Associate Director Strategic Sourcing Jobs (NOW HIRING)

The Director of Strategic Sourcing is a pivotal leadership role responsible for building and sustaining long-term, value-driven relationships with key suppliers and strategic partners. This leader serves as the connective tissue between product development teams, executive management, and the external supplier ecosystem - translating business needs into sourcing strategies that accelerate innovation, reduce risk, and deliver sustained competitive advantage.

This role requires a commercially astute executive who can influence at the C-suite level, partner deeply with engineering and development teams, and build a world-class supplier relationship management (SRM) capability. The ideal candidate balances strategic vision with operational rigor, and is equally comfortable in a boardroom negotiation as in a cross-functional product planning session.

Strategic Relationship Management
   Own and cultivate executive-level relationships with Tier 1 and strategic Tier 2 suppliers, acting as the primary ambassador for the company's sourcing interests.
   Develop and execute a Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) framework that drives supplier performance, innovation partnership, and mutual value creation.
   Lead quarterly and annual business reviews with key suppliers, driving accountability against KPIs, SLAs, and joint roadmaps.
   Proactively identify and mitigate supplier risks including capacity constraints, geopolitical exposure, financial instability, and single-source dependencies.
   Champion preferred supplier programs, fostering a tiered supplier ecosystem aligned to strategic importance and performance.

Partnership with Development & Product Teams
   Embed sourcing strategy within the product development lifecycle - partnering with R&D, engineering, and product management from concept through commercialization.
   Facilitate early supplier involvement (ESI) initiatives to drive design-for-manufacturability, cost optimization, and supply continuity.
   Translate technology roadmaps and product requirements into actionable sourcing strategies that anticipate capacity and capability needs.
   Serve as a trusted advisor to development teams on supplier selection, make-vs-buy decisions, and total cost of ownership (TCO) analysis.
   Collaborate with technical teams to evaluate supplier capabilities, conduct supplier assessments, and qualify new sources of supply.

Executive Engagement & Business Alignment
   Partner with executive leadership to align sourcing strategy with corporate objectives, growth initiatives, and financial targets.
   Present strategic sourcing plans, supplier performance insights, and risk mitigation strategies to the Board and executive leadership team.
   Influence enterprise-level decisions related to supply chain investment, M&A diligence, and geographic expansion by providing sourcing intelligence.
   Drive cross-functional alignment on sourcing priorities through executive steering committees and governance forums.
   Define and communicate a multi-year strategic sourcing vision that positions the company for scalable, resilient growth.

Sourcing Strategy & Value Delivery
   Lead the development and execution of category strategies across direct spend, focusing on strategic, high-impact categories.
   Drive measurable cost savings, cost avoidance, and working capital improvements in alignment with annual financial targets.
   Negotiate complex, multi-year agreements with strategic partners including pricing structures, volume commitments, IP protections, and service levels.
   Leverage market intelligence, spend analytics, and supplier benchmarking to continuously optimize the supply base.
   Build and manage a pipeline of sourcing initiatives with clearly defined value metrics and executive visibility.

Team Leadership & Organizational Development
   Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing strategic sourcing team, fostering a culture of curiosity, accountability, and continuous improvement.
   Define team structure, roles, and capability roadmaps to support evolving business needs and organizational scale.
   Drive adoption of sourcing technologies, digital tools, and data analytics to enhance decision-making and operational efficiency.

   10+ years of progressive experience in strategic sourcing, procurement, or supply chain management; 5+ years in a senior leadership role.
   Demonstrated track record of building and managing strategic supplier relationships at an executive level.
   Deep experience collaborating with product development, engineering, or R&D organizations in a fast-paced, innovation-driven environment.
   Proven ability to influence and partner with C-suite and executive stakeholders on strategic sourcing matters.
   Strong commercial acumen including contract negotiation, financial analysis, and total cost modeling.
   Experience developing and operationalizing SRM frameworks, category strategies, and governance structures.
   Exceptional communication, executive presence, and cross-functional leadership skills.
   Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, or a related field.