Procurement Excellence Manager, Shape the Future of Procurement

Location:
Madrid, Hybrid About Swissport We are a global leader in sustainable and responsible airport services provision, renowned for our unwavering commitment to safety, operational excellence, and exceptional service, shaping a future where air travel thrives on reliability, efficiency, and experience. In 2023, with the support of more than 60,000 colleagues, Swissport provided best-in-class airport ground services for some 232 million airline passengers and handled roughly 4.7 million tons of air freight at 115 cargo centres. Across a global network that is unparalleled in the industry, Swissport served airlines at 286 airports in 44 countries across six continents. The culture of Swissport is shaped by our corporate values, which guide our actions and decision-making processes. These values are at the core of our culture, shaping our business and underpinning our commitment to measuring our impact. They capture the essence of who we are at Swissport and help us deliver value across the entire company. "Show You Care" underlines that our actions are perceived and valued from the perspective of the people around us. So, whatever we do, we do it purposefully and consciously, taking in the perspective of our colleagues, customers, and passengers. “Doing the right things” means that we do the things that are valuable to our colleagues, customers, and passengers. We are trained to do this safely and trusted to do the right thing in any given situation. "Win as a Team" highlights the importance of teamwork. Either we win as a team, or we fall as individuals. Together, we can surpass ourselves and handle any situation. These values capture the essence of who we are and our unwavering commitment to excellence, and give actionable guidance for individual behaviour of employees, leaders, and executives, serving as a compass for how to act and deliver. Job Summary Drive Transformation. Strengthen Governance. Shape the Future of Procurement. Are you passionate about transforming procurement into a strategic business enabler? Do you enjoy combining strategic thinking, data-driven insights, technology and sustainability to deliver measurable business value? We are looking for an ambitious and forward-thinking Procurement Excellence Manager to strengthen supplier risk management, accelerate sustainable procurement and drive digital transformation across the organisation. This is an exciting opportunity for a procurement professional who wants to make a tangible impact by building more efficient, resilient, sustainable and technology-enabled procurement operations. The Opportunity As Procurement Excellence Manager, you will play a pivotal role in shaping and executing the organisation's procurement strategy, focusing on five key pillars:
• Supplier Risk & Governance: Strengthen supplier due diligence, risk assessment, compliance and performance monitoring, ensuring robust governance and resilient supplier relationships.
• Sustainable Procurement & ESG: Embed sustainability throughout the procurement lifecycle, drive alignment with ISO 20400 standards and support the achievement and maintenance of sustainability accreditations, including EcoVadis Platinum.
• Procurement Transformation & Operational Excellence: Lead process redesign, standardisation, continuous improvement and the optimisation of Source-to-Pay (S2P) processes.
• Digitalisation, Automation & AI: Accelerate procurement digitalisation through technology adoption, workflow automation, system integration and practical applications of AI to enhance efficiency, visibility and decision-making.
• Data, Analytics & Performance Management: Turn procurement data into actionable business intelligence through executive dashboards, supplier scorecards, spend analytics and performance KPIs, tracking savings, and procurement ROI.

Key Responsibilities
1. Supplier Risk Management & Governance
• Lead supplier onboarding and due diligence, including financial assessments, background checks, compliance verification and performance evaluations.
• Develop and maintain robust supplier risk management frameworks, identifying potential operational, financial, regulatory and reputational risks.
• Partner with Procurement, Legal, Compliance, IT and Operations to ensure effective risk mitigation and supplier governance.
• Establish executive reporting and risk dashboards to monitor supplier performance, emerging risks and mitigation actions. 2. Sustainable Procurement & ESG
• Lead the implementation and continuous improvement of sustainable procurement practices, aligned with ISO 20400 and corporate ESG commitments.
• Develop and maintain procurement sustainability policies, frameworks and procedures.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders and suppliers to improve sustainability performance across the supply chain.
• Support the achievement and maintenance of sustainability ratings and accreditations, including EcoVadis Platinum. 3. Procurement Transformation & Operational Excellence
• Drive procurement transformation initiatives, leading process redesign, harmonisation, standardisation and operational efficiency improvements.
• Identify opportunities to simplify and optimise procurement processes across the Source-to-Pay and Source-to-Contract lifecycle.
• Establish best practices, governance frameworks and performance standards across procurement operations.
• Lead and govern Procurement PMO activities, including transformation roadmaps, project governance, stakeholder engagement, KPI tracking, change management and benefits realisation. 4. Digital Procurement, Technology & AI
• Support the implementation, optimisation and adoption of digital procurement platforms.
• Identify opportunities for process automation, digital workflows and integration with ERP, contract management and supplier management systems.
• Explore and implement practical AI-driven solutions, including generative AI and advanced analytics, to automate routine activities, enhance supplier insights and strengthen risk detection.
• Drive technology adoption through effective change management, stakeholder engagement and user training. 5. Procurement Analytics & Performance Management
• Develop executive dashboards, procurement scorecards and management reporting using tools such as Power BI, Tableau, Smartsheet and advanced Excel.
• Analyse procurement spend, supplier performance, savings and procurement ROI to identify opportunities and drive business value.
• Apply statistical and predictive analytics to identify supplier risk indicators, performance trends and potential supply chain disruptions.
• Translate complex data into meaningful insights, recommendations and actionable improvement plans for senior management. 6. Leadership & Capability Development
• Build procurement team capabilities through structured competency frameworks, training, coaching and knowledge sharing.
• Develop strong relationships with senior leadership and cross-functional stakeholders, influencing decisions and driving alignment around procurement priorities.
• Promote a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, collaboration and innovation. What We're Looking For We are seeking a strategic, analytical and hands-on procurement professional who combines strong procurement knowledge with transformation capabilities and a passion for innovation. Experience & Education
• 5–10 years of progressive experience in Procurement, Procurement Excellence, Procurement Transformation or Digital Transformation.
• Proven track record of leading procurement transformation, process improvement and operational excellence initiatives within complex organisations.
• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Finance, Risk Management or a related discipline.
• Professional certifications such as CSCP, CRM or other procurement and risk management qualifications are advantageous.
• Excellent command of written and spoken Business English, including commercial, contractual and legal terminology. Technical & Professional Expertise
• Strong understanding of supplier risk management, vendor due diligence, procurement governance and supplier performance management.
• Knowledge of sustainable procurement principles, ISO 20400 and ESG frameworks.
• Experience with P2P, S2C, contract management and supplier management processes.
• Hands-on experience implementing or optimising procurement technology platforms such as SAP Ariba, Coupa or Zycus.
• Strong data analytics and visualisation capabilities, particularly Power BI, Tableau and Excel.
• Experience developing executive dashboards, spend analytics, supplier scorecards and procurement KPIs.
• Understanding of predictive analytics, statistical analysis and data-driven risk assessment.
• Practical exposure to AI applications, automation and digital procurement initiatives.
• Strong project management, stakeholder engagement and change management capabilities. The Ideal Candidate You are a results-oriented professional who can connect procurement strategy with operational execution. You combine analytical thinking with strong business acumen, are comfortable influencing stakeholders at all levels and thrive in a dynamic, multicultural environment. You are naturally curious about emerging technologies, passionate about sustainability and motivated by the opportunity to challenge traditional ways of working. Above all, you understand that procurement excellence is not simply about process efficiency — it is about creating sustainable value, mitigating risk, enabling innovation and delivering measurable business impact.