Procurement Project Manager

Overview

Location:

Austin, United States of America

Thales people architect identity management and data protection solutions at the heart of digital security. Business and governments rely on us to bring trust to the billons of digital interactions they have with people. Our technologies and services help banks exchange funds, people cross borders, energy become smarter and much more. More than 30,000 organizations already rely on us to verify the identities of people and things, grant access to digital services, analyze vast quantities of information and encrypt data to make the connected world more secure.

Position Summary

Austin, Texas, Hybrid

We are seeking a Procurement Project Manager (PPM) to join the Thales CDI IBS organization in Austin, Texas. As the key liaison between business stakeholders and the Global Procurement team (including Global Category Managers, Category Managers, and Category Buyers), the IBS PPM will ensure early procurement involvement. The PPM will serve as the primary point of contact for stakeholders on projects, bids, process and product improvements, and cost-reduction initiatives.

In this role, the PPM will advocate for the Procurement organization, driving the delivery of optimal solutions that balance competitiveness, quality, and on-time delivery, while aligning with the procurement strategy led by Global Category Managers. Additionally, the PPM will be expected to bring innovative ideas, contributing to business line profitability and competitiveness by providing value-added procurement support.

• Develop and promote Thales procurement competitiveness both internally and externally, ensuring solutions meet customer needs and align with business objectives.
• Collaborate & influence key business stakeholders to develop procurement strategies and work packages that align with bids/projects/products requirements, customer contractual obligations, and Thales Group procurement policies & strategies. Ensure the procurement strategy considers market offers, innovations, and breakthroughs, and integrates the Make/Buy analysis, legal/regulatory requirements (e.g., export control, environmental, and social regulations), and prime contract flow-downs.
• Challenge acquisition needs and promote design-to-cost analysis during the definition phase to optimize costs and enhance solution competitiveness.
• Ensure early involvement on projects to drive cost optimization (against budget), on-time delivery, and quality optimization with the right supplier panel and consequently ensure execution happens accordingly.
• Validate the availability of market offers and identify opportunities for leveraging innovations to influence product design.
• Develop acquisition plans that optimize the cost of purchased goods & services in collaboration with Global Category Managers/Category Buyers.
• While tracking procurement costs and project Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), develop and implement a savings opportunities plan (competitiveness plan) to reduce costs and improve procurement efficiency throughout the project.
• Ensure compliance with relevant governance, including delegation of authority, acquisition log, purchasing summary sheets, procurement vetting, and gate reviews.
• Identify procurement and supplier opportunities and risks and develop and implement risk mitigation strategies.
• Ensure adherence to Thales' acquisition processes, such as the Manage Acquisition process under Chorus 2, and utilize acquisition tools like e-Acquisition and ERP systems (Oracle).
• Monitor progress through the procurement dashboard and liaise with operational teams and Category Buyers to ensure effective execution of procurement activities.
• Ensure the proper adoption of Global Category Manager strategies by stakeholders, with clear communication of procurement objectives and progress.
• Monitor and report on procurement work package performance, escalating issues as needed including with SPM organization.
• Conduct post-mortem analysis (lessons learned) with procurement teams, PMO, and engineering to evaluate the performance of procurement work packages in the project.
• Lead and manage the IBS NORAM procurement team (Procurement Project Manager and Tactical Buyers), setting clear objectives and ensuring they adhere to procurement rules and best practices. Monitor team performance regularly, provide guidance and support to ensure continuous improvement, and drive the effective execution of procurement processes to meet project goals and business objectives.

• Bachelor degree in Business, Procurement, Supply Chain or Engineering
• 8+ years of experience in procurement and/or project management
• Proven experience in leading and managing teams
• Strong written and verbal communication
• Experience with savings delivery & competitiveness plans
• Demonstrable knowledge in Cost evaluation, Design to Value, Lean approach
• Experience with Make or Buy and Total Cost of Ownership analysis
• Ability to navigate complex organization and influencing…