Associate Director, Operational Procurement

Penumbra•Alameda, CA

4d•Onsite

About The Position

The Associate Director of Operational Procurement leads operational procurement activities that ensure material availability, supply continuity, and efficient business operations. The role oversees procurement operations, raw material planning, systems and processes, and team leadership, partnering with Supply Chain Operations, Strategic Procurement, Logistics, Accounts Payable, IT, and other business leaders to improve procurement practices. The position covers direct and indirect procurement processes and systems, including purchasing, material planning, inventory optimization, shortage mitigation, and supplier enablement. Experience with SAP, Coupa, MRP, and procure-to-pay systems is highly desired. The Associate Director develops and implements processes for meeting finished-goods and raw-material forecast requirements, managing inventory, and optimizing ordering cycles. The role supports and develops the Operational Procurement team; establishes policies, standards, and procedures; improves use of ERP, MRP, P2P, and analytics systems; and coordinates forecasting, order management, supplier-capacity assessments, and risk mitigation. The position also supports procurement for new products transitioning to commercialization and promotes cross-functional improvement and compliance. This position is based in a general office environment and requires working on site in Alameda. Business travel may range from 0–25%. The role includes occasional lifting or moving of items up to 20 pounds and regular use of a computer and standard office equipment.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in supply chain management or a related field, with 10 or more years of experience in material planning, inventory management, and purchasing, and 6 or more years managing direct reports; an equivalent combination of education and/or demonstrated experience is acceptable.
Experience in procurement operations, raw-material planning, and team leadership.
Hands-on experience managing direct and indirect procurement processes, including purchasing, material planning, inventory optimization, shortage mitigation, and supplier enablement.
Ability to work on site in Alameda.
Ability to lift and move items weighing up to 20 pounds, move between buildings and floors, remain stationary and use a computer or standard office equipment for extended periods, access office files or supplies, read and prepare emails and documents, and communicate and exchange accurate information with employees at all levels.

Nice To Haves

Experience in the medical device, pharmaceutical, biotech, or another regulated industry.
Strong proficiency with SAP Materials Management solutions or another ERP system; experience with SAP, Coupa, MRP, and procure-to-pay systems is highly desired.
Knowledge of manufacturing processes and supply chain management.
Effective interpersonal skills and comfort collaborating across functions, with the ability to communicate with people at all organizational levels.
Demonstrated ability to process data, think critically, identify cause-and-effect relationships, solve complex problems, and formulate and communicate analyses using quantitative and qualitative methods.
Advanced proficiency in Microsoft 365, strong Excel skills, and experience with reporting and analytics tools.
Detail orientation, excellent organizational skills, and the ability to prioritize assignments while handling multiple projects.

Responsibilities

Develop and implement processes to meet finished-goods and raw-material forecast requirements, manage inventory levels, and optimize ordering cycles across direct and indirect categories.
Lead, support, and develop the Operational Procurement team; allocate tasks and resources, guide work quality, report on progress and productivity, and resolve escalations.
Design and apply Operational Procurement policies, practices, standards, and procedures, ensuring they are maintained, followed, and aligned with company values and processes.
Understand ERP, MRP, P2P, and analytics systems used in raw-material planning and order management; identify opportunities to improve procurement practices and compliance.
Support the design, documentation, and execution of raw-material forecasting and order-management processes for key suppliers, critical components, services, subcontracting, and indirect spend.
Create and implement supplier-capacity assessments and internal requirement analyses, working with Strategic Procurement, Engineering, Quality, and Production to resolve supplier issues.
Identify strategies to mitigate service and component supply risks and reduce business impact.
Support procurement stability for new products transitioning from development to commercialization.
Identify procurement trends and improvement opportunities through cross-functional engagement and industry involvement.
Develop strategies with Strategic Procurement, Production, Planning, Quality, AP/Finance, and other partners to proactively remove barriers.
Coordinate with managers to ensure compliance with procurement systems and practices; assign tasks and projects, monitor quality and performance, forecast resource needs, and account for expenses.
Select, manage, train, and develop staff; establish objectives and assignments and provide ongoing feedback through performance reviews and development plans.
Communicate status and performance professionally with internal and external parties at various organizational levels.
Adhere to the Company’s Quality Management System and applicable domestic and global quality regulations, standards, and procedures.
Follow applicable security, privacy, and compliance principles, regulations, standards, and procedures, and ensure department members do the same.
Perform other work-related duties as assigned.