Senior Manager -Procurement Process & Systems

Company: United Airlines
Location: Chicago
Posted on: May 1, 2025

Job Description:

Achieving our goals starts with supporting yours. Grow your career, access top-tier health and wellness benefits, build lasting connections with your team and our customers, and travel the world using our extensive route network.

Come join us to create what's next. Let's define tomorrow, together.

DescriptionFind your future at United! We're reinventing what our industry looks like, and what an airline can be - from the planes we fly to the people who fly them. When you join us, you're joining a global team of 100,000+ connected by a shared passion with a wide spectrum of experience and skills to lead the way forward.Achieving our ambitions starts with supporting yours. Evolve your career and find your next opportunity. Get the care you need with industry-leading health plans and best-in-class programs to support your emotional, physical, and financial wellness. Expand your horizons with travel across the world's biggest route network. Connect outside your team through employee-led Business Resource Groups.Create what's next with us. Let's define tomorrow together.We believe that inclusion helps us thrive and grow at United across our collaborative Finance teams consisting of Financial Planning & Analysis, Internal Audit, Treasury, Global Procurement, Controllership, Investor Relations and more. These teams provide the financial fuel that keeps our operation running from providing detailed analyses of financial planning, performance, and forecasts to managing our investments and financial strategies. Our Finance team plays an integral role in making our airline profitable and successful by meeting our financial goals.The Global Procurement (GP) organization at United Airlines is responsible for sourcing and procuring goods and services, as well as managing relationships with third-party suppliers. Our role is critical in driving operational efficiency by overseeing the entire procure-to-pay process and ensuring the strategic acquisition of goods and services essential to the airline's success. We are committed to optimizing costs, maintaining supplier quality, and ensuring compliance with regulatory and sustainability standards, all while supporting operational excellence and aligning with United's broader business objectives.Procurement Enablement team is seeking a Sr. Manager for its Processes & Systems to drive the efficiency, scalability, and continuous improvement of our procurement technology and workflows. This role is pivotal in ensuring that procurement systems and processes align with the company's long-term vision, enhancing functionality, and leading strategic system enhancements.As a key leader, this individual will be responsible for managing product features, system functionality, user experience, and workflow innovation to optimize procurement operations. This role is accountable for a team of 3-5 Product Owners and System Analysts. This role works in close partnership/collaboration with IT/Digital Technology, and heavily involved in IT-driven transformation initiatives.Key Responsibilities:System & Workflow Optimization:

• Responsible for developing and executing a state-of-the-art procurement system roadmap.
• Design and re-engineer procurement workflows to improve efficiency, compliance, and automation.
• Drive tactical system improvements while maintaining a vision for long-term transformation.
• Drive innovation and process improvements, aligning technology with business needs.
• Evaluate and introduce emerging procurement technologies for greater efficiency.
• Oversee procurement system functionality, ensuring procurement systems align with long-term business goals.Product Ownership & Enhancement:
  • Responsible for optimizing existing procurement products, reducing inefficiencies and bottlenecks.
  • Define and prioritize product features, enhancements, and system capabilities to maximize value.
  • Manage the product backlog, addressing pain points and ensuring continuous improvements.
  • Work closely with IT and developers to ensure system changes align with business needs.
  • Ensure a seamless user experience, driving system adoption and engagement across the organization.
  • Conduct training and change management initiatives to support successful implementation.System Changes & Process Integration & IT Collaboration:
    • Ensure that teams are prepared for any system changes or new technology introduced by IT.
    • Define and lead the business-side process alignment, testing, and validation for system updates.
    • Partner with IT to ensure requirements, workflows, and configurations meet procurement's needs.
    • Serve as a liaison between GP, IT Application Development, and other stakeholders to ensure effective system integration and system upgrades.
    • Lead and manage large-scale software implementations, working closely with IT teams.
    • Drive the introduction of new processes and workflows, ensuring alignment with GP strategies.
    • Enhance system user experience, adoption, and functionality improvements.
    • Optimize system functionality to reduce costs, increase speed, and enhance efficiency.
    • Ensure data integrity, security, and compliance in all procurement technology solutions.Leadership & People management:
      • Collaborate with Global Procurement (GP), IT, and cross-functional teams to align processes with business objectives.
      • Manage and mentor team members, provide guidance and input on all mentioned responsibilities.
      • Train and develop individuals and all team members on spend data analysis and relevant tools.
      • Manage people relationships effectively with all key stakeholders across teams and divisions.
      • Lead meetings, set agendas, organize memos and notes, and task tracking.
      • Establish a high-performing team of Product Owners and Analysts (both on-shore and off-shore) with clear responsibilitiesQualificationsWhat needed to succeed (Minimum Qualifications):
        • Bachelor's degree in computer science, information technology, engineering
        • 8+ years of experience in procurement technology, systems management, or IT-related fields.
        • Strong experience leading product owners, system analysts, or similar roles.
        • Deep knowledge of procurement processes, Sourcing, Contracting, and P2P systems, ERP solutions, and automation
        • Experience managing large-scale system implementations and cross-functional IT projects.
        • Proven track record in workflow optimization, system improvements, and digital transformation.
        • Strong leadership skills with the ability to mentor, coach, and develop teams.
        • Excellent stakeholder management and the ability to collaborate across procurement, IT, and business units.
        • Excellent project management skills
        • Strong problem-solving skills with attention to details
        • Advanced in data tools such as SQL, Palantir Foundry, and coding concepts
        • Proficiency working with visualization tools such as Power BI, Spotfire, Tableau
        • Must be proficient in Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel, and PowerPoint
        • Highly structured with attention to details, and result orientedWhat will help you propel from the pack (Preferred Qualifications):
          • Master's degree
          • Experience in airline procurement or a large enterprise environment.
          • Knowledge of Agile, Scrum, or other product management methodologies
          • Familiarity with SAP Ariba, Coupa, or other procurement platformsUnited Airlines is an equal opportunity employer. United Airlines recruits, employs, trains, compensates and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, physical ability, age, veteran status and other protected status as required by applicable law. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform crucial job functions. Please contact JobAccommodations@united.com to request accommodation.
            The base pay range for this role is $124,735.00 to $169,950.00.
            The base salary range/hourly rate listed is dependent on job-related, non-discriminatory factors such as experience, education, and skills. This position is also eligible for bonus and/or long-term incentive compensation awards.
            
            You may be eligible for the following competitive benefits: medical, dental, vision, life, accident & disability, parental leave, employee assistance program, commuter, paid holidays, paid time off, 401(k) and flight privileges.
            
            United Airlines is an equal opportunity employer. United Airlines recruits, employs, trains, compensates and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, physical ability, age, veteran status and other protected status as required by applicable law. Equal Opportunity Employer - Minorities/Women/Veterans/Disabled/LGBT.
            
            We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform crucial job functions. Please contact to request accommodation.
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