Global Process Owner (GPO) - Source-to-Pay | Procurement & Payments

Make your mark for patients

We are looking for a Global Process Owner (GPO) – Source-to-Pay | Procurement & Payments to join us in our HQ office in Brussels, Belgium.

About the role 

You will play a key role in shaping how the organization structures and governs the management of external spend. 

As Global Process Owner for Source-to-Pay, you are accountable for the design, governance, and continuous improvement of the end-to-end process framework. You ensure clear roles, standardized practices, and robust controls across Procurement, Finance, and Business functions, and act as a key guardian of process compliance in the context of ongoing changes and transformations. 

The role enables effective category management and consistent supplier-related processes through strong process design and governance, without taking ownership of sourcing strategies, supplier decisions, supplier management, or business outcomes. 

You also define business process requirements and process design principles for Source-to-Pay capabilities, working in close partnership with Digital and IT teams, who remain accountable for solution delivery and technical implementation. 

You will simplify complex ways of working, strengthen controls, and drive process improvements that enhance efficiency, compliance, transparency, and control across cost, service, and risk dimensions. 

This role is ideal for someone with strong experience in procurement, finance, or supply chain who is passionate about process excellence, transformation, and stakeholder collaboration in a global environment. 

This is a senior enterprise role focused on end-to-end coherence and business-led decision-making, not a transactional execution role and not limited to any single system or ERP agenda. Success in this role is reflected in the consistent execution of Source-to-Pay processes across regions, improved transparency and control, strengthened compliance, and the ability to enable effective cross-functional collaboration while supporting transformation and business priorities.  

Who you'll work with 

You will be working in a team that connects expertise across the full value chain and enables a more integrated and efficient way of operating

The team brings together global process leaders and works closely with procurement, finance, supply chain, legal, compliance, and treasury teams, as well as regional stakeholders

You will collaborate across countries and functions to align processes, support transformation initiatives, and ensure consistent outcomes. You will also help build a strong community of process experts and contribute to a culture of continuous improvement and enterprise-wide thinking

You will also work closely with operational teams, shared services, and relevant external partners or service providers to ensure process design remains practical, scalable, and connected to execution realities across the end-to-end Source-to-Pay lifecycle

You will operate through partnership and influence, helping functions manage trade-offs with a broader enterprise view while preserving the strength of existing domain expertise

What you'll do 

• Define and govern the global procurement and payment process, from demand identification through sourcing, contracting, purchasing, receipt of goods and services, invoice processing, and payment execution

• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, cost control, and compliance by simplifying processes, harmonizing practices, and introducing automation where appropriate

• Partner with procurement, finance, legal, compliance, supply chain, digital/IT, and regional teams to align process design and resolve cross-functional challenges

• Establish clear process standards, controls, documentation, and performance measures to support compliance, audit readiness, and consistent execution, and define governance forums, escalation mechanisms, and decision pathways to enable effective cross-functional decisions 

• Shape and support Source-to-Pay transformation initiatives, and major programs (including wave-based deployments) by identifying and prioritizing process improvement opportunities, guiding end-to-end process design, and ensuring integration across systems and functions, in partnership with business and functional teams responsible for implementation and adoption 

• Support structured change adoption by contributing to change impact assessments, defining adoption priorities, and ensuring business readiness and stakeholder alignment, while partnering with functions accountable for execution, training delivery, and post-implementation stabilization 
  
  

Interested? For this role we’re looking for the following education, experience and skills 

• Strong experience in procurement, purchasing, finance operations, or supply chain within complex international organizations 

• Around 15 years of professional experience, ideally in life sciences, manufacturing, or another regulated industry

• Solid understanding of sourcing, contracting, purchasing, invoice processing, and payment processes

• Experience with process improvement methodologies such as Lean or Six Sigma; certification is an advantage

• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence, challenge constructively, and build alignment across functions and seniority levels

• Ability to work across processes and systems with a focus on end-to-end outcomes rather than individual tools or platforms

• High emotional intelligence and the maturity to navigate competing priorities, sensitive decisions, and cross-functional trade-offs
• Excellent English communication skills are required; additional languages may be beneficial depending on stakeholders and location

Are you ready to ‘go beyond’ to create value and make your mark for patients? If this sounds like you, then we would love to hear from you! 

About us 
UCB is a global biopharmaceutical company, focusing on neurology and immunology. We are over 9.000 people in all four corners of the globe, inspired by patients and driven by science. 

Why work with us? 
At UCB, we don’t just complete tasks, we create value. We aren’t afraid to push forward, collaborate, and innovate to make our mark for patients. We have a caring, supportive culture where everyone feels included, respected, and has equal opportunities to do their best work. We ‘go beyond’ to create value for our patients, and always with a human focus, whether that’s on our patients, our employees, or our planet. Working for us, you will discover a place where you can grow, and have the freedom to carve your own career path to achieve your full potential. 

At UCB, we’ve embraced a hybrid-first approach to work, bringing teams together in local hubs to foster collaborative curiosity. Unless expressly stated in the description or precluded by the nature of the position, roles are hybrid with 40% of your time spent in the office.

UCB is an equal opportunity employer. All employment decisions will be made without regard to any characteristic protected by applicable laws. 
 
Should you require any adjustments to our process to assist you in demonstrating your strengths and capabilities contact us on [email protected]. Please note should your enquiry not relate to adjustments; we will not be able to support you through this channel.