Third-Party Management Senior Advisor

Role Overview

Third-Party Management Senior Advisor at Cigna, based in the Middle East & Africa (MEA) region. This role oversees third-party risk governance and supports compliance with outsourcing and third-party management regulatory requirements across Cigna Healthcare MEA.

Company Overview

Cigna Healthcare, a division of The Cigna Group, is an advocate for better health through every stage of life. The organization guides customers through the health care system, empowering them with information and insight to make the best choices for improving their health and vitality.

Role Purpose

The Third-Party Management Senior Advisor serves as a key regional point of coordination between business segments, Finance, Global Procurement, Third-Party Management, and Shared Services. This position establishes and embeds a Third-Party Management presence within the MEA region, negotiating and executing supplier contracts, driving business value and cost savings, strengthening supplier governance, and reducing contractual and operational risk.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Sourcing

• Lead sourcing and contracting activities across assigned spend categories using market insights, business priorities, spend analysis, supplier benchmarks, and strategic value levers.
• Deliver cost savings, risk reduction, improved service outcomes, and fit-for-purpose supplier solutions through sourcing initiatives.
• Review, draft, and negotiate supplier contracts, Service Level Agreements, Statements of Work, and related commercial documentation.
• Evaluate best-in-class suppliers through RFx or similar competitive processes.
• Advise stakeholders on supplier strategy, sourcing best practices, negotiation approach, contract terms, and procurement processes.
• Maintain strong stakeholder and supplier relationships, disciplined project management, and clear communication throughout the sourcing lifecycle.
• Support continuous improvement across sourcing and procurement processes in partnership with the Global Procurement, Third-Party Management, and Shared Services (GPTPMS) Center of Excellence.

Third-Party Management

• Provide strategic direction and governance across MEA markets for assigned supplier relationships, including supplier performance monitoring, issue resolution, risk oversight, and governance reporting.
• Track aggregate supplier performance against agreed measures and report outcomes on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis as appropriate.
• Identify and execute opportunities to improve supplier governance and procurement processes, including initiatives with potential financial or operational impact.
• Lead recurring Enterprise Business Review sessions with business partners, matrix stakeholders, and suppliers on a quarterly or semi-annual basis.
• Complete supplier governance activities within the TPM tool, including supplier profiling, research, spend reviews, and assigned governance tasks.
• Perform vendor-facing assessments, including SLA reviews, business continuity plan reviews, contact updates, insurance certificate reviews, and other assessments as required.
• Manage and analyze supplier scorecards and surveys to ensure effective measurement of supplier performance and stakeholder sentiment.

Portfolio Management

• Build and maintain strong relationships with business stakeholders to understand portfolio requirements and deliver supplier-focused solutions.
• Navigate a complex and evolving supplier landscape, balancing changing business strategies, priorities, and risk considerations.
• Facilitate senior-level discussions between Cigna and supplier leadership.
• Bring strategic thinking and thought leadership to business requirements, enterprise agreements, Service Level Agreements, change orders, Statements of Work, and related commercial arrangements.
• Collaborate with sourcing teams, TPM colleagues, and business requestors to support supplier performance management and negotiations.
• Perform reporting and analysis on supplier spend, portfolio performance, expiring contracts, renewals, and contract pipeline data.
• Execute supplier agreement terminations and non-renewals as required, ensuring appropriate steps are taken to offboard supplier services effectively.

Governance and Regulatory Compliance

• Act as the primary point of contact for governance and compliance matters related to outsourcing and third-party arrangements.
• Support adherence to applicable regulatory requirements and coordinate reporting to Cigna MEA Finance and Board as required.
• Maintain and enforce GPTPMS policies in line with relevant regulatory standards.
• Oversee third-party due diligence, risk assessments, contract maintenance, and ongoing monitoring under the applicable regulatory framework.
• Support key regulatory interactions in the UAE as required.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in supply chain management, business administration, finance, legal, operations, or a related discipline strongly preferred.
• Minimum of 11 years' experience in strategic sourcing, third-party management, global procurement, supplier governance, operations, or related management roles.
• Demonstrated experience managing senior internal and external stakeholder relationships, negotiating supplier engagements, and overseeing complex contracted arrangements in a multinational or matrixed environment.
• Experience in healthcare, health insurance, health services, pharmacy benefits management, or related regulated industries preferred.
• Experience with international regulatory frameworks, ideally including UAE outsourcing or third-party risk management requirements preferred.
• Industry certifications such as SIG, CSCP, CPM, or equivalent preferred.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong knowledge of the full Source-to-Pay lifecycle, including supplier onboarding, due diligence, contracting, governance, performance management, and payment.
• Proven ability to draft, review, and negotiate contracts, Service Level Agreements, Master Service Agreements, and Statements of Work.
• Strong understanding of legal and commercial supplier contract terms and conditions.
• Excellent negotiation, communication, presentation, relationship management, project management, and prioritization skills.
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint with strong analytical capability.
• Exposure to procurement, third-party management, and contract lifecycle management systems such as Ariba, ProcessUnity, Icertis, or equivalent platforms preferred.
• Experience across indirect procurement categories, including technology, business process outsourcing, health and wellness, corporate services, and professional services preferred.
• Experience coaching or mentoring team members preferred.
• Fluency in English required; Arabic preferred.

Additional Information

• This role is part of the Global Procurement, Third-Party Management, and Shared Services (GPTPMS) organization with regional dotted-line accountability to the MEA Finance organization.
• Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, age, disability, sex, childbirth (including pregnancy) or related medical conditions including but not limited to lactation, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran or military status, religion, national origin, ancestry, marital or familial status, genetic information, status with regard to public assistance, citizenship status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable equal employment opportunity laws.
• If you require reasonable accommodation in completing the online application process, please email SeeYourselfEMEA@cigna.com for support.