Job Information
TheCollegeBoard Executive Director, Strategic Sourcing and Supplier Partnerships - REQ002091_1-3175 in Chicago, Illinois
This job was posted by https://illinoisjoblink.illinois.gov : For more information, please see: https://illinoisjoblink.illinois.gov/jobs/12712229 Executive Director, Strategic Sourcing & Supplier Partnerships
College Board - Finance
Location: This is a fully remote role. Candidates who live near CB offices have the option of being fully remote or hybrid (Tuesday and Wednesday in office).
Type: This is a full time position.
About the Team
The Strategic Sourcing team at College Board supports the purchasing needs of all divisions across the organization. Our category coverage is extensive and encompasses a wide range of areas such as contingent workforce, enterprise software systems, contact centers, custom consulting engagements, cloud services, conferences and events, and building and construction projects. The team of category managers work directly with leaders from all parts of the organization to help define and deliver College Board products and services. College Board is transforming its business at a rapid pace and the strategic sourcing team plays a crucial role in shaping and driving this change.
About the Opportunity
As the Executive Director and leader of Strategic Sourcing & Supplier Partnerships, you are ambitious, strategic, and forward-thinking, ready to transform how we source, spend, and partner. You\'ll build and lead our Sourcing & Supplier team, a newly envisioned team at the center of how we negotiate, source, and manage our relationships with third-party vendors. You will have strategic oversight of how we source, negotiate, and manage \$400 million in annual third-party spending across the organization. One of your first opportunities will be to reorganize the procurement function around strategic categories or divisions, driving greater efficiency, visibility, and alignment across the organization. You\'ll set a bold vision to evolve procurement from a transactional function to a collaborative, value-generating partner that delivers both operational excellence and enterprise-wide impact. You are a strong manager who enjoys coaching, developing, empowering, and challenging your team. If you are passionate about leading a team and driving strategic change, this is a fantastic opportunity for you to make a lasting impact.
In this role, you will:
Set Vision and Strategy
- Define and execute a multi-year strategic sourcing transformation roadmap that aligns with enterprise priorities.
- Architect a comprehensive spend management approach that treats different categories according to their strategic importance.
- Redesign procurement operations in conjunction with Finance Operational Excellence team to reduce complexity and accelerate decision-making through process innovation and AI automation.
- Develop forward-looking category strategies that anticipate market changes and organizational needs.
- Create a data-driven framework for identifying consolidation opportunities and spend patterns across the organization.
- Design a supplier innovation program that taps into vendor expertise to solve business challenges.
- Pioneer the deployment of AI-powered procurement tools that transform our sourcing capabilities.
Manage & Influence Key Relationships
- Partner with senior leaders to understand their programmatic needs and translate them into effective sourcing strategies.
- Establish procurement as a value-adding function rather than a bureaucratic hurdle.
- Cultivate strong relationships with internal stakeholders, including Finance divisional leadershipand leaders across other teams to drive procurement initiatives.
- Develop a supplier relationship management program that emphasizes strategic partnership, innovation, and mutual growth and ensure effective delivery by vendors.
- Elevate procurement\'s role from transactio processor to strategic business enabler across the organization.
- Leverage AI insights to identify strategic alignment opportunities with key stakeholders.
- Proactively address issues with vendor performance.
Provide Team Leadership & Management
- Lead and develop a team of procurement professionals, fostering a culture of strategic thinking, curiosity, accountability, and continuous improvement.
- Cultivate and lead a data-driven, high-performance culture that fosters inclusivity, collaboration, and team engagement.
- Establish performance metrics that encourage innovative thinking and value creation beyond conventional cost cutting.
- Model effective communication, promote transparency and ensure alignment to organization, division and team priorities.
- Mentor team members to think beyond transactional procurement toward strategic sourcing and business partnership.
- Upskill the team in AI-enabled procurement capabilities and next generation sourcing techniques.
About You
You have:
Experience and a proven track record leading a high-performing, results-ori