Manager - Strategic Supplier Relationship Management

The organization is a flagship gigaproject under Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 initiative, aiming to create a world-class entertainment, cultural and lifestyle destination. As a multibillion-dollar project, it will encompass vast infrastructure development, hospitality, retail and service sectors, which requires effective and large scale management of supplier relationships and supply chain risks.

We are seeking a highly experienced and strategic Manager – Strategic SRM to join the core leadership team of a transformative giga project. This role is critical to ensuring resilience, transparency, and continuity across an expansive, complex, and multi-tier global supply chain. The successful candidate will be responsible for building and supporting the organization’s strategic supplier relationship management program to drive long-term value, resilience, and innovation across the supply chain. This role ensures that key supplier partnerships are governed effectively, performance is measured transparently, risks are mitigated proactively, and opportunities for collaboration and growth are maximized. The position requires strong leadership, strategic thinking, and the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels across a complex matrix organization.

Requirements:
Key Responsibilities:

1. Strategic Leadership

· Support in defining and executing the SRM strategy aligned with business objectives, sourcing/procurement priorities, Business Unit requirements, and enterprise risk management.

· Design and implement SRM governance models, operating frameworks, segmentation, policies, and performance standards for strategic and critical suppliers

· Establish governance models, frameworks, KPIs and policies for strategic supplier engagement.

· Lead cross-functional alignment on supplier strategies with stakeholders from Business Units, procurement, risk, legal, finance, and operations.

· Support the SC Risk team in implementation of mitigation strategies and contingency plans to manage the identified risks and ensure business continuity.

· Establish clear supplier segmentation models and SRM engagement strategies by supplier category and criticality.

2. Supplier Relationship Management

· Develop, implement, and oversee SRM programs for high-value and critical/strategic suppliers.

· Facilitate joint business planning with strategic partners, including performance reviews, innovation initiatives, and value creation opportunities.

· Build strong executive-to-executive connections with suppliers to enhance collaboration and trust.

· Segment suppliers by SRM Strategy Model and leverage the database for Long List creation to Business Units.

· Collate information from all business teams on their supply chain needs, their supplier’s risk performance to consolidate the organization’s overall supply chain dependencies.

3. Performance and Risk management:

· Partner with SC Risk peers to co-Lead end-to-end supplier risk assessments covering financial health, compliance history, ethical practices, and operational resilience.

· Define and monitor supplier KPIs, ensuring transparency and accountability.

· Embed risk assessment and mitigation practices into supplier governance.

· Lead the development of Vendor Performance Management Program and address suppliers with performance issues with a balance of accountability and partnership.

4. Stakeholder management and Collaboration

· Serve as the SRM subject matter expert across the organization.

· Support Business Units by translating their demand, risk exposure, and supplier dependencies into structured SRM strategies.

· Enable informed decision-making by consolidating supplier intelligence, performance data, and risk insights across the enterprise.

· Influence senior stakeholders to adopt consistent SRM practices and governance standards.

5. Team Leadership and Capability Building

· Oversee, hire and support junior team members, ensuring professional growth through mentorship.

· Foster a collaborative and high-performance culture within the SRM & SC Risk Team.

· Lead critical suppliers‘ Quarterly Business Reviews across departments.

· Lead and develop a high-performing SRM team, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.

· Coach and mentor staff to build SRM capability across the wider organization.

· Support the future scaling of the SRM function as the project matures.

6. Value Creation & Innovation

· Drive initiatives for cost optimization, service improvement, sustainability, and digital innovation through supplier partnerships.

· Identify opportunities for co-development, early supplier involvement, and long-term strategic partnerships.

Support ESG and Vision 2030 objectives through supplier collaboration and performance management.

Qualifications:

· 12+ years of experience in Supplier Relationship Management, procurement, Sourcing, Supply Chain roles, in complex environments ideally in large-scale projects such as construction, real estate, or urban development.

· Bachelor’s or master’s degree in Supply Chain, Engineering or related fields. MBA and/or other advanced degrees preferred.

· Preferred: Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM), Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP), Certified Purchasing Manager (CPM)

· Proven track record of managing strategic supplier relationships in complex, multinational environments.

· Strong understanding of supply chain risk management, governance frameworks, and performance management methodologies.

· Excellent negotiation, influencing, and stakeholder management skills.