Manager Commodity - Procurement Information Technology Category

At WD, our vision is to power global innovation and push the boundaries of technology to make what you thought was once impossible, possible.

At our core, WD is a company of problem solvers. People achieve extraordinary things given the right technology. For decades, we’ve been doing just that—our technology helped people put a man on the moon and capture the first-ever picture of a black hole.

We offer an expansive portfolio of technologies, HDDs, and platforms for business, creative professionals, and consumers alike under our Western Digital®, WD®, and WD_BLACK™.

We are a key partner to some of the largest and highest-growth organizations in the world. From enabling systems to make cities safer and more connected, to powering the data centers behind many of the world’s biggest companies and hyperscale cloud providers, to meeting the massive and ever-growing data storage needs of the AI era, WD is fueling a brighter, smarter future.

Today’s exceptional challenges require your unique skills. Together, we can build the future of data storage.

The IT Commodity Manager is responsible for developing the sourcing strategies for the IT category. The person in this position would be recognized as a sourcing expert for Technology-related categories, would liaise with legal, act as a procurement ambassador to the business, and integrate into the business to ensure complete alignment and a deep understanding of business goals, and would partner in developing sourcing strategies. The goal is to be a value-added sourcing partners to the business.

Additional responsibilities include negotiating information technology contracts for software licensing, telecom, data center, and computer hardware and server products, and related maintenance and support services that may be site-specific or have global reach. The position involves developing negotiation strategies, advising requestors on contract terms and conditions, monitoring cost and scope of assigned contracts to assure compliance, best value, and validating/improving pricing. The IT Commodity Manager may recommend cost-saving proposals, including alternative sourcing, and will exercise independent judgment within defined practices and procedures to determine appropriate action

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic Sourcing

• Develop, manage, and execute strategies for the IT Category
• Conduct RFP and lead cross-functional teams through the selection process of preferred suppliers with effective scoring criteria to critically evaluate supplier proposals in accordance with company policies
• Collaborate with IT/Legal stakeholders to assess, understand, and prioritize business needs to optimize value with WD’s supply base
• Conduct spend/contract/proposal analysis for the supply of software licensing, computer hardware, servers, data center, and telecom services, and present recommendations to Procurement and IT leadership team
• Lead negotiations on commercial procurement agreements, including, but not limited to, Master Agreements (MSA’s), Statements of Work (SOWs), Change Orders (COs), balancing business deliverables, legal interests, and pricing
• Analyze total costs, assist business functions with ROI analysis, price and rate benchmarking, and negotiate favorable business terms to leverage Western Digitals purchasing power
• Research market intelligence to understand cost drivers and market trends

Category Management

• Develop, refine, and implement category strategies and tactics that enable the procurement of technology products and services at the highest value benefit to the company
• Cultivate, enhance, and deepen cross-functional stakeholder relationships at all levels, serving as the subject matter expert on behalf of the procurement organization
• Actively monitor internal/external trends, synthesize and distill the business intelligence into actionable opportunities and pipeline projects that can and will be delivered to Western Digital’s bottom line on an ongoing basis

Supplier Management

• Manage supplier relationships with a focus on supply/contract and cost management

• Lead supplier performance business reviews on a quarterly basis to enhance performance delivery from strategic partners
• Mediate supplier issues and resolve supplier contract disputes as needed
• Develop supplier rationalization entitlements for each category

Contract Management

• Evaluate processes and recommend improvements to standardize lifecycle contract and sourcing processes and systems
• Ensure pricing & deliverables as negotiated are included in the contract; coordinate comparison of proposals and final contract terms
• Act as a liaison between Legal and the business
  
  

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree with progressive experience in indirect strategic sourcing with a multi-national organization, with an emphasis on software, hardware, and telecommunications procurements
• MBA or JD preferred
• Consulting experience is a plus
• Contract Negotiation / Vendor Mgmt. / Influencing skills required
• Experience and expertise with sourcing & contracting ERP tools (SAP and/or Oracle)

Core Competencies

• Ability to work well in a high-paced dynamic environment, handle multiple projects simultaneously, and ensure task completion and deadlines are met as required
• Demonstrated skills in negotiating and formulating technology contracts, understanding cost models and various price structures, and management of contractual, IP and labor law risks
• Strong project management, organizational, and analytical skills required
• Excellent team facilitation and presentation skills
• Proficient with Microsoft Office applications: Excel, Word, PowerPoint
  
  

WD thrives on the power and potential of diversity. As a global company, we believe the most effective way to embrace the diversity of our customers and communities is to mirror it from within. We believe the fusion of various perspectives results in the best outcomes for our employees, our company, our customers, and the world around us. We are committed to an inclusive environment where every individual can thrive through a sense of belonging, respect and contribution.

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