Director, Procurement

About the role

The Director of Procurement leads GILLIG’s operational procurement organization and translates business priorities into supplier, cost, material-planning, and risk-management strategies. Reporting to the Senior Director, Supply Chain, this role directly leads three Supply Chain Managers, each of whom leads a Buyer/Planner team. The Director provides leadership and direction for these Buyer/Planner organizations. The Director is accountable for supplier performance, commercial execution, material availability, cost improvement, and organizational capability while serving as a senior escalation point for complex supply issues.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop the Procurement team by establishing clear priorities, accountability, succession plans, and performance expectations while building organizational capability through talent development, role clarity, cross-training, and effective workforce planning.
• Develop and execute operational procurement and material-planning strategies aligned with production plans, business objectives, supplier capabilities, and market conditions, while partnering with Strategic Sourcing.
• Ensure materials, services, and supplies are available to support production while balancing continuity, quality, lead time, inventory, and total cost.
• Own strategic supplier relationships and serve as the executive escalation point for supplier capacity, delivery, quality, commercial, and contractual issues.
• Lead major negotiations, supplier agreements, contracts, and cost-management initiatives, including value engineering and sustainable productivity actions.
• Establish procurement operating rhythms, dashboards, and supplier KPIs to monitor shortages, on-time delivery, cost, inventory exposure, and corrective actions.
• Identify and mitigate supply chain risks associated with supplier financial health, capacity, quality, sole-source dependencies, logistics, and geopolitical conditions.
• Oversee Inside Metal Fabrication operations, ensuring effective workforce planning, resource utilization, operational performance, and alignment with production, engineering, and supply chain objectives.
• Partner with Engineering, Operations, Production, Quality, Finance, Sales, Customer Care, and Legal to support new products, engineering changes, production requirements, and business priorities.
• Support budgeting, forecasting, annual operating planning, and financial analysis for procurement-related cost, savings, and risk assumptions.
• Drive standardized processes, data quality, MRP discipline, and continuous improvement across procurement activities.
• Perform other duties and lead special initiatives as required.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, Business, Engineering, Finance, or related field, or equivalent relevant experience.
• 8+ years of progressive procurement, material planning, or supply chain experience in a manufacturing environment.
• 5+ years of people-leadership experience, including experience leading managers or multi-layer teams.
• Demonstrated success leading operational procurement teams, supplier negotiations, contracts, and complex commercial decisions.
• Strong knowledge of manufacturing, MRP, procurement, inventory, supplier performance, and supply-risk management processes.
• Ability to analyze financial, operational, and supplier data and translate insights into decisions and executive-level recommendations.
• Proven ability to lead through influence and partner effectively with Engineering, Operations, Quality, Finance, Legal, and senior leadership.
• Experience leading union-represented workforces and effectively managing labor relations within a manufacturing environment is preferred.
• Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and conflict-resolution skills, with the judgment to manage high-impact escalations.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and experience using ERP/MRP systems; advanced Excel and data-visualization skills preferred.
• Experience with lean principles, formal continuous improvement, value engineering, or procurement transformation preferred.

Work Environment

• Ability to lift up to 25 lbs.
• Prolonged periods of sitting or standing at a desk and working on a computer.
• Regularly required to sit, stand, and walk, and occasionally kneel or squat.
• The ideal candidate must be able to complete all physical requirements of the job with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Ability to travel approximately 5-10%, including supplier visits, as business needs require.
• Start time: 6:00 a.m.
• Must be able to navigate an office, manufacturing floor, and warehouse environment and work safely around heavy machinery and tools.
• Must be able to wear required Personal Protective Equipment, including safety glasses, hearing protection as required.