About Vanguard Enterprise Supply Management (ESM)

ESM is a centralized, global organization responsible for managing the enterprise-wide, end-to-end purchasing experience. ESM helps uphold Vanguard’s mission by enabling the company to maximize its third-party supplier relationships through sourcing strategies, performance and risk management activities, and providing accurate and timely payments to our suppliers. With more than 4,000 suppliers supporting Vanguard's, it's critical that we continually identify ways to enhance and derive value from these relationships.

The ESM organization was created to proactively identify opportunities with suppliers and capture increased value for Vanguard crew. While cost avoidance and/or savings on individual contracts is valuable, the group also acts to ensure business units select suppliers that closely align with Vanguard's interests (like securing sensitive data or providing best-in-class client service) and fostering strategic relationships with more innovative partners.

About the Role

The Sourcing Lead in Dublin, Ireland will be a team of one to start and will work with other team members, clients and suppliers both in-region and remotely across the globe. They will support, execute and manage third-party supply and demand requests. This includes meeting regularly with key clients and suppliers, understanding their strategic business needs, understanding the suppliers in the market (their current capabilities and roadmaps), collaborating on cost savings/reduction efforts with Financial Planning to clearly link ESM’s value capture back into P&Ls. Regular monthly reporting is required. This role will report directly into the Head of ESM for Vanguard’s International Division, who is located in Vanguard’s London office, and will matrix into a member of the Finance Leadership Team in Dublin.

Core Responsibilities

The successful candidate will lead and prepare medium-to-high complexity strategic sourcing transactions, negotiations, and supplier selection (including competitive bidding) for products and services. They will interface with other sourcing teams, business leaders, legal and risk partners for each transaction. They will manage contracts and relationships for suppliers within categories, including, but not limited to Technology (including AI), Marketing, Human Resources, and Professional Services and Facilities.

Other duties include:

Communicates project status and issues regularly to stakeholders, including leaders and senior managers
Ensures that the contracting team (Contract Advisory) receives documents in good order
Ensures the Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM) team receives the proper information about each transaction
Communicates contract requirements, obligations, and risk exposures to key stakeholders
Ensures proper closure of transactions including accurate data and proper handoff to the business lead and supplier

Category Strategies, including Data Analysis & Presentations

Performs supply market data analysis and recommends suppliers to the business.
Identifies and is knowledgeable of industry trends. Ensures category strategies are aligned with the overall business strategy
Leverages data analytics and insights into such strategies that are aligned to the businesses funding and forecasting
Provides insight regarding best practices and common obstacles based on prior experiences
Prepares and presents analysis, findings, and potential solutions. Crafts data into a compelling story with actionable insights

Stakeholder Management

Builds and maintains effective relationships. Proactively fosters communication between internal and external stakeholders
Drives engagements, resolves issues, and involves stakeholders as needed
Proactively identifies, manages, and mitigates risks and any related issues
Communicates solutions on key issues to management and stakeholders to obtain their input and buy-in as appropriate

Procurement - Process Adherence & Goals

Follows and champions global procurement process adherence. Supports related training efforts
Educates key stakeholders about considerations in support of the contract negotiation or supplier management process
Ensures application of fair business practices and procurement of products and services at the best execution and price
Ensures your individual time management is aligned to ESM’s overall goals and key initiatives
Participates in special projects and performs other duties as assigned

What it takes

Proven experience in leading contract negotiations and running competitive RFQ/RFI/RFPs
Financial Services and/or Technology specific experience preferred
Undergraduate degree or equivalent combination of training and experience
Strong data analysis and reporting experience is required
Strong communication and relationship management skills are required. Ability (and willingness) to escalate proactively
Proven ability to work autonomously is required
Executive presentation skills are preferred
Experience working with remote teams is preferred

Special Factors

Vanguard is not offering sponsorship for this position.
This is a hybrid position and would require you to be in the office Tuesday-Thursday with up to 10% travel expected to other European locations including London
Flexible work hours are required to work with stakeholders across regions in different time zones. This is about 10%-20% per week

Why Vanguard?

Vanguard is a different kind of investment company. It was founded in the United States in 1975 on a simple but revolutionary idea: that an investment company should manage its funds solely in the interests of its clients.

This is a philosophy that has helped millions of people around the world to achieve their goals with low-cost, uncomplicated investments.

It's what we stand for: value to investors.

Inclusion Statement 

Vanguard’s continued commitment to diversity and inclusion is firmly rooted in our culture. Every decision we make to best serve our clients, crew (internally employees are referred to as crew), and communities is guided by one simple statement: “Do the right thing.” 

We believe that a critical aspect of doing the right thing requires building diverse, inclusive, and highly effective teams of individuals who are as unique as the clients they serve. We empower our crew to contribute their distinct strengths to achieving Vanguard’s core purpose through our values.  When all crew members feel valued and included, our ability to collaborate and innovate is amplified, and we are united in delivering on Vanguard's core purpose: to take a stand for all investors, to treat them fairly, and to give them the best chance for investment success.

Our commitment to equal employment opportunity

Vanguard is an equal opportunity employer. Vanguard is committed to providing all crew members a working environment that is free from discrimination, prejudice and bias. Through this Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy, Vanguard reaffirms its commitment to equal employment opportunity for all applicants and crew members without regard to race, color, national origin or ancestry, religion, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, marital status, veteran or military status. In addition, Vanguard prohibits discrimination based on genetic information, as well as any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.

Applicants with disabilities may be entitled to reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act and certain state or local laws. A reasonable accommodation is a change in the way things are normally done which will ensure an equal employment opportunity without imposing undue hardship on Vanguard. Please inform careers@vanguard.com if you need assistance completing this application or to otherwise participate in the application process.

How We Work

Vanguard has implemented a hybrid working model for the majority of our crew members, designed to capture the benefits of enhanced flexibility while enabling in-person learning, collaboration, and connection. We believe our mission-driven and highly collaborative culture is a critical enabler to support long-term client outcomes and enrich the employee experience.

Strategic Sourcing Analyst

Job Description