Commodity Manager_Information Technology

The New York Times Shared Services Center is the Business Solutions Provider for one of the world's premier media companies. Located in downtown Norfolk, Virginia, the SSC is a centralized facility for streamlining many of the Company's core processes in Benefits, Finance, Strategic Sourcing & Contracts, and Information Technology.

PURPOSE
-Lead regional, company-wide and consortium negotiations for varied internet and information technology commodities, services and capital purchases.
-Support Global IT initiatives to provide consistency and standards, leverage supply relationships across the enterprise and drive down total costs.
-Performs advanced sourcing services, exercising good judgment in identifying and evaluating new and existing commodities for future negotiations.
-Conducts accurate analysis of spend information, both internal and external, for effective negotiations and decision-making.
-Effectively communicates relevant procurement information to the appropriate audience including new and existing contracts, processes and programs.
-Become a valued colleague to the Information Technology professionals, integrating sourcing processes with the immediacy of technology demands.
-Analyzes and tracks procurement trends, identifying new opportunities for company-wide negotiated agreements.

RESPONSIBILITIES
-Leads effective contract negotiations for final agreements whether through the creation of formal RFP's, reverse auctions, or through single source efforts.
-Develops external sources of supplier, commodity, and market information, which will assist in identifying external prices and market indices used to measure and track internal buying, supplier performance, and/or market trends.
-Define and implement systematic processes in all our IT procurement and licensing responsibilities
-Establishing appropriate supplier performance and contract measures and assisting in managing supplier performance
-Identifies requirements for the creation, distribution and analysis formal solicitations (RFX) for goods and services and seeks to develops alternative sources of supply; keeping abreast of industry trends, new products/markets and market changes that will impact supply and demand.
-Works effectively with NYTCo business units to understand their needs and processes to gain further access to new negotiations and influence process improvements.
-Qualify and recommend solutions and strategies for capital equipment and commodities, including approval of capital requests, based on analysis of the Company's business, goals, objectives, needs and the general business environment.

KEY RESULT AREAS
-Increased value to the company in the form of reduced expenses over previous levels or current market prices, improvement of processes and/or resource utilization.
-Forming partnerships with key business unit partners that result in increasing utilization of ones negotiating skills and sourcing knowledge in support of company objectives.
-Improve department efficiencies by researching and implementing streamline and/or automated business processes, to include procurement, payment, data retrieval and reporting.
-Recommend adoption of new processes and practices
-Assess the impact of sourcing and policy decisions. Recommend actions to manage impacts.

CUSTOMER/BUSINESS PARTNERS
-Chief Information Officer, Group CIO's, Executive Director of Strategic Sourcing & Contracts, Senior Managers, Finance & Information Technology Directors and Business Systems Groups.
-Business unit department heads, controllers, senior management and key business unit IT personnel.
-Media Consortium LLC partner organizations.
-Vendors and Outside Consultants.

CRITICAL TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES
-5 years of verifiable progressive experience and responsibility sourcing and negotiating I.T. related contracts (software, hardware, consulting)
-Maintains a broad I.T. based commodity and market awareness that would enable the identification of verification of trends in pricing, technology and supply which can result in a competitive advantage.
-Proven and demonstrated successful experience and ability to think strategically and assess the strategic direction of IT procurement, being able to communicate that effectively.
-Possess skill, strategies, and techniques to effectively handle contract negotiations; create a strong negotiating position, ability to adjust your negotiation style for different situations, improve relationships, and conduct negotiations with confidence.
-Demonstrated analytical, methodical and resourceful approach to problem solving required.
-Good interpersonal skills, necessary to build and maintain relationships and interact well across all levels, technical and functional, internal and external required.
-Experience creating and issuing RFP's, RFQ's, RFI's
-Strong influencing and leadership skills with demonstrated ability to effectively work within a matrix environment.
-Demonstrated ability in building multifunctional teamwork and customer/supplier relationships

TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS
REQUIRED:
-Ability to learn and utilize new applications and operating systems required.
-Ability to quickly understand problems and select appropriate resolution required.
-Knowledge of purchasing and overall technical processes.
-Functional knowledge of PeopleSoft Purchasing preferred.

EDUCATION OR CERTIFICATIONS: BA/BS or equivalent experience preferred.

WORK EXPERIENCE
-A minimum of five years of sourcing and/or analytical skills required.
-Experience with query and reporting, preferably in a PeopleSoft ERP environment.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS: 15% travel may be required.

The New York Times Company is an equal employment opportunity employer, and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, age, disability, national origin, citizenship, or any other protected characteristic. The New York Times Company is committed to diversity in its most inclusive sense.
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