Strategic Buyer for IT

About NN
NN Group is an international financial services company, active in 11 countries, with a strong presence in a number of European countries and Japan. Our roots lie in the Netherlands, with a rich history that stretches back over 175 years. Our core values are that we Care, we are Clear and we Commit. To our customers, partners, our company and colleagues, and the broader society and environment we operate in.

With our 16,000 employees, NN provides retirement services, pensions, insurance, banking and investments to approximately 20 million customers. NN Group includes Nationale-Nederlanden, NN, ABN AMRO Insurance, Movir, AZL, BeFrank, OHRA and Woonnu in the Netherlands, as well as the Nationale-Nederlanden brand in 9 countries in Europe and in Japan. In Greece, NN is active in the insurance market with life insurances.

You matter

At NN, our purpose is to help people care for what matters most to them. We put our resources, expertise, and networks to use for the well-being of our customers, the advancement of our communities, the preservation of our planet, and for the promotion of a stable, inclusive, and sustainable economy.

The world in which we live may change, but what really matters to people remains the same. Family, friends, love, health, home and work. Work is an important part of life. But you are more than just a colleague and that is something we understand very well at NN. Developing skills and competencies is not just the preserve of the world of work. You take something from all your roles in life. That is what makes everyone different. At NN we believe that differences are what make us better and that by bringing a set of unique talents and perspectives to the table, you contribute to what really matters.

It is no coincidence that ‘You matter’ is our promise to you. You matter, in all the roles you play because what is important to you is also important to us.

Department
We are part of Group Procurement, with a core focus on the NN Insurance International organization, including both headquarters in the Netherlands as well as the local business units in the countries.

At NN IT Procurement International we are at the heart of the business support, leading the way towards regaining operational leadership, digitally enabled and contributing to rediscovering growth and improved propositions to customers and partners.

Join the team that is making a tangible difference for the future of NN IT International, driving and leveraging our culture of caring, being clear, committing and collaborating, while celebrating our individual and joint performance!

Positioning of the role

In the new organization set-up for IT Procurement within NN International, we will work with a coordinated core team of buyers, who work in different countries. The base concept is, that the Senior IT buyer will have base place of employment in the country in which the Senior IT Buyer is hired.

If you come to work for NN, your base place of employment will be at your local country of residence office. Whilst you are officially employed by NN Slovakia (thus employment contract under Slovak labor laws). You are 100% assigned within the NN Group Procurement organization to the NN International IT core team -including reporting lines-. You will work on IT assignments for NN a big part of your role will be IT sourcing/projects for all countries and where necessary you travel to these other NN Business Units.

The role

We’re looking for a Senior IT Buyer to join our team and focus on all IT related Procurement activities for the local business units within NN International. This role will see you building a cost efficient and agile supply for the Category to deliver required products and services, sustainable savings, innovation and support continuous improvement.

In this role you report functionally to the Team Lead CoE IT Procurement International and hierarchically to the IT Procurement Manager within Group Procurement.

As a core part of the position you will get to:

• Work closely with key business stakeholders as a trusted advisor to build and implement an effective category sourcing strategy for the local BU’s within IT International, where possible cross country
• Lead the preparation and execution of IT tenders, while a being challenging business partner to your stakeholders on demand management and requirements
• Deliver end-to-end and sustainable value creation, where you actively look for possible cross country optimizations
• Ensure correct and timely coordination with internal stakeholders - including CRO, Legal, DPO, IT Architects and Finance - during purchasing processes and contract negotiations
• Execute supplier negotiations -from first preparation and together with the business owner determining the strategy till finalization- through to contract award and sign-off and when necessary, solve business issues which may arise during run time of the agreement
• Develop strong supplier relationships across countries
• Category management practices taking along internal stakeholders and key suppliers
• Secure business supply in IT area (hardware, high quality and reliable cloud services resourcing, etc.).
• Develop in-depth Category fact base from robust data analyses (spend, volume, price breakdown, Demand Management, market insights) and cost modelling
• Build current and forward-looking Market and Industry intelligence
• Ensure that NN’s risk exposure towards the supplier base is managed in a proper manner (quality suppliers, good quality contracts, etc.)
• Enhance Supplier Relationships (focus on key suppliers)
• Actively collaborate with the Procurement International liaisons and colleagues within Procurement on continuous improvement of procurement related processes, procedures and such, as well as discussing identified possible improvements for local BU’s or the NN International organization as a whole

What You’ll Bring

Profile and education:

• Meaningful experience in Procurement, preferably IT, at least 5 years
• Proven track record for tendering and negotiations
• Experience in the Finance industry is a plus but not required
• Understanding of and ability to function in a regulated environment is essential
• Bachelor or Master Degree working and thinking level, obtained through education and/or experience
• Formal qualification in Procurement is preferred (e.g. Procurement related vocational studies and/or courses).
• Knowledge and in depth understanding of IT business characteristics (licensing, hardware, cloud and SaaS, etc..)
• Excellent degree of fluency -oral and written- in English is required.
• Experience in working in an international, multi-cultural environment has a strong preference.
• Willingness to travel where needed, is required

Key competencies and demonstrated Skills:

• Organizational and cross cultural sensitivity
• Ability to work both individually, as well as (pro-)actively collaborate in teams, both within Procurement and with other stakeholders
• Result oriented, hands-on individual who also can look beyond the tasks at hand with solid track record
• Self-starting and able to keep the focus on the task or project until it is fully completed
• Being able to see both details and the bigger picture
• Strong analytical skills and project management capabilities
• Ability to prioritize a varied workload and differing stakeholder priorities
• Proven Influencing, Negotiation, Communication and Presentation skills
• Business Acumen and good Interpersonal skills
• Problem solving skills
• ‘Can do’ mentality

What We Offer

This is an unique role with a genuine opportunity to make an impact and help bringing both the Procurement function and the organization further into a successful future. You’ll get to work in a diverse team and broader organization, with colleagues who are passionate about the work they do and know how to have some fun along the way.

The position requires travel where necessary, with the frequency depending on the need in procurement processes and alignment within the IT core team.

Within NN there is a lot of focus on personal development. On our internal education platform, there is a variety of trainings available for you and as an employer we are always open to explore other trainings/studies which add value to your role as a Procurement professional.

Be part of a great journey within a Financial Industries leader!

The salary for this position is from 2,000€ gross/ month depending on skills, knowledge and experience of the candidate. In addition, the possibility of a bonus is in accordance with NN rules.