Director, Indirect Procurement – Travel and Transportation

HP•Spring, TX

10d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director, Indirect Procurement – Travel and Transportation Categories is the enterprise leader responsible for defining, driving, and continuously evolving the global strategy for the company’s travel, fleet, and meetings & events programs. This executive shapes how the organization sources, manages, and optimizes travel-related services and transportation solutions, balancing cost, traveler experience, supplier performance, sustainability, compliance, and risk. The Director partners cross-functionally with Finance, Travel & Expense, HR, Legal, IT, Security, and operational leaders to align travel and transportation strategies with broader business objectives, enabling efficient mobility, effective program governance, and scalable solutions that support employee productivity and global business needs.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, Travel Management, or related field.
15+ years of progressive procurement, category management, or Travel talent /service acquisition experience.
Deep expertise in Travel and Transportation program management, and compliance.
Proven success leading large global travel programs 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.

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

Develop and own the global travel, fleet, and meetings & events category strategies across regions, business units, and spend types, including air, hotel, ground transportation, car rental, fleet services, and meetings & events suppliers.
Align sourcing and program strategies with enterprise priorities such as cost optimization, employee experience, duty of care, sustainability, and operational efficiency.
Establish long-term category roadmaps focused on supplier consolidation, commercial value, digital enablement, policy compliance, and program transformation.
Serve as the executive owner of key travel and transportation programs, including the global travel management program, airline and hotel partnerships, fleet management solutions, and meetings & events sourcing and governance frameworks.
Lead global sourcing initiatives, including RFPs, contract negotiations, rate card strategy, and supplier selection for all travel, fleet management, and meeting & events categories.
Coordinate with all supplier delivery partners to drive a best in class program with a deep focus on generating both financial and employee experience value, innovation, exceeding market benchmarks, and developing business critical data and analytics.
Design and enforce governance frameworks, KPIs, SLAs, quarterly business reviews (QBRs), and performance dashboards.
Ensure contract compliance, risk mitigation, and adherence to global travel and service regulations.
Lead engagements with Executive leaders across functions to develop cross organizational business objectives and programs such as Finance (EEM), Global Security (Duty of Care), Human Resources (Employee Programs), and Corporate Brand and Communications (Meetings & Events).
Collaborate with Legal, Risk, Security, and Compliance teams to establish and maintain robust policies and governance frameworks for travel, fleet, and meetings & events, including duty of care, safety, data privacy, and regulatory compliance.
Partner with Finance and FP&A to forecast travel and transportation demand, optimize budgets, track savings and value realization, and define effective spend controls across travel, fleet, and meetings & events programs.
Influence executive and senior business stakeholders to drive adoption of travel and meetings policies, digital platforms, and operational improvements that enhance compliance, efficiency, and employee experience.
Drive enterprise standardization of travel, fleet, and meetings & events processes, including booking, approvals, expense integration, supplier engagement, and program governance across regions.
Lead digital transformation initiatives by optimizing travel and fleet technology platforms (e.g., TMC tools, online booking platforms, fleet management systems, meetings & events sourcing tools), enhancing analytics, reporting, and end-to-end program visibility.
Provide direct oversight and management of governing corporate global policies across Fleet, Travel, and Meetings & Events, ensuring guidance remains market-competitive, current, and aligned to business needs, with clear, timely, and effective communication to stakeholders.
Develop and manage employee communications through multiple channels, including customer-facing websites and push communications such as bi-monthly newsletters, quarterly Administrative Assistant forums, Tuesday Travel Tips, and global Travel and Fleet Yammer pages, to drive awareness, compliance, and engagement.
Drive efficiencies and cost savings through supplier consolidation, demand management, and optimized commercial models across travel, fleet, and meetings & events categories.
Champion continuous improvement in traveler and planner experience, policy compliance, cost performance, supplier quality, sustainability outcomes, and overall program effectiveness.
Own global spend management for all Travel, Transportation and Meeting & Events service categories ($400 Million dollars per year).
Deliver year-over-year cost savings, cost avoidance, and strategic value creation.
Analyze Travel, Transportation and Meeting & Events 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.
Lead and develop a global team of Travel, Transportation and Meeting & Events category team managers, category managers, sourcing leaders, category strategists, and program specialists. Full team consists of 3 to 5 direct reports and 12 to 15 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.