JD – Lead Transport Network Procurement

Educational Qualification:

- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, preferably Electronics, Telecommunications, Electrical or a related discipline; MBA in Supply Chain, Operations or Finance is an advantage.

Experience Required:

- 7-12 years of experience in Telecom Network Procurement, Strategic Sourcing, Commercial Management, Network Engineering, Pre-Sales or Product Management with exposure to Transport Networks.
- Solid experience in sourcing and commercial management of DWDM/OTN, IP/MPLS, Microwave, UBR/iVAN, fibre infrastructure, transport software, support services, ancillaries and turnkey deployment categories.
- Experience working with telecom OEMs such as Nokia, Ciena, Cisco, Juniper, Ericsson, Huawei, Ceragon, Aviat, Radwin and fibre infrastructure/service providers.
- Proven experience in driving RFQs/RFPs, commercial evaluations, should-cost/BOM analysis, negotiations, purchase order management, contract finalization, supplier management, project governance and e-sourcing platforms such as Oracle/SAP.
- Strong understanding of pricing models, forex management, tax implications, payment structures, benchmarking and commercial risk allocation.

:

- Lead end-to-end sourcing strategy, RFQs/RFPs, commercial evaluation, negotiations and contract closure for Transport Network hardware, software, services, ancillaries and turnkey/managed service requirements.
- Define and periodically refresh category strategies aligned with network architecture, technology evolution, rollout plans, capacity requirements and business priorities.
- Collaborate with Transport Planning, Deployment, Operations, Finance,



Legal and business teams to translate technical requirements into commercially robust sourcing outcomes.
- Apply Total Cost of Ownership frameworks covering equipment, licences, optics, spares, implementation, integration, support, AMC, energy, logistics, duties and lifecycle costs.
- Evaluate equipment architecture and BOM, challenge solution assumptions, negotiate with OEMs and key component suppliers, and drive value engineering and cost optimization.
- Drive standardization and localization opportunities across Transport platforms, cards, optics, power systems, racks, software, services and deployment activities without compromising technical performance.
- Structure and negotiate MSAs, frame agreements, SOWs and supply/service contracts covering pricing, discounts, rebates, forex mechanisms, warranties, SLAs, liquidated damages, repair-and-return, EOL/EOS protection and risk allocation.
- Introduce and continuously improve sourcing techniques, commercial models, negotiation levers, supplier incentives and governance practices, with focus on savings, supply security and execution quality.
- Leverage procurement analytics, market intelligence tools, e-sourcing platforms and AI-enabled sourcing practices to improve decision making and transparency.
- Drive supplier due diligence, onboarding and structured Supplier Relationship Management for global and domestic OEMs, infrastructure partners and service providers.




- Monitor supplier performance against delivery commitments, quality, deployment milestones, SLAs, repair turnaround time, penalties and contractual obligations; initiate corrective actions where required.
- Manage supply continuity and long-term contractual risks, including capacity constraints, component shortages, technology obsolescence, single-source dependency, credit exposure, forex and regulatory changes.
- Develop market intelligence and benchmarks covering global and domestic pricing, technology roadmaps, OEM innovations, commodity trends, manufacturing capacity, exchange rates and competitive commercial practices.
- Maintain technology, cost and supplier intelligence for Transport equipment and services to support sourcing strategy, forecasting and decision making.
- Ensure procurement governance, ethical conduct, regulatory compliance, transparency and audit readiness across all Transport sourcing and contracting activities.
- Present category strategies, cost insights, sourcing recommendations, savings, supplier risks and performance updates to SCM leadership and senior management.
- Build strategic supplier relationships and identify opportunities for innovation, alternate sourcing, localization, productivity improvement and long-term commercial advantage.

Soft Skills:

- Excellent communication and executive presentation skills
- Strong stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration
- Commercial acumen and high-impact negotiation capability
- Analytical thinking with strong ownership and attention to detail
- Self-starter with bias for action and ability to work in a fast-changing technology and regulatory environment

📌 Lead - Transport Network Procurement (Gurugram)
🏢 Airtel
📍 Gurugram