Commercial & Procurement Manager (UAE)
Make a difference every day
We are a multinational organisation with a global team of 50,000 colleagues. In the Middle East we operate in the Transport, Defence & Advisory sectors, delivering services in Asset Management, Customer Experience, Fire & Rescue and Air Navigation Services. We are innovators, committed to redesigning and improving public services to fulfil our purpose to impact a better future by "Bringing National Visions to Life".
Your Opportunity
We are looking for a Commercial & Procurement Manager to provide commercial and procurement support to all bids and BAU projects across assigned sectors and corporate functions withing Serco's Middle East Division. This role is expected to leverage the capabilities of the internal subject matter experts and supply chain to contribute to the improvement of and innovation of proposed service delivery solutions.
The ideal candidate should have a track record of category and supplier management, effecting change and continuous improvement through creation and implementation of innovative category strategies and building of effective supplier relationships; and an understanding and experience managing high value / complex / long term contract agreements.
This role is part of our team based in our corporate office in Dubai.
Key Accountabilities
- To ensure that customer facing and /or any subcontractor or service provider contractual commitments entered into by the division represents a positive commercial position for the company and comply with applicable legislation.
- Provide oversight and management for all sector / divisional contracts, ensuring support to Contract Managers on disputes, variations, scope creep, cash collection and margin improvement activities to support the broader business objectives.
- Responsible for commercial and procurement support to specific bids in line with the SMS (Serco Management System) and Serco's Bid Methodology.
- Responsible to liaise with the bid team for interpreting and helping facilitate the thinking around client requirements, contractual flow downs, assisting estimators with estimating the volumes and benchmarking the price of outsource service lines; assisting solutions developers in clarifying client requirements into specifications for suppliers; obtaining & negotiating suppliers' commercial proposals whilst managing contractual risks; and delivering to client timescales.
- Ensures bid alignment with Serco's evolving procurement category strategies.
- Facilitates appropriate supplier / cross-functional workshops to seek and implement innovative and value adding proposals from suppliers.
- Supports the bid team in drafting compelling bid responses, collaborating with technical / operational teams as necessary to provide the optimal responses.
- Helps make a visible contribution to Serco's bid win rate by delivering maximum commercial benefit, optimum risk transfer and innovative and quality supply chain solutions.
- Leads and/or supports price to win analysis and sensitivities within a bid model.
- Ensure that all bid sourcing activity complies with all relevant governance, including appropriate due diligence and supplier registration activities.
- Oversees procurement of all relevant corporate services including but not limited to staff accommodation, lease renewal process, vehicle/assets purchase and lease, professional services, insurance etc.
- Captures the knowledge developed during the bid (cost estimates, specifications, benchmarking information, assumptions, market assessments, procurement-related bid responses) for reuse on similar future bids.
- Develops and manages pricing benchmarking tools for outsourced scope of services.
- Proposes and undertakes initiatives and activities to develop Serco's supply base.
- Responsible for knowledge transfer and handover from bid to transition and from transition to operational teams.
Specific Requirements
- Minimum 5 years' experience in commercial / procurement / contract management roles, and total 10 years in commercial and/or procurement roles
- Graduate calibre with a bachelor's degree
- Post-graduate qualification (e.g., MSc/MBA) or a professional qualification such as MCIPS and internationally recognized commercial qualifications is desirable but not essential.
- Good knowledge and experience of drafting, negotiating, agreeing and executing a wide range of commercial contracts / instruments including confidentiality, teaming and JV type, framework, supply chain, sales agreements, etc. that represent a positive commercial outcome for the division.
- Advanced understanding of the key components of contracts, terms and conditions and the legislative environment that applies to and affects such commercial contracts.
- Advanced knowledge and experience in risk identification and management and structuring commercial contractual paperwork to mitigate or minimise such identified risks / issues.
- Experience of working and evaluation commercial financial models for valuation and bids submission.
- Experienced in managing end to end best practise procurement process across multiple spend categories.
- Experienced in supplier relationship and performance management and working in a multi-site organisation.
What's in it for you?
At Serco, our core values drive everything we do, and we believe in fairly compensating our colleagues for the value they bring to our organization. We are proud to offer a total reward package at Serco which includes:
- Competitive monthly pay and allowances that are commensurate with the role and industry standards
- Comprehensive medical insurance coverage and life insurance, so our employees can feel secure in their health and financial wellbeing
- We recognize the importance of work-life balance, which is why we offer competitive leave benefits that exceed industry standards
- We offer an annual airfare allowance to support our expat colleagues to stay in touch and visit their loved ones
- We pride ourselves on providing a supportive work environment where we foster a positive Safety-First culture
- We care deeply about our colleagues' wellbeing and offer access to wellbeing programs and platforms to support their physical, mental, and emotional health.
- As a global organization, we offer a vast array of career paths for our employees to choose from. The scale and breadth of our organization provides our colleagues with opportunities for growth and variety in their career path, both regionally and globally.
Join Us
At Serco, we believe there is a place here for everyone. A place where you can bring your authentic self to work every day. Our workplace culture is one that embraces diversity and fosters equity, respect, and belonging for every individual. We are committed to equal employment opportunities and creating an inclusive environment that proudly celebrates the perspectives and backgrounds that each of our employees bring to work every day.
Join Serco and be part of a values-driven organization that invests in the development and well-being of its employees and offers a rewarding and fulfilling career.