabilities for competitive advantage. The role involves cross-functional collaboration, in-depth analysis, and senior management reporting - requiring both diligence and a commercial mindset.

Job responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

• Build and maintain strong and collaborative relationships across a portfolio of key strategic suppliers and internal business stakeholders, acting as the primary contact and escalation point.
• Identify and accelerate in contract value opportunities-performance improvement, innovation, risk reduction, and sustainability - while measuring contractual SLAs & KPIs.
• Establish and regularly assess performance and risk metrics to ensure vendor reliability.
• Provide regular reporting on strategic supplier performance, risks, and value creation initiatives to senior leadership and relevant stakeholders.
• Lead vendor meetings and facilitate cross functional collaboration to align objectives and resolve issues to maximize supplier value.
• Identify potential areas to create operational efficiencies and automate manual processes.
• Stay abreast of market trends, supplier capabilities, and competitive landscapes to inform strategic sourcing decisions and identify new opportunities with existing or potential strategic partners.

Required Skills:

• Relationship Management: Proven ability to build trust, influence stakeholders, and foster collaborative partnerships at all levels - both internally and externally.
• Project & Program Management: Experience managing multiple initiatives concurrently, driving projects to completion, and coordinating cross functional teams effectively.
• Analytical & Problem Solving: Strong analytical skills with the ability to assess supplier performance, identify risks, evaluate commercial opportunities, and develop data driven solutions.
• Communication & Presentation: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex information clearly and persuasively to a variety of audiences.
• Strategic Thinking & Business Acumen: Ability to understand complex business needs, align supplier strategies with organizational goals, and identify opportunities for long term value creation.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Relevant bachelor's degree or equivalent qualification with an excellent academic record.
• 6+ years of relevant experience in procurement, supply chain management, or supplier relationship management roles, with a significant focus on strategic suppliers.
• Proven track record of managing complex, high value supplier relationships and delivering measurable value (e.g., cost savings, innovation, risk reduction and service improvement).
• Proficiency with SRM software, e procurement platforms, and data analytics tools.