Director, Lead of Regional Procurement

Company Profile MIZUHO IS RUNNING A MULTI-YEAR REGIONAL TRANSFORMATION PROGRAM FOR ITS ASIA PACIFIC BUSINESS. THE IT PROCUREMENT LEAD PLAYS A CRITICAL ROLE IN ESTABLISHING AND MANAGING THE ASIA PACIFIC REGIONAL IT PROCUREMENT FUNCTION FOR THE BANK. THIS ROLE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR SETTING UP AND LEADING THE REGIONAL PROCUREMENT TEAM, DEFINING AND IMPLEMENTING ROBUST PROCUREMENT PROCESSES, AND STRATEGICALLY MANAGING SOURCING ACTIVITIES FOR IT TRANSFORMATION PROJECTS AND STANDARD PRODUCT SELECTION. THE IT PROCUREMENT LEAD WILL DRIVE COST-SAVING INITIATIVES THROUGH SPEND ANALYSIS AND VENDOR OPTIMIZATION, ENSURING PROCUREMENT ALIGNS WITH INTERNAL POLICIES, RISK FRAMEWORKS, AND REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS. SUCCESS IN THIS ROLE REQUIRES STRONG STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP, COMMERCIAL EXPERTISE, DEEP FAMILIARITY WITH IT VENDOR MANAGEMENT, AND EFFECTIVE STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT AT SENIOR LEVELS. Job Responsibilities Regional IT Procurement Team Setup and Management•Establish and lead the regional IT procurement team. •Define team roles, responsibilities, and ways of working. •Build procurement capabilities to support APAC IT transformation needs. IT Procurement Process Setup•Design and implement end-to-end IT procurement processes. •Align procurement workflows with internal controls and governance needs. •Continuously improve procedures to increase efficiency and compliance. IT Transformation Project Sourcing•Lead sourcing for major IT transformation and strategic initiatives. •Engage early with stakeholders to shape sourcing strategies. •Ensure timely and cost-effective vendor selection aligned with project goals. Standard IT Product Selection•Collaborate with IT teams and define standardised IT products and services catalogue. •Streamline sourcing to preferred vendors for core IT solutions. •Promote consistency and reduce total cost of ownership. Lead Cost Saving Initiatives via Spend Analysis•Lead analysis of spend data to identify savings and consolidation opportunities. •Drive cost optimisation through vendor rationalisation and negotiations. •Track and report realised savings across IT categories. Oversee IT Sourcing Execution•Oversee RFI, RFQ, RFP, and vendor evaluation processes. •Lead sourcing of software, infrastructure, and IT services. •Ensure vendor due diligence meets compliance and risk standards. Contracts & Commercial Negotiation•Lead negotiations on commercials, licensing, SLAs, and renewals. •Coordinate with Legal and Risk teams for contract reviews. •Manage contract lifecycle from drafting to termination. Procurement Governance & Compliance•Establish governance routines and internal approval protocols. •Ensure alignment with audit, risk, and regulatory expectations. •Maintain accurate documentation for review and reporting. Vendor Performance Management•Monitor vendor performance against KPIs and SLAs. •Facilitate periodic reviews and manage performance issues. •Support delivery teams in driving accountability and service improvement. Job Requirements •Minimum 12 years of experience in IT procurement, with a strong track record in the banking or financial services sector. •Strong leadership experience in setting up and managing Asia Pacific IT procurement teams, with a focus on building capabilities and driving delivery. •Deep understanding of the banking technology vendor ecosystem, including commercial structures, licensing models, renewal cycles, and key supplier capabilities. •Extensive experience sourcing across multiple IT categories, including software (on-premise and SaaS), infrastructure (cloud and on-prem), and IT services. •Familiar with Asia-Pacific procurement-related regulations and compliance considerations. •Proven ability to design and implement procurement strategies, processes, and governance frameworks from the ground up. •Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional collaboration with stakeholders in IT, Legal, Risk, Finance, and regional/country offices. •Experience leading large-scale sourcing initiatives for transformation programmes, product standardisation, and cost optimisation. •Skilled in spend analysis, vendor negotiations, and implementing supplier performance and risk management frameworks.