Technology Category Manager

About Us

Network International is a leading financial technology company operating across the Middle East and Africa. Payments is our core business, supported by capabilities across Data and Insights, Lending, Insurance and Risk Solutions. We serve businesses across a broad range of markets and customer segments, while continuing to grow our direct-to-consumer card offering.

Our EVP

At Network International, we always stay ahead. In the fast-paced world of financial services, we thrive on innovation, agility and purposeful collaboration. We invest first in our people, empowering colleagues to make bold decisions, learn quickly and grow their expertise alongside industry leaders. Solving complex problems means more than using cutting-edge technology; it means creating meaningful value for our customers together. We foster a culture where trust, accountability and achievement go hand in hand because success is how we work every day as one team.

Job Purpose

The Procurement IT Category Manager owns the sourcing and commercial strategy for the technology spend that powers our payment platforms and services, including payment processing and core platforms, cloud and data centre hosting, cybersecurity, network and connectivity, software and SaaS, payment hardware and professional services. The role delivers measurable savings and value through strategic supplier partnerships, while protecting the availability, security and regulatory compliance that a payments business depends on.

Working closely with Technology, Information Security, Risk, Legal, Finance and the business, the role applies category management discipline, third-party risk and resilience requirements, and Oracle-enabled procurement processes to ensure the right suppliers are selected, contracted and governed across the group.

Job Accountabilities

• Manage end to end procurement process of technology requirements from requisition to delivery stage including supporting payment processing through the AP team.
• Build Technology Category plans and Cost optimization strategies.
• Generate cost savings and value-add through the management of procurement activities working closely with stakeholders and suppliers.
• Support standardization and sharing of best practices across the group entities
• Support the cost take out and optimization strategy across the group to achieve the target reduction in cost base, working closely with the functional teams.
• Identify and deliver procurement savings through strategic initiatives, optimization, negotiations and identifying alternatives suppliers and at the same time participate in other strategic cost savings projects.
• Supplier Management – performance evaluation and management and support supplier risk management.
• Drive improvement in procurement processes across the group through standardization, supplier catalogues, preferred suppliers and automation with objective of reducing processing times without compromising on internal controls.
• Ensure governance with group policies and Delegation of Authority
• Participate in annual budgets and forecasting process for optimization of cost base year on year as per objectives laid down by the leadership team.
• Input into Procurement Tracker and Reporting of KPIs capturing processing times, Procurement savings etc.
• Strong commercial negotiation skills, including enterprise licensing, SLAs, service credits and exit terms
• Adaptability and a proactive approach is essential to navigate the dynamic tech landscape, address emerging challenges and leverage on new opportunities.
• Contribute to the overall efficiency and innovation of technology procurement, driving success of the organisations strategy.

Experience / Skills Required

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree (required) in Supply Chain, Business, Finance, IT, Engineering or a related field.
• Minimum 8 years of prior experience in an IT procurement role, ideally with procurement category management experience.
• MCIPS qualification is good to have (preferred, not mandatory).

Job-specific Skills

• Significant experience in strategic sourcing and category management of technology spend
• Senior stakeholder engagement and management experience is essential
• Experience in category management, market sector strategies, procurement planning, analysing spend and driving optimization initiatives
• Experience of leading large enterprise/group-wide agreements, including cloud, software licensing and managed services
• Strong negotiation skills
• Working knowledge of Oracle ERP, ideally Oracle Fusion Procurement, including catalogue and purchase agreement management
• Experience in financial services, payments or fintech, and technology sectors, with an understanding of the payments ecosystem (card schemes, processors, issuing and acquiring platforms)
• Working knowledge of third-party risk, outsourcing and information security requirements applicable to regulated payment providers (for example PCI DSS and UAE Central Bank outsourcing expectations)
• Familiarity with technology commercial models, including SaaS, cloud consumption (FinOps), software licensing and managed services, and the emerging use of AI and automation tooling
• Ability to partner with Information Security, Risk and Legal to embed security, data protection and resilience clauses in supplier contracts

Generic skills

• Ability to work well under pressure with tight deadlines, juggle multiple priorities and in fast paced, dynamic environment.
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills
• Ability to build a strong rapport with stakeholders
• Solution Provider with a critical thinking mindset
• Business acumen, with sound judgement balancing cost, risk and service continuity for business-critical payment services
• High energy levels and self motivated

Integrity

• Must maintain confidentiality and discretion in all aspects
• Comfortable with flexible working schedule to meet the needs of the company and its executives
• Excellent Excel & Power-point presentation skills
• Develop and execute a category strategy for all technology spend, including cloud, data centre, cybersecurity, network, software/SaaS, payment hardware and professional services.
• Identify, evaluate and select suppliers that meet security, availability and regulatory standards.
• Negotiate contracts and commercial terms to achieve measurable cost savings and value creation.
• Collaborate with Technology, Information Security, Risk, Legal, Finance and business stakeholders to align sourcing decisions with enterprise objectives.
• Implement and manage third‑party risk assessments and resilience requirements throughout the supplier lifecycle.
• Leverage Oracle procurement tools to drive efficient sourcing processes, data analytics and reporting.
• Monitor supplier performance, compliance and risk metrics, and initiate corrective actions as needed.
• Maintain market intelligence on emerging technologies, pricing trends and competitive landscapes.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance category governance and procurement best practices.
• Report on savings, spend visibility and risk exposure to senior leadership.
• 5+ years of procurement or category management experience, preferably in payments, financial services or technology sectors.
• Demonstrated success in managing complex technology categories such as cloud, cybersecurity, SaaS and hardware.
• Strong knowledge of third‑party risk, regulatory compliance and resilience frameworks.
• Proficiency with Oracle procurement modules or similar e‑procurement systems.
• Excellent negotiation, analytical and financial modeling skills.
• Ability to influence and collaborate with cross‑functional senior stakeholders.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Engineering, Computer Science or related field; advanced degree or certifications (e.g., CPSM, CIPS) a plus.
• Experience with contract law and vendor management best practices.
• Proven track record of delivering cost savings and value‑add initiatives.
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal.