Lead - Transport Network Procurement

JD – Lead Transport Network Procurement

Educational Qualification: • Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, preferably Electronics, Telecommunications, Electrical or a related discipline; MBA in Supply Chain, Operations or Finance is an advantage.

Experience Required: • 7-12 years of experience in Telecom Network Procurement, Strategic Sourcing, Commercial Management, Network Engineering, Pre-Sales or Product Management with exposure to Transport Networks.

• Strong experience in sourcing and commercial management of DWDM/OTN, IP/MPLS, Microwave, UBR/iVAN, fibre infrastructure, transport software, support services, ancillaries and turnkey deployment categories.

• Experience working with telecom OEMs such as Nokia, Ciena, Cisco, Juniper, Ericsson, Huawei, Ceragon, Aviat, Radwin and fibre infrastructure/service providers.

• Proven experience in driving RFQs/RFPs, commercial evaluations, should-cost/BOM analysis, negotiations, purchase order management, contract finalization, supplier management, project governance and e-sourcing platforms such as Oracle/SAP.

• Strong understanding of pricing models, forex management, tax implications, payment structures, benchmarking and commercial risk allocation.

Job Description: • Lead end-to-end sourcing strategy, RFQs/RFPs, commercial evaluation, negotiations and contract closure for Transport Network hardware, software, services, ancillaries and turnkey/managed service requirements.

• Define and periodically refresh category strategies aligned with network architecture, technology evolution, rollout plans, capacity requirements and business priorities.

• Collaborate with Transport Planning, Deployment, Operations, Finance, Legal and business teams to translate technical requirements into commercially robust sourcing outcomes.

• Apply Total Cost of Ownership frameworks covering equipment, licences, optics, spares, implementation, integration, support, AMC, energy, logistics, duties and lifecycle costs.

• Evaluate equipment architecture and BOM, challenge solution assumptions, negotiate with OEMs and key component suppliers, and drive value engineering and cost optimization.

• Drive standardization and localization opportunities across Transport platforms, cards, optics, power systems, racks, software, services and deployment activities without compromising technical performance.

• Structure and negotiate MSAs, frame agreements, SOWs and supply/service contracts covering pricing, discounts, rebates, forex mechanisms, warranties, SLAs, liquidated damages, repair-and-return, EOL/EOS protection and risk allocation.

• Introduce and continuously improve sourcing techniques, commercial models, negotiation levers, supplier incentives and governance practices, with focus on savings, supply security and execution quality.

• Leverage procurement analytics, market intelligence tools, e-sourcing platforms and AI-enabled sourcing practices to improve decision making and transparency.

• Drive supplier due diligence, onboarding and structured Supplier Relationship Management for global and domestic OEMs, infrastructure partners and service providers.

• Monitor supplier performance against delivery commitments, quality, deployment milestones, SLAs, repair turnaround time, penalties and contractual obligations; initiate corrective actions where required.

• Manage supply continuity and long-term contractual risks, including capacity constraints, component shortages, technology obsolescence, single-source dependency, credit exposure, forex and regulatory changes.

• Develop market intelligence and benchmarks covering global and domestic pricing, technology roadmaps, OEM innovations, commodity trends, manufacturing capacity, exchange rates and competitive commercial practices.

• Maintain technology, cost and supplier intelligence for Transport equipment and services to support sourcing strategy, forecasting and decision making.

• Ensure procurement governance, ethical conduct, regulatory compliance, transparency and audit readiness across all Transport sourcing and contracting activities.

• Present category strategies, cost insights, sourcing recommendations, savings, supplier risks and performance updates to SCM leadership and senior management.

• Build strategic supplier relationships and identify opportunities for innovation, alternate sourcing, localization, productivity improvement and long-term commercial advantage.

Soft Skills: • Excellent communication and executive presentation skills • Strong stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration • Commercial acumen and high-impact negotiation capability • Analytical thinking with strong ownership and attention to detail • Self-starter with bias for action and ability to work in a fast-changing technology and regulatory environment