Manager, Procurement Operations & Transformation

Location: London Workplace: Hybrid Company Description We’re http://checkout.comCheckout.com http://Checkout.com. You might not know our name, but companies like eBay, Spotify, Klarna, Uber, and Sony do, because we’re behind many of the digital experiences you use every day. We are where the world checks out, enabling over 10 billion transactions yearly for more than one billion global shoppers. Whether you want to book a holiday, order food, renew a subscription, or check out online, there’s a good chance our tech powers the payments behind the scenes. Our platform helps the most ambitious businesses deliver effortless digital experiences, at scale. If you want to do career-defining work, you’ve come to the right place. We move fast, think globally, and believe great teams are built by hiring exceptional people with conviction, curiosity, and the desire to make an impact. With 20 offices across six continents and London as our HQ, we’re shaping the future of fintech – and we’re just getting started. Role Purpose The Manager, Procurement Operations & Transformation will be the functional owner responsible for both the strategic evolution and the daily operational execution of http://checkout.comCheckout.com http://Checkout.com’s Procurement and Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM) functions. The role is structured across four core pillars: - Transformation: Setting the long-term vision, target operating model, and multi-year transformation initiatives, roadmaps, business cases, and cost-benefit analyses across all operating model components: Service Delivery Model, People, Process, Reporting & Data, Governance & Controls, and Automation/AI. - Operations: Managing the day-to-day Procurement Operations team, monitoring functional health, data quality, and operational metrics, as well as eliminating bottlenecks and escalations across sourcing and corporate travel. - Business Partnering: Acting as the primary strategic bridge between Procurement and core business functions (Technology, InfoSec, Risk, Legal, and People) to ensure cross-functional alignment and service delivery. - Program Management & Governance: Leading programmatic execution, centralizing compliance and regulatory inputs, servicing audit requirements, and managing functional roadmaps with support teams. The primary objective is to modernize Procurement and TPRM into high-performing service functions delivering superior customer experience, strict SLAs, advanced automation, and scalable tooling architectures. Key Responsibilities 1. Transformation & Operating Model Strategy - Define and execute the global strategy, target operating model, and vision across all Procurement & TPRM components: Service Delivery Model, Process, People, Reporting & Data, Governance & Controls, and Automation/AI. - Map strategy into prioritized roadmaps supported by concrete business cases and cost-benefit analyses. - Define the functional AI and automation strategy, sponsoring the delivery of automated capabilities in partnership with Technology to maximize throughput and operational efficiency. - Establish and monitor core operational metrics, KPIs, and SLAs to track function health, service quality, and risk posture. - Partner with Accounts Payable to drive end-to-end Source-to-Pay process optimization and touchless execution. 2. Operational Leadership & Escalation Management - Lead and manage the Procurement Operations team, ensuring category management teams receive required data, analytics, and operational support. - Own vendor master data governance to maintain maximum accuracy and integrity across downstream systems and reporting. - Serve as the senior escalation point for operational blockers across Procurement, corporate travel, and P2P handoffs. - Maintain functional relationships with platform providers and monitor tooling health, releases, and integrations in collaboration with Technology. 3. Tooling Ecosystem Ownership - Zip: Act as joint business owner with Accounts Payable, functionally managing intake-to-contract workflows, vendor onboarding, and P2P handoffs. - OneTrust: Functionally own TPRM risk assessment workflows and vendor risk oversight. - Navan: Functionally oversee corporate travel management tools, user support, and policy administration. - Partner with Technology on business requirement definitions (BRDs), backlog prioritization, and User Acceptance Testing (UAT). 4. Regulatory, Compliance & Audit Enablement - Act as the functional Procurement lead for internal and external audits, SOX controls, and regulatory assessments. - Deliver operational support for global market expansion, ensuring supply-chain and TPRM standards satisfy new market license applications and regulatory filings. - Programmatically centralize, manage, and track regulatory, audit, and compliance inputs and remediation actions across the team. Requirements - Transformation & Operating Model Leadership: Proven track record designing, delivering, and scaling target operating models, large-scale procurement transformations, and process re-engineering in fast-paced enterprise environments. - Procurement Operations & People Management: Demonstrated experience leading a Procurement Operations team, driving daily operational discipline, and resolving cross-functional bottlenecks. - Tooling & Digital Enablement: Hands-on functional ownership, administration, or implementation experience with modern enterprise platforms: Zip, OneTrust, and Navan (or comparable modern P2P and TPRM tools). - Automation & AI Strategy: Proven ability to identify, scope, and sponsor automation and AI initiatives, partnering closely with Technology and Engineering to deliver technical solutions. - TPRM & Regulatory Governance: Strong background in Third-Party Risk Management frameworks, regulatory compliance requirements, and audit management. - Program Management: Strong capability to manage complex, multi-stakeholder programmatic roadmaps and drive alignment across Finance, Legal, Risk, and Technology. What Success Looks Like - Operating Model Transformation: Multi-year transformation roadmap is executed efficiently, delivering measurable productivity gains and modernizing the functional architecture across Procurement and TPRM. - Automation & AI Execution: Automation and AI use cases are successfully delivered alongside Technology, driving touchless handoffs, faster cycle times, and optimized workflows. - Operational Excellence: Operational SLAs and KPIs are consistently achieved, vendor master data maintains high integrity, and operational bottlenecks are rapidly resolved. - Audit & Regulatory Compliance: Zero critical audit findings across Procurement and TPRM operations, with dependable operational execution for international license applications and filings. - High-Performing Operations Team: An engaged, well-structured Procurement Operations team that consistently provides reliable, high-quality operational support to category managers and internal stakeholders. Additional Information Bring all of you to work We create the conditions for high performers to thrive, through real ownership, fewer blockers, and work that makes a difference from day one. Here, you’ll move fast, take on meaningful challenges, and be recognized for the impact you deliver. It’s a place where ambition gets met with opportunity, and where your growth is in your hands. We work as one team, and we back each other to succeed. So whatever your background or identity, if you’re ready to grow and make a difference, you’ll be right at home here. It’s important we set you up for success and make our process as accessible as possible. So let us know in your application, or tell your recruiter directly, if you need anything to make your experience or working environment more comfortable. Life at Checkout.com http://Checkout.com We understand that work is just one part of your life. Our hybrid working model offers flexibility, with three days per week in the office to support collaboration and connection. Curious about what it’s like to be part of our team? Visit our Careers Page https://www.checkout.com/careers to learn more about our culture, open roles, and what drives us. For a closer look at daily life at Checkout.com http://Checkout.com, follow us on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/checkout/life/ and Instagram https://www.instagram.com/checkout_com/