Head of Procurement

At Ports America, the Head of Procurement will be an exceptionally capable leader who is motivated to build and manage a center-led Strategic Sourcing organization. The Head of Procurement will be responsible for significant tangible Strategic Sourcing Management improvement, including direct and indirect (SG&A) cost optimization, supplier performance management and supplier collaboration on operating and capital third-party expenses. In addition, this exceptional leader will ensure material availability and establish performance metrics consistent with the company's strategic vision. The successful candidate will be a hands-on, front-line leader with an executive presence to establish immediate credibility with port and functional leaders across the country.

Primary responsibilities include driving a centrally coordinated, comprehensive, category-focused, global cost and risk optimization effort. This will include systematic category request for proposal (RFP) processes, preferred vendor long term agreements, addressing new supplier development, supplier payment terms, ensuring material availability, tools, and processes to ensure sustainable continuous improvement of costs and risk for the business.

Essential Duties:

• Lead and coordinate central-led strategic sourcing activities across corporate and lines of business in partnership with stakeholders.
• Collaborate, support, and drive alignment with site-level operational leaders to ensure long-term buy-in.
• Partner and provide on-the-ground support to all sites to deploy all planning tools, parameters, and best practices.
• Partner with operations to resolve constrained and late material issues.
• Ensure the company can achieve customer commitments.
• Lead execution of strategic sourcing fundamentals (e.g., category strategies, competitive RFPs, regional sourcing, supplier consolidation, long-term contracts, etc.) and partner with procurement staff to drive "next level" innovative Sourcing actions (e.g., e-Auctions, indirect catalogs, value engineering, etc.)
• Develop aggressive strategic sourcing strategies across all categories, including defining specific roadmaps of actions with milestones.
• Build the infrastructure to support a sustainable sourcing organization.
• Deploy an improved supplier scorecard performance management process, including quality, delivery, and contract adherence.
• Drive compliance within the business once suppliers are selected and contracts negotiated.
• Implement improved sourcing tools, including spend cube.
• Partner with finance and business leaders to ensure savings capture, tracking and retention.
• Build relationships with key supplier executives as well as peers in the industry.
• Assess team - identify skills and capabilities required. Then, build, upgrade, and develop the team.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Strong base of experience and successful track record in strategic sourcing for capex and opex categories.
• Exposure to infrastructure industries in general, ports/terminals ideally.
• Demonstrated expertise in procurement processes and systems.
• Team and culture transformation experience.
• Familiarity with maintenance, facilities and large capex spend.
• Previous roles in Supply Chain/Planning fundamentals including SI&OP.

Preferred Qualifications:

• MBA or Graduate degree.
• Bonus Attributes




• Lean Six Sigma background.
• Private Equity exposure, including mergers & acquisitions, IPOs or exits.




• Site management or operations experience Ability to understand terminal operations, planning and stevedore operations principles.

• Solid understanding and reinforcement of the industry fundamentals.
• Must drive "graduate-level" strategic sourcing efforts.
• Experience managing some form of infrastructure and SG&A spend.
• Experience in stevedoring and marine terminal markets.
• Experience with industry-related labor contracts.
• Knowledge of safety and accident prevention codes and regulations
• Knowledge of industry-related regulatory codes and requirements.
• Experience with profit and loss principles.
• Experience managing related operations or selling services within shipping industry.
• Requires the ability to communicate effectively with diverse customers and market bases.

Physical Working Attributes:

• Travel up to 25%
• Work in an office environment.
• Use a computer/keyboard.
• Frequent sitting, occasional standing, and walking.
• Some environments may be hazardous to persons unable to see or hear fast moving heavy equipment.

NOTE: This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Employees may perform other related duties as needed to meet the ongoing needs of the organization.

Ports America is an Equal Opportunity Employer encouraging diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race; color; religion; national origin; sex (including pregnancy); sexual orientation; gender identity and/or expression; age; disability; genetic information, citizenship status; military service obligations or any other category protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

This role does not offer sponsorship for work authorization. External applicants must be eligible to work in the US.

If you require additional information about our comprehensive data privacy policy (https://www.portsamerica.com/assets/pdf/CCPA Employee Compliance Notice.pdf), we invite you to contact us via email at human.resources@portsamerica.com. Our dedicated team at Ports America will be pleased to address any specific inquiries or concerns you may have regarding the handling, protection, and security of your data. We are committed to ensuring the utmost privacy and confidentiality of your personal information and will gladly provide you with the necessary details to help you better understand our practices and protocols.