Procurement Lead - Professional Services chez ZEISS India

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.

Key Responsibilities :

1. Strategic Category Management

• Develop and implement category strategies for professional services tailored to the business needs of each functional area.

• Manage the entire sourcing lifecycle from market analysis, RFP creation, supplier evaluation, and negotiation to contracting.

• Actively benchmark supplier performance, industry pricing trends, and identify opportunities for cost optimization and value addition.

2. Vendor Sourcing & Relationship Management

• Build a robust supplier base for professional services including legal, financial advisory, management consulting, marketing & branding agencies, HR services, and training vendors.

• Lead commercial and contractual negotiations to secure the best terms, ensuring alignment with ZEISS’s legal, compliance, and operational standards.

• Establish strong governance and performance tracking mechanisms such as SLAs, KPIs, and quarterly business reviews.

3. Digital Procurement & Transformation

• Lead the digital enablement of the professional services procurement function using e-sourcing platforms like SAP Ariba, Coupa, or equivalent.

• Champion automation in supplier onboarding, RFP processing, contract management, and spend analytics.

• Implement dashboards and analytics tools to track category performance and improve decision-making.

4. Risk, Compliance & Governance

• Ensure full compliance with ZEISS’s internal procurement policies, financial controls, and statutory regulations related to services procurement.

• Mitigate vendor and project risks through detailed contract terms, proper documentation, and continuous compliance audits.

• Drive initiatives that promote diversity, equity, and sustainability in the sourcing of professional services.

5. Cross-functional Collaboration

• Act as a trusted sourcing partner to functions like Legal, HR, Finance, IT, Marketing, Manufacturing, and GCC leadership.

• Understand diverse stakeholder needs and help articulate business cases for vendor selection and investment.

• Provide sourcing insights and updates to senior management on supplier performance, cost optimization, and market dynamics.

Qualifications & Experience :

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Finance, Engineering, or a related field. MBA or certification in Supply Chain Management (e.g., CIPS, ISM) is highly desirable.

• Experience: 7 - 10 years in strategic sourcing/procurement with a strong track record in managing professional services categories in a multinational or matrixed environment.

• Deep understanding of commercial and legal contracting, professional fee structures, and consulting engagement models.

• Familiarity with procurement tools like SAP/S4HANA, Jaggaer, Coupa, or similar digital platforms.

Your ZEISS Recruiting Team: