Background:

Avasant is a Los Angeles, California headquartered leading management consulting firm providing Strategic Sourcing, IT and Business Transformation and Global Strategy services to the global Fortune 1000. Since 2006, Avasant has negotiated over $250B in deals and operates in over 50 countries. The firm has been recognized as "World's Best Outsourcing Advisor" by the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals (IAOP) for fourteen consecutive years. In 2020, we were also recognized as one of the top five industry analyst firms by the Institute of Industry Analyst Relations (IIAR). Learn more at 

Role Overview :

Avasant is seeking a Japanese-language-proficient professional to support client engagements and consulting initiatives. The role will involve working with cross-functional teams on business analysis, research, consulting deliverables, and client-related activities.
The successful candidate will bring strong Japanese-language capabilities, analytical skills, and effective communication abilities. Experience in procurement, strategic sourcing, or related business transformation domains would be an added advantage.

Key Responsibilities :

Contracting:
- Assist in the review and management of contracts for services and software purchases.
- Analyze contract terms, including software licensing agreements, to ensure alignment with organizational objectives.
- Support negotiations by providing data-driven insights on pricing, terms, and supplier performance.
Sourcing:
- Conduct market research to identify and evaluate potential service and software suppliers.
- Assist in the development of sourcing strategies to optimize costs and improve supplier performance, focusing on service and software categories.
- Collaborate with IT, legal, and other departments to ensure alignment of sourcing activities with business needs.
BI Analytics:
- Develop and maintain procurement dashboards using business intelligence tools, focusing on software and service spend.
- Provide actionable insights based on procurement data to support strategic decision-making.
- Identify trends, risks, and opportunities through data analysis and present findings to stakeholders.
Spend Analysis, Data Cleansing, and Data Collection:
- Collect, cleanse, and analyze procurement data specifically related to services and software purchases.
- Perform spend analysis to identify cost-saving opportunities and areas for improvement in software licensing and service contracts.
- Maintain procurement databases and ensure data integrity with a focus on software asset management.
Risk Management:
- Facilitate data collection, cleansing, and reporting for risk management activities related to services and software procurement.
- Assist in the identification and assessment of risks, particularly in software compliance and service delivery.
- Support the development of mitigation strategies to address identified risks, including those associated with software licensing.
Segmentation Support:
- Collect, validate, and report on segmentation data to support procurement strategies, particularly for software and services.
- Assist in developing supplier segmentation models based on spend, risk, and performance criteria.
Provide analytical support for segmentation initiatives, focusing on optimizing supplier relationships in the service and software categories

Educational Requirements & Experience

Undergraduate Degree in Business, Economics or related field.
Experience in creating a business plan, inclusive of financial analysis, optimization and growth strategies, and risk assessments
Knowledge of the market for technologies, software and services related to enterprise transformation
Excellent communication and presentation skills, both written and verbal
Exceptional interpersonal skills, with the ability to gain the confidence and respect of senior level executives
Has demonstrated leadership, project management and business development skills through extracurricular activities or jobs/internships, sports, etc.
Deep knowledge of Excel, PowerPoint and MS-Project

Language & Other Requirements :

Japanese-language proficiency at JLPT N1 level is mandatory.
Strong Japanese and English communication skills, both written and verbal.
Ability to communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders and work collaboratively in a global team environment.
Strong attention to detail and a commitment to delivering high-quality work.
Flexibility to work across time zones and support international client engagements, as required.

What Avasant Offers :

Entrepreneurial environment, with the ability to lead and drive new initiatives to further personal and organizational goals
Global exposure and a chance to work with multi-national clients, including some of the industry leaders
Training and mentoring on the latest business and sector practices based on market requirements
Opportunity to work with and learn from an international team of industry specialists
Focused programs for career development, including funding of industry certifications and skill development programs
Dynamic and multicultural work environment

Associate Procurement Specialist - Japanese Language Proficiency (N1) Required

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