Supplier Relations Leader – Enterprise Applications & Business Platforms

Company description

We are reshaping how we work with Indirect Procurement.

Indirect Procurement is making significant changes. Our new Indirect Procurement Organisation will enable us to work smarter, simplify how we operate and create more value. With clearer roles, stronger collaboration and a foundation for AI and automation, we are building a future-ready organisation together.

Job description

Build strategic partnerships around business-critical platforms

The best supplier relationships are about much more than contracts and performance reviews. As Supplier Relations Leader for Enterprise Applications & Business Platforms, you will own strategic relationships with suppliers whose platforms enable critical business processes across IKEA.

Your portfolio may include major enterprise application providers such as SAP, Workday, Ivalua, ServiceNow, Infor or comparable enterprise technology providers would be an advantage. You will work closely with suppliers and internal stakeholders to connect commercial strategies, platform roadmaps and IKEA business priorities.

Why this role matters

Enterprise applications support some of IKEA’s most important business capabilities, including supply chain, procurement, workforce management and enterprise resource planning.

These relationships require strong commercial leadership combined with an understanding of enterprise software, platform ecosystems and technology-enabled business transformation. You will ensure that strategic suppliers continue to develop, innovate and deliver long-term value alongside IKEA.

You will help IKEA strengthen its position in complex enterprise software relationships, improve commercial outcomes and ensure that supplier roadmaps support future business needs.

A day in your life with us

You will:

• Own relationships with strategic enterprise application and business-platform suppliers.
• Develop supplier strategies aligned with IKEA business priorities and platform roadmaps.
• Lead supplier governance, executive reviews and joint business planning.
• Drive supplier performance, development and long-term value creation.
• Support complex commercial negotiations, renewals and enterprise agreements.
• Challenge software licensing, subscription and consumption models.
• Connect supplier product roadmaps with IKEA’s business, technology and transformation needs.
• Identify opportunities for innovation, simplification, consolidation and cost optimisation.
• Work closely with Procurement, Digital, Finance and business stakeholders.
• Identify and mitigate supplier, commercial, operational and technology risks.
• Manage escalations and support business continuity when challenges arise.

Qualification

Who you are

You understand how business-critical technology platforms create value and how strong commercial and supplier leadership can influence that value.

You can move comfortably between strategic business discussions, supplier governance, commercial negotiations and technology roadmaps. You do not need to be a technical architect, but you understand enterprise software markets and can credibly challenge suppliers and engage senior business and technology stakeholders.

We believe you bring:

• Strong experience in supplier relationship management, sourcing, procurement or commercial management.
• Experience managing major enterprise software or SaaS suppliers.
• Knowledge of enterprise application ecosystems such as ERP, supply-chain platforms, procurement technology or workforce platforms.
• Understanding of enterprise software licensing, subscriptions and commercial models.
• Experience supporting complex software negotiations, renewals or enterprise agreements.
• The ability to connect platform roadmaps with business transformation and process needs.
• Experience managing strategic or business-critical supplier relationships.
• Strong commercial understanding and negotiation capability.
• Experience driving supplier performance, development and innovation.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• The ability to operate across Procurement, Digital and business functions.
• The ability to manage ambiguity, risk and complex business situations.

Experience working directly with suppliers such as SAP, Workday, Oracle, Ivalua, o9, ServiceNow, Coupa, Infor or comparable enterprise technology providers would be an advantage.

More Information

The position can be located in Malmö (SE) or Delft (NL) or Warsaw (PL).

We will first consider co-workers employed at Inter IKEA Group who are impacted by organisational changes, provided the competence requirements for the role are met.

Please not for this position we do not offer relocation support.