Director of Procurement

Blue Energy•Chevy Chase, MD

About The Position

Blue Energy’s mission is to unlock energy abundance, energy affordability, energy security, and turn-key decarbonization by developing the fastest path to deploying new nuclear MWs at scale. We are utilizing shipyard manufacturing supply chains and techniques from offshore oil and wind to reduce the cost of nuclear plants by over 60% and the manufacturing timeline to 24 months. Blue Energy is a platform technology that makes use of the latest NRC-approved reactors and is in negotiations with existing nuclear and industrial sites, enabling a much faster regulatory pathway to deploy our first unit. With our innovative centralized shipyard manufacturing approach, we can put nuclear power on a cost-reduction learning curve akin to wind, solar, and lithium-ion batteries. Role Summary Reporting to the VP of Supply Chain, the Director of Procurement owns Blue Energy’s day-to-day procurement engine, spanning requisition-to-PO execution, expediting, supplier onboarding, and the systems and data that ensure purchasing is fast, compliant, and auditable. This role is highly operational and systems-driven, responsible for building scalable procure-to-pay (P2P) processes, managing purchasing for materials and services, and maintaining visibility into supplier performance across a global, multi-tier supply base (OEMs, EPC/EPCM partners, fabrication yards, logistics providers, and specialty contractors). While execution-focused, the role will also support commercial negotiations as needed—partnering with Legal and project stakeholders on PO terms, service agreements, framework agreements, and critical supplier issues.

Requirements

10+ years of experience in procurement, purchasing, supply chain operations, or procurement systems in industrial, energy, manufacturing, or capital-project environments.
Strong hands-on capability in transactional procurement: requisition-to-PO, expediting, receiving, and invoice resolution; comfortable operating in a fast-paced build environment.
Working knowledge of procurement and ERP systems (SAP/Oracle/JD Edwards or similar) and eSourcing tools (e.g., Ariba, Coupa, Ivalua).
Experience running RFQs, evaluating suppliers, and managing supplier performance with measurable KPIs (quality, schedule, cost).
Solid commercial skills: ability to negotiate standard terms and escalate/partner on complex contract issues; comfort working with Legal.
Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to coordinate across engineering, quality, and operations stakeholders.

Nice To Haves

Experience in regulated industries (nuclear, aerospace, oil & gas) and/or implementing supplier QA programs, audits, and documentation controls.
Experience with materials management, inventory optimization, and spares governance; comfort working with MRP signals and warehouse/receiving teams.
Professional certifications such as PMP, MCIPS, CPCM/CCM, Lean/Six Sigma, or equivalent.
International sourcing and logistics experience, including Incoterms and complex transportation / export documentation.

Responsibilities

Lead daily purchasing execution for materials, services, and subcontracts: convert requisitions to POs, manage acknowledgements, expediting, change requests, and closeout.
Run competitive RFQs for engineered materials and services; perform bid tabulations and total-cost evaluations; recommend awards aligned to schedule and technical requirements.
Partner with Engineering, Project Management, Quality, and Site teams to translate drawings/specifications into clear purchase requirements and delivery plans.
Drive invoice and payment readiness: ensure receiving documentation, resolve three-way match issues, and coordinate with Finance/AP to reduce cycle time.
Own procurement system administration and continuous improvement for ERP / procurement tools (e.g., SAP, Oracle, JD Edwards, Ariba, Coupa, Ivalua, Aconex).
Establish and maintain master data governance (supplier master, commodity codes, item masters, catalogues, pricing files, lead times, and approved supplier lists).
Build reporting and dashboards for spend, backlog, supplier performance, and risk; improve data quality and discipline in the purchasing workflow.
Create standard work: SOPs, templates, approval matrices, delegated authority, and audit-ready documentation controls.
Coordinate supplier onboarding and qualification (including NDAs, onboarding packets, W-9 / tax forms, insurance, banking, cybersecurity, and ethics/compliance).
Translate nuclear QA/regulatory requirements into supplier-facing obligations and documentation requirements; coordinate audits and corrective actions with QA/Regulatory.
Right-size QA rigor by commodity and safety significance to expand the supply base while maintaining compliance and traceability.
Support import/export and logistics requirements as needed (Incoterms, freight coordination, documentation, and 3PL interfaces).
Negotiate purchase order terms and commercial alignment (payment terms, LDs, warranties, limitations of liability, termination, and change provisions) with Legal support.
Support framework agreements and repeat-buy structures for key suppliers (blanket POs, rate cards, MSAs, and long-lead reservations).
Resolve supplier commercial issues quickly to protect schedule and cost; document changes and approvals appropriately.
Build and lead a high-performing purchasing/procurement operations team as the company scales; coach buyers/specialists on standard work and systems.
Serve as a key interface across Engineering, Project Controls, Finance, Legal, QA, and Operations; communicate status, tradeoffs, and risks clearly.