IT Category Procurement - Infrastructure

Role Purpose

The IT Category Buyer will own end-to-end procurement, delivery, and commercial governance for IT hardware and physical IT infrastructure (active & passive) across campuses and offices. The role spans design coordination, requirement freezing, sourcing, delivery, commissioning, and handover, while ensuring strong data integrity, budget control, MIS reporting, and audit-ready documentation for the IT category.

This role acts as a single point of accountability across internal stakeholders and external vendors, OEMs, consultants, and architects.

Key Responsibilities

1. End-to-End IT Infrastructure Procurement & Delivery

• Drive procurement and delivery for:
• IT hardware (servers, storage, network devices, Wi-Fi, firewalls)
• IT active infrastructure (switches, routers, wireless, AV / CCTV / PA IT components)
• IT passive infrastructure (structured cabling, fibre, racks, containment)
• Coordinate from design inputs & requirement freezing through procurement, installation, commissioning, and handover to business and IT teams.
• Support both new deployments and refresh cycles.

2. Design, Requirement & Stakeholder Coordination

• Work with internal IT, Facilities, Projects, Finance, and Business teams to define scope.
• Coordinate with external consultants, architects, designers, OEMs, and system integrators.
• Ensure scope is frozen with design-to-cost discipline and execution feasibility.

3. Commercial, Vendor & Contract Management

• Lead RFQs/RFPs, techno-commercial evaluations, and negotiations.
• Finalize contracts, rate cards, AMC structures, and licence renewals.
• Manage OEM relationships, warranties, SLAs, spares, and back-to-back support.
• Handle AMC renewals, licence renewals, and support contracts for the IT category.

4. Data, Records & Governance (Critical)

• Own complete data and critical record keeping for the IT category, including:
• BOQs, contracts, POs, amendments
• Warranties, AMCs, licences, renewal trackers
• OEM authorisations and compliance documents
• Ensure documentation is audit-ready and centrally accessible.

5. Analytics, MIS & Reporting

• Build and maintain category-level MIS, including:
• Spend analysis (CAPEX / OPEX)
• Budget vs actuals
• Savings and cost-avoidance tracking
• Vendor performance metrics
• Provide periodic dashboards and management reports for leadership reviews.

6. Budget & Expense Ownership

• Own IT category budgets in coordination with Finance and IT.
• Track forecasts, commitments, accruals, and variances.
• Ensure spend stays within approved budgets and flag risks early.
• Support annual budgeting and multi-campus capex planning.

7. Delivery, Installation & Handover

• Track delivery schedules, site readiness, and installation timelines.
• Support testing, commissioning, and acceptance.
• Ensure structured handover to IT and business with complete documentation.

Skills & Competencies

Technical / Functional

• Strong understanding of IT infrastructure hardware and physical infrastructure (active & passive).
• Comfort engaging in design and requirement discussions from a commercial and execution lens.
• Experience in BOQ-based, project-driven procurement.

Commercial & Analytical

• Strong negotiation and contract management capability.
• High proficiency in data management, analytics, MIS, and reporting.
• Budget planning and expense control exposure.

Behavioural

• Ownership mindset with high attention to detail.
• Ability to coordinate across multiple stakeholders and vendors.
• Comfortable operating in highly governed and monitored campus environments.

Experience & Qualification

• 6–10 years in IT infrastructure procurement / category management / project procurement.
• Experience with campus, office, or large infrastructure programs preferred.
• Engineering / Technology / Management qualification preferred.