Partner Operations Senior Specialist

About Our Team

The Lenovo AI Ecosystem Group is a newly formed organization targeted at transforming Lenovo's AI product offerings into a world-class AI ecosystem environment that will make Lenovo the IT provider of choice for customers. The Partner Operations Senior Specialist will be a key part of the Partner Operations team.

We are seeking a detail-oriented and process-driven Partner Operations Senior Specialist to manage and optimize partner-facing operational workflows. This role supports the full lifecycle of partner engagement - from onboarding and procurement to compliance and performance tracking. You will collaborate across Monetization, Development, Procurement, Security, Finance, and Legal teams to ensure seamless execution and governance. Accuracy, compliance, and attention to detail are essential for success in this position.

Location: This is a hybrid position 3 days per week at our downtown Chicago location.

What You'll Do

Partner Management & Enablement

• Develop deep expertise in partner-related and internal processes, becoming the go-to expert for operational guidance and cross-functional support.
• Drive the partner onboarding and contractual process, coordinating with key stakeholders to ensure timely and seamless onboarding and closing the contract.
• Manage multiple onboarding initiatives simultaneously, maintaining accurate records, identifying key stakeholders, recognizing roadblocks, and driving resolution through proactive problem-solving.
• Oversee partner lifecycle management, ensuring compliance with internal policies and enabling smooth transitions and updates across systems.

Procurement Process & Ariba System Expertise

• Coordination with Procurement, Finance, Legal, and other relevant teams to ensure timely approvals and payments

• Serve as a subject matter expert and internal trainer for Ariba and partner operations processes, promoting adoption of best practices across teams.
• Identify operational inefficiencies and roadblock areas for improvement within partner operations and processes to drive efficiency, accuracy, and scalability.

Process Compliance & Governance

• Ensure partner operations processes comply with internal governance policies and legal standards.
• Proactively identify and resolve inconsistencies, process bottlenecks, and compliance gaps - with a strong emphasis on attention to detail and operational integrity.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Operations, Procurement, or a related field.
• 6+ years of experience in partner/channel operations, procurement, or business operations support roles.
• Proven hands-on experience with SAP Ariba for procurement, supplier onboarding, and workflow management.

Preferred Qualifications

• Exceptional attention to details.
• Strong understanding of end-to-end procurement processes, supplier governance, and compliance frameworks.
• Ability to work across global time zones, with flexibility to participate in early morning or late evening calls as needed to support international teams and partners.
• Proficient in procurement and partner tools such as SAP, Ariba, CRM platforms, and Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP, etc.).
• Strong PowerPoint skills.
• Effective project management and prioritization skills, with the ability to manage multiple workflows simultaneously.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; able to engage clearly with cross-functional stakeholders and external partners.
• Highly proactive, resourceful, and capable of driving initiatives independently under tight timelines.