Project Manager Supplier Relations

Are you a project manager who brings structure to complex supplier relationships? At SURF and the National Growth Fund Programme Npuls, you will supervise specific cases involving collaborations with IT providers, such as public-private partnerships, innovative procurement and co-creation. With your experience in procurement and/or PPP, you will manage interests, risks and preconditions and support projects in careful build-buy-borrow considerations. As a sparring partner for project leaders and teams, you will work on improving and innovating our supplier collaboration, with an eye for public values. Enthusiastic? Then we would like to meet you.

Where you will work

SURF is the ICT cooperative for Dutch educational and research institutions. Together with them, we work on digital services and complex innovation challenges to enhance the quality of education and research.

The team you will join

You will be working in the Procurement & Contract Management team. Twenty contract managers, purchasers and procurement lawyers are responsible for procurement and contract management for SURF itself and its affiliated members. SURF bundles the procurement needs of its members and enters into contractual agreements with suppliers on their behalf. SURF members stand for public values that safeguard the sovereignty of the sector and translate these into competitive contract terms via SURF. In this way, we ensure price advantages and agreements on privacy and secure data processing.

Those who work at SURF work for a unique and open organisation. This is evident in everything: the structure of the organisation, the set-up of the project teams, the culture in our offices and the atmosphere among colleagues. SURF offers excellent terms of employment and takes a flexible approach to work/life balance. Employees enjoy working independently. In addition, everyone is given the space and freedom to use and develop their talents as effectively and broadly as possible.

What you will do

Your work in the field of collaboration with suppliers is a new, joint initiative of SURF Procurement & Contract Management, SURF Innovation and the National Growth Fund Programme Npuls. You will work with colleagues from these different departments to supervise specific cases focusing on innovative collaborations, procurement processes and PPP constructions with private IT parties. Together with them, you will identify bottlenecks, needs and good practices and translate practical dilemmas into better frameworks and working methods. With a learning, action-oriented approach, you will help Npuls realise the promises of the National Growth Fund Programme and SURF to establish and improve supplier relationships, while maintaining public control and values.

You will find yourself in an open, collegial environment with plenty of room for knowledge sharing, experimentation and the sustainable strengthening of cooperation with suppliers within SURF and on behalf of the sector.

You will be responsible for supervising and managing specific cases within SURF and Npuls in which new collaborations and innovative forms of procurement with IT suppliers are explored and set up. You will ensure a structured approach, monitor progress and work towards applicable and supported results. Clear reporting and recording of learning experiences are a matter of course. You will work closely with internal clients, project leaders and stakeholders from various departments and ensure that the insights gained are properly translated into improved frameworks and working methods.

The cases you coordinate have both an internal perspective and sector-wide relevance. Where appropriate, you will use Agile principles and Scrum-like working methods, focused on iterative learning and sustainably strengthening the way SURF collaborates with suppliers.

What else you will be involved in:

Case and project supervision:

• Supervising specific cases in which new collaborations with suppliers are set up.
• Supporting projects in issues relating to innovation, co-creation and PPP.
• Converting initiatives and dilemmas into clear plans with clear objectives, a sharp scope, realistic planning and appropriate agreements on investments and risks.
• Coordinating the rationale and approach with internal stakeholders and SURF members.
• Ensuring support and shared ownership among the teams involved.
• Translating learning experiences from cases into improvements in frameworks and working methods.

Expertise and knowledge sharing:

• Acting as an internal sparring partner in the field of collaboration with suppliers and innovative forms of procurement.
• Recording, collecting and actively sharing knowledge and evaluations from cases handled.
• Maintaining and deepening knowledge of project and PPP methodologies.

Contribution to professionalisation:

• Collaborating on the development of guidelines and tools for better supplier relationships.
• Contributing to SURF-wide guidelines with a focus on public values, control, privacy and compliance.
• Identifying opportunities for new PPP approaches within SURF and on behalf of the sector.

Your skills and experience

• You have a higher professional education (HBO) or university education (WO) level of thinking and working and at least 5 years of work experience;
• You have excellent technical and communication skills, good verbal and written command of the Dutch and English languages;
• You have knowledge of and experience with project management methodologies;
• You have knowledge of and experience with procurement and/or public-private partnerships and contract management.

SURF takes pleasure in doing its recruitment itself; acquisition is therefore not appreciated.