Procurement Process Transformation & Optimization Lead (Hybrid)

United Airlines•Chicago, IL

3d•$102,220 - $133,194•Hybrid

About The Position

The Global Procurement (GP) organization at United Airlines is responsible for sourcing and procuring goods and services, as well as managing relationships with third-party suppliers. GP’s role is critical in driving operational efficiency by overseeing the entire procure-to-pay process and ensuring the strategic acquisition of goods and services essential to the airline’s success. We are committed to optimizing costs, maintaining supplier quality, and ensuring compliance with regulatory and sustainability standards, all while supporting operational excellence and aligning with United’s broader business objectives. This role leads the end-to-end transformation of procurement processes and systems across the Source-to-Pay (S2P) ecosystem. It is responsible for assessing current-state processes, designing future-state operating models, and driving standardization and harmonization across all business functions that interact with the S2P lifecycle. The role also serves as a technical champion with expertise in system configuration, reporting, automation, and process optimization. By identifying system inefficiencies, operational bottlenecks, and integration gaps, this individual drives practical solutions that improve user experience, system performance, and overall process effectiveness. Acting as a bridge between Procurement, IT, System Administrators, and business stakeholders, this role translates business requirements into scalable digital solutions, system configurations, and data-driven process improvements. The individual will partner closely with stakeholders to identify pain points, prioritize enhancements, and continuously improve the procurement technology ecosystem.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree
Finance, Risk, Supply Chain, or another business-related field
3+ years of experience in related field
Highly analytical with excellent problem-solving skills
Strong communication, negotiation and relationship building skills
Strong cross functional leadership skills
Strong process mapping and change management skills
Experience with both internal stakeholder and supplier relationship management
Ability to work independently
Efficient conflict resolution skills
Excellent market information analysis skills and supply market knowledge
Skilled in strategic minded project management
Works well in high-paced cross-functional environment
Must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer without sponsorship
Successful completion of interview required to meet job qualification
Reliable, punctual attendance is an essential function of the position

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in Industrial Engineering, IT, or related fields
5+ years of experience in the following areas:
- Procurement systems, or familiar with Source-to-Pay (S2P) process,
- Process mapping and process optimization
- System configuration, automation, and low-code/no-code tools (i.e. able to build applications, workflows, automations)
- Troubleshooting issues, and reduce reliance on System Admin
PMP
Proficient in process mapping, change management, data analysis and visualization, reporting and business intelligence tools

Responsibilities

Support the designing and streamlining procurement workflows to enhance system/product efficiency.
Work with cross-functional teams to implement best practices and suggest process improvements.
Ensure that procurement technology aligns with compliance, security, and business objectives.
Monitor KPIs and user feedback to measure system effectiveness and identify further enhancements.
Identify opportunities for innovation in procurement systems and digital tools.
Support to implement procurement system enhancements based on business needs.
Define and prioritize Coupa (or any procurement product) features, enhancements, and system improvements.
Act as the first point of contact for system users, for troubleshooting issues, and support.
Work with IT and relevant teams to track, escalate, and resolve system-related issues.
Collaborate with IT and developers to translate business requirements into technical solutions.
Continuously assess and suggest opportunities for automation, simplification, and efficiency gains.
Drive user adoption and training, ensuring smooth implementation of new features.
Work in an agile environment, participating in sprint planning, backlog grooming, and system testing.
Act as the primary liaison between Global Procurement (GP), IT, and business users to ensure procurement system enhancements meet operational needs.
Gather feedback from end-users, leadership, and cross-functional teams to improve product functionality.
Train and develop individuals and all team members on relevant products, systems, and tools.
Support change management efforts by communicating product updates, leading training.
Lead stakeholder engagement and training to maximize system effectiveness