Manager, Procurement Centre Of Excellence

Hello. We’re Virgin Australia. We’re the airline that’s always done things a little different. Our way. The Virgin way. We’re on a mission to make flying better than ‘nice’. And to do that, it takes a team of talented people who are passionate about customer experience, doing the right thing always, with a focus on safety – in the air, on the ground and in our workplaces. A team who values real diversity and inclusion, in a big brand with big ambitions.  

What you’ll be doing: 

 
The Procurement Centre of Excellence Manager leads a team focussed on driving Group wide procurement strategy, governance and compliance.   With a very broad remit for the Procurement COE Manager role, the role will have a prioritised focus during the term on IT enablement optimising the recently introduced Oracle Fusion for purchasing and strategic procurement and advancing the future IT roadmap to mature Group Procurement’s digital ways of working.

This role will at times lead special, strategic projects, either as part of the procurement’s contribution to the broader Group transformation or strategic projects focussed on materially changing the maturity of procurement activities, either within the broader team or across the Group’s Procurement Community.

Broader responsibilities for the role include driving the advancements of analytics, and insights to support commercial decision making as the business continues its significant transformation journey. Overseeing procurement reporting, balanced scorecard and benefits tracking, ensuring team wide adherence.

The role also involves overseeing the team’s contribution to Group wide ESG and compliance activities, training and development for both the Group Procurement team and our broader Procurement Community and maintaining and developing Group Procurement collateral to drive efficient and optimum procurement activities. 

This role will be a 12-month contract, with a strong potential to go permanent.

Your role will include but not limited to: 

• Enhance and oversee compliance with procurement tools, frameworks and templates across the Virgin Group, ensuring their relevance and effectiveness 
• Lead the implementation of new tools and frameworks, managing communication and change management initiatives 
• Lead the development of the Group Procurement IT Roadmap and any associated business cases. Lead the optimisation of functionality of the recently installed Oracle Fusion system for both upstream strategic procurement and downstream purchasing
• Ensure compliance and advancement of ESG commitments as well as broader regulatory compliance requirements
• Collaborate with stakeholders, Group Procurement colleagues and technology suppliers to improve procurement processes 
• Drive continuous improvement in training and technology documentation 

 You’ll be great in this role if you have: 

• 10+ years strategic sourcing, supplier relationship management, category management and procurement experience, including at least 5 years leading category and / or supplier management teams 
• Deep interest and expertise in procurement systems and digital capability and enablement
• Expert influencing, communication and negotiation skills 
• Proven business acumen with a keen understanding of key business drivers.  
• A passionate commitment and a proven track record in delivering commercially astute outcomes 

Demonstrated the ability to: 

• Influence and build effective relationships with senior stakeholders 
• Managed large teams for complex project delivery and mentor staff development 
• Lead high-value negotiations and coach negotiation teams 

What you’ll get from us:

We’re committed to looking after you, with some of the best benefits and conditions in the industry – including (but not limited to): 

• Heavily discounted air travel for you and your loved ones (including $1000 worth of travel credits per year) 
• Flexible working arrangements (including work hours and work from home) 
• Discounts on travel insurance, car hire, accommodation and experiences worldwide 
• Discounted Virgin Australia Lounge membership  
• A comprehensive Employee Assistance Program, which offers confidential coaching and support from qualified professionals for all aspects of life – physical, mental, social and financial 

Equality rules 

We’re all individuals. We love that. That’s why we encourage applications from Indigenous Australians, people with disability, those from diverse cultural backgrounds, our friends in the LGBTQI+ community, and anyone else who wants to join our family.  

Ready to apply?  We’re ready to hear from you. Apply now.