Director of Strategic Sourcing, Direct

Job Description

Position: Director of Strategic Sourcing, Direct Location: Remote Department: Procurement Reports To: Sr. Director of Strategic Sourcing FLSA Status: Exempt
Position Summary: The Director of Strategic Sourcing, Direct will lead the design and execution of enterprise-wide sourcing strategies across the General Practice (GP) business unit. This role plays a critical leadership function in managing the largest business unit within NVA, including Canada, through scalable, efficient, and cost-effective direct sourcing strategies.
This individual will be responsible for aligning sourcing efforts across diverse business needs while managing a multi-leveled team of 2-5 sourcing professionals. The role requires a strategic thinker with deep category expertise, strong operational execution skills, and the ability to build consensus across complex stakeholder networks in a mission-driven, fast-paced environment.
Key Responsibilities:
Strategic Leadership • Lead the development of a comprehensive sourcing strategy for direct categories, including but not limited to:

• Pharmaceuticals
• Lab commodities and Lab Services
• Nutrition
• Distribution
• Medical gases
• Cremation Services

• Optimize procurement value across general practice facilities. • Ensure category strategies support organizational goals around scalability, cost control, supplier innovation, and operational efficiency.
Stakeholder Alignment • Partner with internal teams across Operations, Medical, and Finance. • Navigate and influence a complex, matrixed stakeholder environment—including hospital directors, executive and regional operations leaders, and functional heads. • Lead sourcing councils or governance forums to align sourcing decisions, timelines, and strategic priorities.
Team Leadership • Manage and develop a team of 2-5 sourcing professionals across multiple levels and geographies. • Set clear performance expectations, coach for growth, and foster a culture of accountability, agility, and service excellence. • Build team capabilities to support both enterprise-wide strategic sourcing and hospital-level responsiveness.
Operational & Financial Impact • Identify sourcing opportunities through negotiations, supplier strategy development, vendor consolidation and contract execution to meet the needs of the BUs by reducing costs, increasing rebates, improving supplier performance, and driving innovation. • Utilize enterprise-wide data to guide decision-making and ensure alignment with financial goals. • Develop requirements for analytical tools and systems to enhance transparency, process control, and reporting accuracy. • Leverage strategic negotiations and supplier relationship management to drive and enhance cost savings, contract compliance, supplier performance, and internal stakeholder satisfaction.
Key Objectives: • Align and execute direct sourcing strategies across NVA’s general practice, multi-site veterinary network. • Deliver sustainable cost savings and supplier value while maintaining service excellence. • Build a team with centralized strategic sourcing capability that balances scale with local flexibility. • Strengthen governance, visibility, and analytics across direct procurement functions.Qualifications: • Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, Healthcare Administration, or a related field required; MBA or equivalent advanced degree preferred.
Experience:
o 5-7 years of progressive procurement or strategic sourcing experience. o Minimum 5 years in a senior leadership role with responsibility for direct categories and team leadership. o Experience in healthcare, veterinary, or multi-site organizations is strongly preferred. • Category Expertise: Proven experience in managing strategic sourcing across veterinary and health related products and services. • Leadership Skills: Strong people leader with a track record of building team, managing change, and delivering against business goals. • Stakeholder Engagement: Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to influence internal and external stakeholders • Systems Knowledge: Proficiency in procurement platforms such as Coupa, SAP Ariba, Oracle, or similar tools.
Preferred Attributes: • Prior experience in veterinary or healthcare environments. • Deep understanding of operational and compliance needs specific to veterinary practice and animal health