Global Procurement Manager - Software Industry

Canonical is a leading provider of open source software and operating systems to the global enterprise and technology markets. Our platform, Ubuntu, is very widely used in breakthrough enterprise initiatives such as public cloud, data science, AI, engineering innovation and IoT. Our customers include the world's leading public cloud and silicon providers, and industry leaders in many sectors. The company is a pioneer of global distributed collaboration, with 1000+ colleagues in 70+ countries and very few roles based in offices. Teams meet two to four times yearly in person, in interesting locations around the world, to align on strategy and execution.

The company is founder led, profitable and growing.

We are hiring a Global Procurement Manager, reporting to the CFO. This role covers multiple Canonical corporate entities in several countries. We have a preference for candidates in EMEA time zones.

We have a particular procurement focus on travel, hotels and convention / meeting space for company and external events, advertising, hardware, software and SAAS. Together these make up the significant majority of non-staff expenditure. Canonical is unusually distributed in that it is truly global, with leadership spread across many countries, and the significant majority of colleagues working from home. Our commitment to in-person collaboration means that we fly colleagues to selected locations twice a year, typically in Europe or Canada, in order to create the shared vision and trust needed for deep and productive engagement in our mission.We also have a goal to drive our own operation to net-zero carbon, which is going to be extremely challenging considering our dependency on travel. The ideal candidate will be an astute and strategic thinker with experience in these domains who also has a personal interest in technology that gives them insight into the ways technology is changing both the buy-side and supply-side value proposition. In this selection process we will prioritize intellect and strategic thinking over experience - strong academics, a professional qualification in procurement, and some exposure to vendor management in a multi-national context will outweigh years of experience in unrelated sectors.

As a finance team, we hunt for new and innovative ways to help Canonical invest for the future while limiting volatility and material surprises, and are excited to grow the team to address this specialist domain.

Key responsibilities

• Anticipate multi-year needs for our unique business structure and develop appropriate supply chain strategy
• Analyze supply chain carbon footprint and ensure procurement aligns with our broader climate commitments
• Explore alternative approaches to current operations and processes which might achieve goals more efficiently
• Drive effective global sourcing and supply chain for complex operational purchases such as travel, or specialized technology
• Review expense and credit card policies for consistency with procurement methodology and company mission
• Participate in annual financial planning and budget process
• Prepare and present reports and proposed strategies to management
• Lead technology implementations including a travel management system

What we are looking for in you

• Exceptional academic track record from both high school and university
• Undergraduate degree in business, finance, economics, technology or other quantitative field
• MCIPS or active progress towards the qualification
• Knowledge of best practice procurement processes, policies and procedures ideally in a public company environment
• Passion for technology that manifests in personal projects and innovation
• The work ethic and confidence to shine alongside motivated colleagues
• Commercial acumen and negotiation skills
• Professional written and spoken English and excellent presentation skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills, curiosity, flexibility, and accountability 
• Thoughtfulness and self-motivation 
• Result-oriented, with a personal drive to meet commitments 
• A track record of going above-and-beyond expectations
• Ability to travel twice a year, for company events up to two weeks long

Additional skills that you might also bring

• Leadership ability
• Software or tech industry experience
• Familiarity with the global travel industry - airlines, travel management services, hotels, convention centres
• Familiarity with technology procurement - hardware, data centers, networking, software and saas.
• Familiarity with advertising and marketing procurement - digital, social
• Experience in standing up new Procurement policies and processes
• Public company finance and reporting experience
• MBA or equivalent combination of professional experience and certifications
• Experience with Business Intelligence reporting, CRM, and ERP systems

What we offer you

We consider geographical location, experience, and performance in shaping compensation worldwide. We revisit compensation annually (and more often for graduates and associates) to ensure we recognise outstanding performance. In addition to base pay, we offer a performance-driven annual bonus or commission. We provide all team members with additional benefits, which reflect our values and ideals. We balance our programs to meet local needs and ensure fairness globally.

• Distributed work environment with twice-yearly team sprints in person
• Personal learning and development budget of USD 2,000 per year
• Annual compensation review
• Recognition rewards
• Annual holiday leave
• Maternity and paternity leave
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Opportunity to travel to new locations to meet colleagues
• Priority Pass, and travel upgrades for long haul company events

About Canonical

Canonical is a pioneering tech firm at the forefront of the global move to open source. As the company that publishes Ubuntu, one of the most important open source projects and the platform for AI, IoT and the cloud, we are changing the world of software. We recruit on a global basis and set a very high standard for people joining the company. We expect excellence - in order to succeed, we need to be the best at what we do. Most colleagues at Canonical have worked from home since its inception in 2004.​ Working here is a step into the future, and will challenge you to think differently, work smarter, learn new skills, and raise your game.

Canonical is an equal opportunity employer

We are proud to foster a workplace free from discrimination. Diversity of experience, perspectives, and background create a better work environment and better products. Whatever your identity, we will give your application fair consideration.

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