Sourcing & Category Expert Business Applications

About the Position

At ING, procurement is about collaboration, innovation, and creating strategic impact that drives sustainable growth. We are a global organization in the CFO domain with a presence in more than 20 countries. We embed responsible practices, and deliver solutions that touch every part of the organization. If you thrive in a dynamic environment, approach challenges with curiosity, and want to help shape what’s next, this is your opportunity to make a real difference.

The team

Group Technology Procurement Category forms part of the Group Procurement organization, it’s lead by Head of Group Technology Procurement. Category Management is a critical procurement discipline within Procurement Organisation to ensure ING achieves best value for money when it comes to procuring its goods and services. It is a well-established, comprehensive, and marketing leading procurement approach that considers ING’s organisational goals, technology strategy, objectives, and requirements, as well as the technology market conditions and innovations, to ensure the most cost-effective, innovative and efficient procurement of goods and services. Technology category consists of Global Category Leads, Sourcing and Category Experts, Sourcing and Contracting Experts, Sourcing Project Managers and SAM team.

In this pivotal role where you’ll join a newly formed, high-performing team of specialists. Reporting directly to the Global Category Lead for Business Applications, you’ll have the opportunity to influence strategic decisions and deliver results that matter on a global scale.

As a Sourcing and Category Expert Business Applications, you will:

• Create the sourcing execution approach and drive results across global spend categories.
• Manage critical and strategic contracts, ensuring compliance and value delivery.
• Develop and execute bank-wide vendor strategies for assigned critical and strategic vendors, influencing decisions at the highest level.

This is your opportunity to lead sourcing execution on a global scale, work with strategic partners, and deliver solutions that matter.

Join us if you want to be part of the next chapter of procurement journey at ING.

Responsibilities

Category Management & Expertise

• Identify business needs, category specifications, and vendor requirements to shape vendor plans.
• Provide strategic insights for category plans based on portfolio developments.
• Leverage your expertise to lead high-impact negotiations with designated vendors.

Sourcing Management

• Define global and local business needs for sourcing projects and vendor relationships.
• Design and manage sourcing events, including the full RFX process-prepare documentation, train suppliers, issue RFX, and consolidate responses.
• Negotiate and finalize contracts, ensuring terms and conditions meet business objectives.
• Oversee contract approvals, supplier onboarding, and compliance checks.
• Support Procurement Operations with vendor master data and contract lifecycle management.
• Build and execute vendor plans with clear objectives, fostering strong supplier relationships and driving innovation.
• Act as a senior sourcing subject matter expert, executing complex initiatives and advising on strategic opportunities.
• Partner with category managers on stakeholder engagement, strategic initiatives, and supplier segmentation.
• Ensure contract and third-party risk compliance across all activities.

Vendor Management for Strategic Partners

• Lead negotiations for major scope changes and renewals, maintaining deep knowledge of commercial and contractual developments.
• Monitor supplier performance, conduct quality assessments, and ensure compliance with contractual terms.
• Drive continuous improvement and risk mitigation in vendor relationships.

Project Management

• Execute complex sourcing projects, manage global initiatives, and advise senior stakeholders.

Strategic Challenges

• Navigate multi-stakeholder landscapes to balance value, flexibility, and risk.
• Negotiate with monopolistic or oligopolistic software vendors, creating leverage in pricing and contract terms.
• Develop strategies to avoid vendor lock-in and increase long-term flexibility.

Requirements

• 3-6 years in Procurement area at a strategic level in an international organisation (preferably financial services provider).
• 3+ years cross country negotiations for group wide Business Applications vendors for Risk, HR, Finance and/or Core Banking domains.
• Deep understanding of software market trends, dynamics and competitive landscapes. Ability to gather and interpret data, identify trends, and translate insights into actionable strategies, defining opportunities for growth and optimize category strategies. Thorough understanding of all license models across Enterprise vendors as SAP, ServiceNow, Salesforce, SAS, FIS is a must, Workday, Twillio, Topicus, Microsoft, Broadcom, Oracle, IBM, hyperscalers is preferred.
• Experience working with offshore teams.
• Master English business language/communication (spoken as well as written).
• Strong project management skills to align with multiple stakeholders.
• Strong negotiation skills.
• Regulatory and Compliance aspects of procurement in finance organisation.
• Legal acumen.
• Deep up-to-date knowledge of commercial and contractual developments for assigned vendors.
• Analytical Skills.
• Strategic mindset: develop and execute best in class sourcing strategies with involvement of Business stakeholders.
• Influencing and conflict resolution skills.
• Agile and self-driven.
• Drive sustainable Procurement.

We Offer

The benefits of working with us at ING include:

• A salary indication tailored to your qualities and experience.
• Individual leave: 24+2 individual holiday days based on 36 hr workweek.
• Diversity leave: 3 days per year (1,5 paid, 1,5 unpaid).
• CSR days: up to 2 days per year to actively engage in society by volunteering.
• 13th month salary.
• 8% Holiday payment.
• Individual Savings Contribution (BIS), 3.5% of your gross annual salary.
• Mobility card.
• Attractive pension scheme.
• Hybrid working to blend home working for focus and office working for collaboration and co-creation.

About the Company

Curious about how ING empowers people and businesses to move forward? Discover what we do and what we can offer you.

Questions? Contact the recruiter attached to the advertisement. Want to apply directly? Please upload your CV and motivation letter by clicking the ‘Apply’ button.

ING’s vision is to unlock our people’s full potential through our inclusive culture where everyone has the opportunity to develop and have impact for our customers and society. To achieve this vision, our policies support diversity, equity, and inclusion. As an equal opportunity employer, we do not tolerate discrimination of any kind with regard to age, gender, gender identity, cultural background, experience, religion, race, ethnicity, disability, family responsibilities, sexual orientation, social origin, or any other status protected by applicable law. If you require any assistance or if we can accommodate you in any way when participating in our application and/or interview process, please email the recruiting contact listed for the relevant position. We will be happy to work with you to ensure a fair and accessible process. Read more about our commitment to diversity, inclusion and belonging here.