Director, Supplier Diversity Lead

About this role

The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Team at BlackRock is seeking a seasoned professional to drive the Supplier Diversity Program on behalf of BlackRock. The candidate will have a proven history of executing on this topic.

Our approach to Supplier Diversity is aligned with the firm’s purpose to contribute to help more people experience financial well-being as well as supports our growth ambitions, strengthens our operational resiliency, and reinforces our social license to operate in the communities we participate in. Like our Diverse Broker and Manager Programs, our Supplier Diversity strategy has a clear business rationale as it acknowledges and addresses growing interest from our clients, regulators, and employees.

The Supplier Diversity Lead will directly report into BlackRock’s Global Head of DEI Client Engagement and will provide regular updates to internal and external boards and committees, attend conferences and speak on BlackRock’s behalf on the overall status of its Supplier Diversity Program.

Additionally, the Supplier Diversity Lead will collaboratively work with the sourcing group to proactively identify, engage, and drive commodity (Category) strategies to ensure overall spend levels with diverse and small businesses are met. This role will also work with advocacy groups across the world to understand mechanisms on driving certifications/ classifications as this area continues to develop.

About BlackRock DEI

At BlackRock, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is a business imperative. Our One BlackRock Principle recognizes a diverse workforce as indispensable to our success, and that an inclusive, equitable environment makes us thrive. BlackRock’s Global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion team strives to work collaboratively, without silos and without turf, to create the best outcomes for our clients, our firm, and the communities where we operate.

Supplier Diversity is one of our core strategic imperatives of our Global DEI Strategy. We recognize that equal access and equal opportunity, along with the integration of DEI into all aspects of our business processes, is an important part of doing good business. As such, the firm is committed to supplier diversity, which provides diverse-owned businesses (defined as at least 51% owned, controlled, and operated by underrepresented groups, women, veterans, LGBTQ+ and other diverse categories) with an opportunity to bid on and participate in direct contracting with the firm. Our goal over the next 2-3 years is to double the number of diverse suppliers in our database and double our diverse spend.

Key Responsibilities

• In conjunction with Head of SVM and Global Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Client Engagement; set firm Goals & Objectives on Supplier Diversity.
• Partner with the Sourcing & Vendor Management team to ensure the appropriate identification, qualification, and inclusion of BlackRock’s existing diverse supplier landscape and to introduce new diverse suppliers for participation in sourcing activities and long-term commodity strategies.
• Collaborate with internal partners and business leadership to ensure appropriate identification, qualification, and inclusion of small businesses and diverse suppliers in the procurement process.
• Implement and drive Supplier Diversity Policy & Compliance across the firm.
• Understanding Supplier Diversity Program challenges and industry developments.
• Provide strategic insight about Supplier Diversity to global and regional marketplaces.
• Present to various internal committees on Supplier Diversity Goals & Objectives.
• Function as the primary resource; establish strategic, effective relationships both internally and externally on supplier diversity issues.
• Represent the organization while attending various external supplier diversity focused industry events as well as internal supplier diversity meetings and board meetings when applicable.
• Answer RFP/ RFI client queries for the firm related to Supplier Diversity.
• Work with Legal & Compliance on supplier diversity data and information that can be shared with the public and other external parties.
• Develop a Tier 2 Spend program & supervise performance through Metrics.
• Update the internal WIKI page highlighting growth/ success stories of the Supplier Diversity program.
• Align the functions, local, regional, and global organization to enable the achievement of Supplier Diversity goals and objectives.

Desired Qualifications

• 5+ year track-record in creating, driving and continued development of a Supplier Diversity program.
• Supplier Diversity Compliance & Certifications.
• Knowledge of global market conditions and identifying growth opportunities; indu