Global Procurement Director IT

Title: Global Procurement Director IT

Summary:

The Procurement Director – IT is responsible for developing and executing sourcing strategies that optimize cost, quality, and efficiency globally across IT categories. This role will lead supplier relationships, ensure compliance with procurement policies, and drive business objectives through effective vendor management and contract negotiations. A key focus is aligning IT procurement initiatives with corporate strategy while enhancing digital transformation, operational efficiency, and innovation.

Strategic Procurement & Stakeholder Engagement:

• Partner closely with IT leadership and key stakeholders to develop IT procurement strategies that align with business needs, covering Infrastructure, SaaS, Software Licensing, Cloud Services, IT Professional Services, and Cybersecurity.
• Understand business requirements, emerging technologies, supplier capabilities, and market trends to build a strategic sourcing roadmap.
• Identify and execute cost savings, total cost of ownership (TCO) optimization, contract rationalization, and value-creation opportunities in IT procurement.
• Deploy best-in-class procurement tools, IT vendor management frameworks

IT Supplier Management and Performance Optimization

• Lead strategic vendor negotiations, contract renewals, and supplier selection to secure optimal pricing, risk mitigation, and service-level agreements (SLAs).
• Establish and manage IT supplier governance programs, ensuring compliance, performance tracking (KPIs), and risk assessments for critical IT vendors.
• Act as a business advisor, challenging IT specifications where needed and advocating for cost-effective, scalable, and standardized solutions.
• Ensure compliance with IT procurement policies

Market Intelligence & Category Management:

• Conduct IT market intelligence research to assess trends, vendor capabilities, cloud pricing models, software license structures, and emerging technologies.
• Develop and execute category strategies for key IT spend areas, aligning with business growth, digital transformation goals, and risk mitigation strategies.
• Select and manage IT vendors based on performance, security compliance, innovation capabilities, and cost-effectiveness.
• Develop strategic vendor partnerships through a Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) program, driving innovation and continuous improvement

IT Risk Management & Technology Utilization:

• Assess IT supply chain risks, vendor dependency risks and develop proactive mitigation strategies.
• Leverage E-Procurement platforms, AI-driven sourcing tools, IT asset management systems, and contract lifecycle management (CLM) platforms to optimize procurement workflows.
• Monitor IT vendor and software performance, ensuring adherence to contractual obligations, security requirements, and service-level agreements (SLAs).

The Role:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Operations, Supply Chain or comparable disciplines.  Masters preferred, Industry certifications a plus
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive experience and career advancement in procurement
• Working knowledge and experience of procurement and best-in-class practices, principles, process, tools and methodologies.
• Can demonstrate the successful development and implementation of sourcing strategies
• Clear knowledge and understanding of supply market, industry, and category dynamics
• A successful track record leading and managing complex negotiations with IT vendors
• Demonstrates strong business judgment and critical thinking to create and evaluate innovative options and uses a fact-based decision-making process to develop and implement strategies that will drive positive results and deliver value
• Possesses a strong working knowledge and experience in key procurement areas including:
• IT Negotiation experience with major vendors (Microsoft, Workday,) is a must have
• Cost Modeling/TCO, Legal and Contract law, New product development and sourcing
• Expertise in successfully executing Supplier Management programs

The Candidate:

• Strong analytical skills including financial management and metrics
• Understands the key business drivers and requirements to build and sustain sourcing strategies and best in class procurement processes and practices
• Has a proven track record of engaging and working with stakeholders to understand business requirements and gain support for the development, approval and implementation of procurement and s