Director, Strategic Sourcing (MRO) Position Summary A leading industrial manufacturing organization is seeking an experienced and results-oriented Director of Strategic Sourcing (MRO) to lead enterprise-wide sourcing initiatives across a large and complex Maintenance, Repair, and Operations (MRO) spend portfolio. This strategic leadership position is responsible for developing and executing sourcing strategies that drive cost savings, supplier performance, supply continuity, operational reliability, and total cost of ownership improvements across multiple manufacturing locations. The successful candidate will partner closely with Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, Finance, Supply Chain, EHS, Legal, and Plant Leadership teams to optimize procurement performance, strengthen supplier partnerships, and support overall operational excellence. This role requires a strong combination of MRO category expertise, commercial acumen, financial analysis, and leadership experience within a manufacturing or industrial environment.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Sourcing & Category Leadership

• Develop and execute long-term sourcing strategies for MRO materials, spare parts, maintenance consumables, facility services, industrial service contracts, and engineering services.
• Lead complex sourcing events including RFIs, RFPs, RFQs, supplier negotiations, and contract awards.
• Identify opportunities for supplier consolidation, specification standardization, and total cost of ownership improvements.
• Utilize spend analytics, market intelligence, benchmarking, and cost modeling to drive strategic decision making.
• Align sourcing strategies with plant reliability goals, maintenance schedules, and operational priorities.

Cost Savings & Value Creation

• Lead large-scale sourcing initiatives, including:
• Multi-year strategic agreements
• Global supplier selection programs
• Dual-source and risk mitigation strategies
• Performance-based and integrated service contracts
• Deliver measurable cost savings through:
• Demand management
• Specification optimization
• Supplier rationalization
• Inventory optimization
• Vendor-managed inventory and consignment programs
• Develop initiatives that improve working capital, procurement efficiency, and overall business performance.

Supplier Relationship Management

• Build and maintain strategic relationships with suppliers, distributors, OEMs, contractors, and service providers.
• Establish supplier performance metrics focused on quality, cost, delivery, service, innovation, and risk management.
• Lead supplier reviews, corrective actions, and continuous improvement programs.
• Assess supplier capabilities, financial stability, geographic footprint, and business continuity preparedness.

Financial Performance & Governance

• Deliver annual savings and value creation objectives.
• Partner with Finance to validate and report realized savings and procurement performance.
• Develop commercial strategies that support long-term value creation.
• Ensure compliance with procurement policies, contracts, and sourcing governance standards.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Partner with plant leadership to support production reliability and uptime objectives.
• Collaborate with Maintenance and Engineering teams to optimize spare-parts management and maintenance service models.
• Work closely with Supply Chain teams to improve inventory performance and working capital utilization.
• Support contractor compliance, risk management, and safety initiatives in partnership with EHS and Legal functions.
• Act as a trusted advisor for sourcing decisions and supplier strategy across the organization.

Continuous Improvement & Digital Transformation

• Drive procurement process improvements and sourcing best practices.
• Leverage ERP systems, procurement platforms, and analytical tools to improve spend visibility and sourcing effectiveness.
• Champion supplier performance management systems, digital procurement tools, and automation initiatives.
• Promote category management excellence and preferred supplier programs.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Engineering, Business Administration, Finance, or a related field.
• 8+ years of progressive procurement, sourcing, or supply chain leadership experience.
• Proven success managing large and complex sourcing portfolios, preferably exceeding $200 million annually.
• Significant experience sourcing:
• MRO materials and consumables
• Maintenance engineering services
• Industrial service contracts
• Capital equipment support and spare parts
• Demonstrated success negotiating complex supplier agreements and building long-term supplier partnerships.
• Strong financial, analytical, contract management, and supplier management capabilities.
• Experience working within manufacturing, industrial, aerospace, metals, energy, chemical, or other heavy industrial environments.

Preferred Qualifications

• MBA or other advanced degree.
• Professional certifications such as CPSM, CPM, or CSCP.
• Experience with ERP and procurement platforms such as SAP, Oracle, Ariba, Coupa, or similar systems.
• Background leading global sourcing initiatives and supplier transformation programs.
• Knowledge of asset management, maintenance operations, reliability programs, and operational excellence initiatives.