Job Description

The IT Sourcing Strategy Advisor is a senior trusted advisor on IT sourcing strategy, combining deep market intelligence, category expertise and hands-on RFx leadership to guide sourcing decisions across the IT/AMS portfolio. The role bridges strategic advisory and sourcing execution — bringing an external market perspective into sourcing strategy while personally leading complex, high-value competitive bid processes and vendor negotiations.

The Advisor operates as a challenging, credible partner to Technology, Business and Finance stakeholders — shaping sourcing strategy ahead of demand, rather than simply executing pre-defined requirements — and works as part of the VMO's team functions to ensure sourcing decisions are evidence-based, commercially sound and aligned to enterprise objectives.

1.1 Sourcing Strategy Management

• Develop and own IT category sourcing strategies across major technology domains — cloud, infrastructure, application management services (AMS), DevOps, Licensing, etc. — aligned to business and financial goals.
• Maintain an in-depth, current understanding of the market for categories under management, including vendor landscape, pricing trends, delivery models and emerging technology/innovation.
• Identify and drive cost-optimisation and value-creation opportunities — rationalisation, consolidation, and benchmarking-led savings — across the sourcing pipeline.

1.2 Business Case & Leadership Advisory

• Lead development of business cases supporting sourcing, tiering and consolidation decisions across IT portfolio.
• Provide leadership advisory support directly to the Steering Committee on strategic vendor and portfolio decisions.
• Translate advisory group output into concise, decision-ready recommendations for senior stakeholders.
• Facilitate business alignment sessions and executive briefings on procurement strategy and sourcing initiatives.
• Constructively challenge stakeholder requirements against market best practice to ensure the organization pursues optimal, well-informed sourcing decisions.

1.3 Market Intelligence & Benchmarking

• Own and continuously refresh market intelligence on IT vendors, delivery models, technologies and pricing trends relevant to the program's topics.
• Direct structured benchmarking sprints comparing incumbent and prospective Tier 1 vendors on rate cards, SLA scope and delivery quality.
• Maintain a benchmarking evidence base to support sourcing and renewal/exit decisions.

1.4 Team Management

• Manage, prioritise and quality-assure the output of the external Sourcing Advisory Group.
• Set research standards and review cadence for market intelligence and benchmarking deliverables.
• 10+ years in IT sourcing, vendor advisory or strategy consulting, ideally with direct exposure to benchmarking and business-case development.
• Post-Graduate degree in Business Administration, Finance, Supply Chain or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Proven experience advising senior/executive stakeholders on vendor and sourcing strategy.
• Strong analytical and market-research capability, with the ability to synthesize complex vendor/market data into clear recommendations.
• Experience managing a portfolio of strategic sourcing initiatives alongside tactical sourcing activities, while leading and coordinating external advisory and T&M teams to deliver business objectives.
• Consulting-based advisory experience preferred.

KEY SKILLS & COMPETENCIES

• Strategic and analytical thinking, comfortable operating with incomplete market data.
• Strong written and verbal communication for executive-level advisory output.
• Structured research and benchmarking methodology.
• People leadership for a small, specialist analyst team.