Procurement Manager, Emerging Technology and Digital Innovation Procurement at International Rescue Committee

Position Overview

• The Procurement Manager, Emerging Technology and Digital Innovation Procurement supports fast-moving technology sourcing needs across IRC, with a focus on early-stage digital innovation, pilots, proofs of concept, trials, and emerging tools. The role helps teams test and evaluate new technology quickly while maintaining procurement discipline, vendor due diligence, risk review, documentation, and compliance.
• For this role, “digital innovation” refers to early-stage, small-scale, fast-moving technology initiatives where IRC teams are testing a new idea, tool, platform, vendor, or digital approach before deciding whether to scale. The portfolio covers AI and generative AI tools where applicable, SaaS and digital platforms, automation, data and analytics, migration and testing tools, cybersecurity tools, collaboration platforms, digital service delivery tools, field and mobile technology, low-code and no-code platforms, and other emerging digital solutions.
• This role is an execution-focused, hands-on individual contributor role. It enables IRC to move quickly on emerging technology and digital innovation requests without bypassing procurement controls, vendor due diligence, information security, data protection, legal review, donor compliance, or documentation requirements. The Procurement Manager serves as the day-to-day procurement focal point for these requests

Key Responsibilities

Emerging Technology and Digital Innovation Sourcing Execution

• Provide hands-on sourcing support for pilots, trials, proofs of concept, small-scale SaaS, emerging vendors, startup-style tools, and digital innovation requests across IRC.
• Execute sourcing activities in line with the IT category strategy and under the guidance of the Senior Category Manager, IT.
• Conduct early market scans and market intelligence for emerging tools, vendors, pricing models, and digital innovation categories.
• Support requirements gathering, supplier identification, RFI/RFQ/RFP preparation, evaluation support, award recommendation, and contract finalization.
• Build supplier visibility for innovation and emerging technology vendors, including startup and niche providers that may later become larger enterprise solutions.
• Help bring new tools into proper procurement channels, reducing shadow IT, credit-card purchasing, and unmanaged technology spend.
• Support SaaS rationalization, renewal planning, demand management, and license optimization at the innovation and pilot tier.
• Help business teams translate technical needs into clear scopes of work, evaluation criteria, and vendor questions.

Pilot, Trial, and Proof-of-Concept Procurement Frameworks

• Build and maintain a lightweight, repeatable procurement pathway for pilots, trials, and proofs of concept.
• Develop checklists, decision tools, and methodology for short-term technology engagements.
• Define the minimum documentation required before a pilot, trial, or proof of concept can begin.
• Maintain clear approval checkpoints and escalation criteria so teams understand when a pilot can proceed and when it requires further review.
• Track emerging technology requests from intake through pilot, decision, and possible scale-up.
• Ensure required reviews and approvals are completed and all necessary checks are documented before tools are tested or used.
• Help document whether a pilot should end, continue, scale, or move into a formal sourcing process.
• Coordinate NDAs and pre-procurement documentation when teams need to test or evaluate multiple tools before selecting a vendor.
• Ensure pilots and trials are set up in a way that allows long-term success if IRC later moves to a larger phase or formal sourcing process.

AI-Enabled and High-Risk Technology Procurement Support

• Support sourcing for AI-enabled tools as part of the broader emerging technology portfolio, applied only when AI functionality is in scope.
• For AI-enabled tools, support the application of IRC’s AI assessment requirements, including use-case risk classification, provider/deployer determination, GenAI tool checks, and required approvals.
• Coordinate with the AI Governance and Risk Committee and AI Department Focal Points when applicable.
• Identify and escalate sourcing requests that may involve high-risk technology, AI functionality, personal information, confidential data, client-facing tools, cybersecurity concerns, or unapproved tools.
• Support procurement documentation for AI-enabled tools, including evidence of approvals, vendor assessments, risk reviews, and contract requirements.

Vendor Due Diligence, Risk Review, and Documentation

• Coordinate required vendor risk assessments (VRA) and due diligence across cybersecurity, privacy and data protection, legal, donor compliance, sanctions and ATC screening, financial viability, implementation risk, integration risk, operational support model, and vendor lock-in and exit risk.
• Coordinate with Information Security, Data Protection, Office of General Counsel, Risk and Compliance, and Finance to ensure required reviews are completed before pilots, trials, awards, or contract signature.
• Ensure procurement files are complete, audit-ready, and aligned with IRC sourcing policy and donor requirements.
• Support compliance with institutional donor requirements that may affect technology, AI, data hosting, data residency, and vendor selection.
• Track and follow up on missing documentation, approvals, vendor information, and risk reviews.

Tool and Vendor Visibility

• Maintain or support a list of emerging technology tools and vendors, indicating status (under review, in pilot, approved, rejected, expired) and the approved use case for each tool.
• Document the business owner, contract status, contract dates, and renewal timing for each tool.
• Document what each tool is approved for and what use would require additional approval or new procurement action.
• Help connect business owners, end users, IT, Procurement, Information Security, Data Protection, Legal, and Finance around emerging technology tools and vendors.
• Reduce situations where approved tools are used in non-approved ways, and flag misuse for review.

Contracting and Commercial Support

• Support commercial negotiation and contracting across the emerging technology portfolio, including NDAs, trial agreements, pilot agreements, proof-of-concept agreements, SaaS agreements, subscriptions, software licenses, cloud services, implementation services, and renewals.
• Review pricing models, including seat-based licensing, usage-based pricing, token usage, API calls, implementation fees, renewal escalators, and support fees, and provide commercial analysis.
• Coordinate with Legal, IT, Finance, and business owners to ensure contracts include appropriate terms on data protection, confidentiality, intellectual property, service levels, audit rights, incident reporting, termination, data return, and exit provisions.
• For AI-enabled tools, ensure contracts also address AI-generated outputs, model training restrictions, and AI-specific risk allocation.
• Support renewal planning and help prevent last-minute renewals or unplanned vendor commitments.

Stakeholder Engagement and Service Support

• Provide practical, service-oriented procurement support to teams exploring new tools, pilots, digital services, automation platforms, AI solutions, or other emerging technology.
• Help stakeholders move through the procurement process without unnecessary delays, while maintaining compliance and risk controls.
• Coordinate between business owners, IT owners, Procurement, end users, Information Security, Data Protection, Legal, and Finance to ensure tool usage remains aligned with approved scope, contract terms, procurement files, risk approvals, and any applicable usage guidelines.
• Reduce workarounds, shadow IT, and credit-card purchasing by making the correct procurement process easier to follow.
• Guide stakeholders on procurement routes, required documentation, approval steps, and realistic timelines for emerging technology procurement.
• Support early engagement with teams considering new tools, pilots, or digital approaches, before commitments are made to vendors.

Reporting and Continuous Improvement

• Track the emerging technology sourcing pipeline, renewal calendar, cycle time, savings, risk flags, documentation completion, and approval status.
• Track pilot outcomes (end, continue, scale, or formal sourcing) and capture lessons learned.
• Track user adoption issues, non-approved usage of approved tools, and other compliance signals, and surface these to the Senior Category Manager, IT.
• Identify recurring issues in emerging technology sourcing and recommend improvements to frameworks, checklists, templates, and decision tools.
• Contribute to knowledge sharing across Global Procurement on emerging technology, SaaS, AI, and digital innovation sourcing practices.
• Support the role’s value contribution by improving visibility over fast-moving technology spend, reducing duplicated tools, undocumented pilots, and audit risk.

Key Working Relationships

• Reports to: Senior Category Manager, IT.
• Internal: Office of the CIO and IT teams; Senior Category Manager, IT; Information Security; Data Protection; Office of General Counsel; Ethics and Compliance; Risk and Compliance; Finance; Airbel Impact Lab; Data and Analytics; External Relations; Country Program supply chain and innovation leads; program innovation teams; fundraising and digital teams; AI Governance and Risk Committee when applicable; Global Procurement peers.
• External: Emerging technology vendors and resellers; SaaS, cloud, cybersecurity, automation, data, and AI providers; startup and niche technology vendors; industry analysts; peer humanitarian and development organizations.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in procurement, supply chain, business administration, information technology, engineering, law, or a related field. Equivalent experience may be considered.
• Minimum 5 to 7 years of procurement, sourcing, contract management, or vendor management experience.
• Of the required 5 to 7 years above, at least 3 years must be in IT procurement, SaaS and software sourcing, software licensing, cloud services, cybersecurity tools, data platforms, or similar technology categories.
• Experience supporting pilots, trials, proofs of concept, or other early-stage technology procurement activities.
• Experience coordinating vendor due diligence and technology risk reviews, including cybersecurity, data protection, financial, and operational risk.
• Experience supporting sourcing events, supplier evaluations, commercial analysis, and contract coordination.
• Good understanding of technology procurement risks, including data protection, information security, intellectual property, software licensing, vendor lock-in, and third-party risk.
• Ability to work effectively with IT, Legal, Information Security, Data Protection, Finance, and business teams.
• Demonstrated ability to work quickly while maintaining compliance, controls, and documentation standards.
• Strong stakeholder service orientation and ability to balance procurement standards with customer needs.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Good judgment and ability to balance speed, compliance, risk, and stakeholder needs.
• Experience in an NGO, donor-funded organization, humanitarian agency, UN agency, or complex global organization.
• Knowledge of donor compliance requirements such as USAID/BHA, FCDO, ECHO, EU, UN agencies, or private foundations.
• Professional certification such as CIPS, CPSM, or equivalent, completed or in progress.
• Working knowledge of French, Spanish, or Arabic is an advantage.