Director, Indirect Procurement – Labor Categories

HP•Houston, TX

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

Director, Indirect Procurement – Labor Categories Description - Position Summary The Director, Indirect Procurement – Labor Categories, is the enterprise leader responsible for defining, driving, and continuously evolving the global strategy for all external labor categories including contingent labor, technology outsourced services, R&D labor, consulting, and agency contractors. This executive shapes how the accesses and manages external talent and services, balancing cost, quality, speed, compliance, and risk. The Director partners cross-functionally with HR, Talent Acquisition, Legal, Finance, IT, and operational leaders to align external workforce and service models with broader business objectives, enabling agility and cost-effective workforce planning. Key Responsibilities Category Leadership & Enterprise Strategy Develop and own the global labor category strategy across regions, business units, and labor/service types (contingent, outsourced IT, R&D labor, consulting, agency contractors). Align sourcing strategy with enterprise workforce planning, digital transformation, and innovation priorities. Establish long-term category roadmaps focused on cost optimization, supplier innovation, compliance rigor, and program transformation. Serve as the executive owner of key labor and service programs (e.g., MSP/VMS for contingent labor, IT outsourcing governance, consulting engagement frameworks). Supplier & Program Governance Lead global sourcing initiatives, including RFPs, contract negotiations, rate card strategy, and supplier selection for all labor and service categories. Oversee strategic relationships with staffing suppliers, MSP partners, IT service providers, consulting firms, and agency contractors. Design and enforce governance frameworks, KPIs, SLAs, quarterly business reviews (QBRs), and performance dashboards. Ensure contract compliance, risk mitigation, and adherence to global labor and service regulations. Cross-Functional Executive Partnership Act as the primary business partner to HR, Talent Acquisition, IT, R&D, and department heads to design effective and compliant sourcing strategies. Collaborate with Legal, Risk, and HR Compliance to create robust policies and guardrails for external workforce and service engagement. Work with Finance and FP&A to forecast demand, optimize budgets, track savings, and define category spending controls. Influence executive stakeholders, enabling adoption of policy, technology, and operational improvements. Operational Excellence & Transformation Drive enterprise standardization of labor and service procurement processes, onboarding workflows, and supplier engagement models. Lead digital transformation initiatives, optimizing technology platforms (e.g., VMS, ITSM), analytics capabilities, and workforce/service visibility. Develop and manage global policies for labor and service utilization, supplier management, and compliance controls. Drive efficiencies and cost savings through supplier consolidations. Champion continuous improvement in time-to-fill, quality of talent/services, cost performance, diversity goals, and overall program efficiency. Financial & Value Delivery Own global spend management for all labor and service categories (2+ billion dollars per year). Deliver year-over-year cost savings, cost avoidance, and strategic value creation. Analyze labor and service market trends, benchmarking data, and supply-demand dynamics to create market-competitive category strategies. Report program outcomes to executive leadership, providing actionable insights and recommendations. Team Leadership & Development Lead and develop a global team of Labor category team managers, category managers, sourcing leaders, category strategists, and program specialists. Full team consists of 3 to 5 direct reports and 20 to 25 indirect reports. Establish a high-performance culture focused on strategic thinking, excellence in execution, and stakeholder partnership. Mentor talent and build organizational capability for future category leadership.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, HR, IT, or related field.
15+ years of progressive procurement, category management, or talent/service acquisition experience.
Deep expertise in labor and service sourcing, supply chain, MSP/VMS and IT outsourcing program management, and compliance.
Proven success leading large global categories and multi-billion-dollar spend portfolios.
Strong executive presence and ability to influence senior stakeholders.
Demonstrated ability to manage complex negotiations and strategic supplier partnerships.
Executive-level presence and communication skills
Enterprise mindset & executive leadership
Strategic sourcing & negotiation excellence
Supplier relationship and governance management
Global workforce/service compliance & risk mitigation
Data-driven decision making
Change management and transformation leadership
Cross-functional influence and communication
Financial and business acumen
Change Agent: Ability to navigate resistance from stakeholders who prefer "old ways" of operating.
Data Storyteller: Ability to translate complex VMS data into a compelling narrative for the senior executive leaders regarding labor trends and workforce optimization.

Nice To Haves

MBA or Master’s degree in a related field.
Experience in a global Fortune 500 or large, matrixed enterprise.
Expertise with VMS tools (e.g., Workday VNDLY, SAP Fieldglass, Beeline), ITSM platforms, and MSP/outsourcing operating models.
Supply chain, procurement, or HR certifications (CPSM, CIPS, SOW Management certifications).
Experience leading organizational or digital transformation initiatives.

Responsibilities

Category Leadership & Enterprise Strategy Develop and own the global labor category strategy across regions, business units, and labor/service types (contingent, outsourced IT, R&D labor, consulting, agency contractors).
Align sourcing strategy with enterprise workforce planning, digital transformation, and innovation priorities.
Establish long-term category roadmaps focused on cost optimization, supplier innovation, compliance rigor, and program transformation.
Serve as the executive owner of key labor and service programs (e.g., MSP/VMS for contingent labor, IT outsourcing governance, consulting engagement frameworks).
Supplier & Program Governance Lead global sourcing initiatives, including RFPs, contract negotiations, rate card strategy, and supplier selection for all labor and service categories.
Oversee strategic relationships with staffing suppliers, MSP partners, IT service providers, consulting firms, and agency contractors.
Design and enforce governance frameworks, KPIs, SLAs, quarterly business reviews (QBRs), and performance dashboards.
Ensure contract compliance, risk mitigation, and adherence to global labor and service regulations.
Cross-Functional Executive Partnership Act as the primary business partner to HR, Talent Acquisition, IT, R&D, and department heads to design effective and compliant sourcing strategies.
Collaborate with Legal, Risk, and HR Compliance to create robust policies and guardrails for external workforce and service engagement.
Work with Finance and FP&A to forecast demand, optimize budgets, track savings, and define category spending controls.
Influence executive stakeholders, enabling adoption of policy, technology, and operational improvements.
Operational Excellence & Transformation Drive enterprise standardization of labor and service procurement processes, onboarding workflows, and supplier engagement models.
Lead digital transformation initiatives, optimizing technology platforms (e.g., VMS, ITSM), analytics capabilities, and workforce/service visibility.
Develop and manage global policies for labor and service utilization, supplier management, and compliance controls.
Drive efficiencies and cost savings through supplier consolidations.
Champion continuous improvement in time-to-fill, quality of talent/services, cost performance, diversity goals, and overall program efficiency.
Financial & Value Delivery Own global spend management for all labor and service categories (2+ billion dollars per year).
Deliver year-over-year cost savings, cost avoidance, and strategic value creation.
Analyze labor and service market trends, benchmarking data, and supply-demand dynamics to create market-competitive category strategies.
Report program outcomes to executive leadership, providing actionable insights and recommendations.
Team Leadership & Development Lead and develop a global team of Labor category team managers, category managers, sourcing leaders, category strategists, and program specialists.
Full team consists of 3 to 5 direct reports and 20 to 25 indirect reports.
Establish a high-performance culture focused on strategic thinking, excellence in execution, and stakeholder partnership.
Mentor talent and build organizational capability for future category leadership.