Deputy Process Manager - Supplier Master and Purchasing Operations Lead

KBS Deputy Process Manager

Position Summary - Supplier master & Purchasing operation Lead

The Technical Lead – Supplier Master Management & Purchasing Operations plays a critical role in bridging strategic purchasing with operational execution.

In this role you will hold dual responsibility for maintaining the integrity, standardization, and governance of the global Supplier Master Data ("Golden Record") and leading the technical aspects of purchasing operations, including ERP system optimization (SAP), process automation, and Purchasing efficiency. 

Key Responsibilities

Supplier Master Data Management (Core Focus)

• Data Governance & Quality: Define and enforce global governance standards for vendor onboarding, maintenance, and offboarding to ensure high-quality, standardized data across ERP systems.
• Data Integrity & Security: Lead data cleansing, de-duplication, and enrichment initiatives (financial data, tax, ESG metrics) using AI-powered tools.
• "Golden Record" Maintenance: Oversee the central repository of supplier master data, managing parent-child relationships, payment terms, and vendor segmentation.

Compliance & Risk Mitigation: Ensure compliance with data privacy regulations (GDPR, CCPA) and manage supplier risk by maintaining up-to-date compliance certificates and sanction list checks. 

Purchasing Operations & Process Management

• Monitor Purchase Requisitions (PRs) to ensure compliance with approved suppliers, correct material master data, and supplier master data.
• Ensure procurement activities align with company purchasing policies and global procurement standards.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of purchasing processes in collaboration with the Global Process Owner.
• Streamline the Procure-to-Pay (P2P) process to reduce cycle times, improve purchase order (PO) accuracy, and increase operational efficiency.
• Ensure adherence to procurement compliance, documentation, and audit requirements.

System Optimization & Technical Expertise

• Act as the Subject Matter Expert (SME) for procurement systems such as SAP, Oracle, and Coupa.
• Drive system enhancements, workflow automation, and process improvements within procurement platforms.
• Support User Acceptance Testing (UAT) for system upgrades, integrations, and new functionality.
• Provide technical support for complex procurement system issues, including supplier onboarding and invoice reconciliation challenges.
• Ensure accurate Master Data governance across procurement systems.

Technical Leadership

• Provide technical guidance and expertise to purchasing and operations teams.
• Review and approve technical specifications in Purchase Requisitions.
• Support vendor evaluation and selection from a technical perspective.
• Troubleshoot and resolve technical issues during procurement or project execution.
• Ensure compliance with technical standards and quality requirements.
• Coordinate closely with engineering, operations, and purchasing teams to ensure accurate procurement execution.
• Mentor team members and support technical capability development within the team.
• Review project deliverables and validate technical outputs and procurement specifications.

Reporting & Analytics

• Develop and maintain KPIs and dashboards to monitor procurement performance.
• Track Master Data accuracy, PO compliance, procurement cycle times, and supplier performance.
• Provide regular analytical reports and insights to management for strategic decision-making.

Leadership & Collaboration

• Lead procurement initiatives and manage complex operational projects.
• Influence and engage key stakeholders to improve procurement performance and system adoption.
• Collaborate with Finance, Legal, and IT teams to align procurement data and processes with accounting, payment, and audit requirements.
• Provide mentorship and training to purchasing staff and vendors on procurement systems and data standards.
• Promote cross-functional collaboration to improve operational efficiency and procurement governance.

Required Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Information Technology, Business Administration, or a related field.

Experience

• 5–8+ years of experience in Procurement Operations, Master Data Management, or Supplier Management.

Technical Proficiency

• Extensive experience with ERP systems such as SAP (S/4HANA Business Partner model preferred) or Oracle.
• Experience working with Service Now, Celonis, Power BI dashboarding and Copilot studio
• Experience with eProcurement platforms such as Coupa or Ariba.

Competencies

• Strong negotiation and stakeholder management skills.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Presentation skills and stakeholder management
• Strong communication and leadership capabilities.

Skills

• Analytical thinking and data-driven decision-making.
• Project management and process improvement.
• Ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and procurement transformation projects.

At KONE, we are focused on creating an innovative and collaborative working culture where we value the contribution of each individual. Employee engagement is a key focus area for us and we encourage participation and the sharing of information and ideas. Sustainability is an integral part of our culture and the daily practice. We follow ethical business practices and we seek to develop a culture of working together where co-workers trust and respect each other and good performance is recognized. In being a great place to work, we are proud to offer a range of experiences and opportunities that will help you to achieve your career and personal goals and enable you to live a healthy and balanced life.

Read more on https://careers.kone.com/en/

Experience Level

Mid Level