Director of Technology Procurement

AutoNation

6d

About The Position

The Director of Technology Procurement leads enterprise-wide technology category and sourcing strategies across Information Technology and technology-related requirements in other business units. The role provides leadership, governance, commercial judgment, and cross-functional alignment for complex, high-value technology investments, supplier relationships, and contracting decisions. It partners with Technology, Operations, Finance, Legal, Information Security, Risk Management, Data Governance, and other stakeholders to implement cost-efficient solutions that deliver measurable value, reduce risk, and support enterprise objectives.

Reporting directly to the Senior Director, Procurement, the Director serves as the principal Procurement partner to Technology leadership and business-unit leaders acquiring technology products and services. The role sets strategic category plans, formulates and executes annual procurement plans, leads sourcing and negotiations, develops business cases and executive recommendations, and owns commercial relationships with critical technology suppliers. It also helps ensure purchasing activity complies with procurement, contracting, approval, security, privacy, risk-management, and financial-control requirements, while monitoring savings, supplier performance, contract compliance, risk reduction, and stakeholder outcomes.

The position provides functional leadership, coaching, and subject-matter expertise to Procurement team members supporting technology sourcing. A bachelor's degree and at least 10 years of progressively responsible relevant experience, including significant enterprise technology procurement responsibility, are required. A master's degree or MBA, automotive-industry experience, and a professional procurement or supply-management certification are preferred.

Requirements

• Meet the company's requirements for employment.
• Hold a valid in-state driver's license and maintain an acceptable, safe driving record.
• Communicate and interact effectively across all organizational levels, including store and regional personnel, corporate management, and senior leadership.
• Demonstrate leadership, communication, presentation, analytical, negotiation, and problem-solving skills.
• Implement selected solutions effectively and manage multiple priorities within tight timelines.
• Demonstrate executive presence and business judgment to influence senior leaders and guide cross-functional teams through complex, high-value, and time-sensitive technology decisions.
• Have advanced knowledge of technology commercial models, including perpetual and subscription software, SaaS, cloud consumption, professional services, managed services, telecommunications, licensing metrics, and usage-based pricing.
• Have strong strategic-sourcing, contract-development, and negotiation expertise, including the ability to identify and address commercial, operational, implementation, renewal, and supplier risks.
• Understand technical requirements and translate them into sourcing strategies, negotiation positions, business cases, and executive recommendations.
• Have strong financial and analytical capabilities, including total-cost-of-ownership analysis, pricing-model evaluation, benchmarking, scenario analysis, and benefits measurement.
• Lead through influence across Technology, Finance, Legal, Operations, and other business functions.
• Balance cost, risk, speed, supplier capability, operational requirements, and long-term enterprise value when developing recommendations.
• Demonstrate integrity, accountability, confidentiality, and sound judgment when handling sensitive commercial and enterprise technology matters.
• Be proficient in Microsoft 365 applications and relevant procurement, sourcing, contract-management, and analytical tools.
• Hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited university in Business, Supply Chain, Information Technology, or a related field.
• Have a minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience in procurement, strategic sourcing, category management, or a related commercial function, including significant responsibility for enterprise technology procurement.
• Have experience managing technology procurement requirements across IT and other business units that purchase or deploy technology products and services.
• Have experience in several technology categories, such as hardware, software, SaaS, cloud services, telecommunications, cybersecurity, data and analytics, digital platforms, AI, IT consulting, professional services, or managed services.
• Demonstrate success leading complex enterprise sourcing initiatives and negotiating significant technology agreements with measurable financial, contractual, and operational outcomes.
• Have a strong understanding of business and technology strategy, technology solutions, commercial models, implementation considerations, supplier-management practices, and technology-product lifecycles.
• Have experience partnering with senior Technology, Finance, Legal, Information Security, Risk Management, Operations, and business-unit stakeholders.
• Have strong category-management experience.

Nice To Haves

• Master's degree or MBA.
• Automotive-industry experience.
• Professional procurement or supply-management certification, such as CPSM, C.P.M., or an equivalent credential.

Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and maintain three-to-five-year strategic category plans aligned with enterprise business and technology objectives.
• Formulate and execute the annual technology procurement plan in partnership with Technology, business-unit leadership, and Finance.
• Provide procurement subject-matter expertise, detailed analysis, and best-in-class technology procurement processes.
• Develop and present business cases addressing financial impact, operational considerations, supplier capabilities, and risk.
• Advise Technology and Financial Management on lease-versus-buy, build-versus-buy, and business process outsourcing decisions.
• Evaluate cost drivers, suppliers, addressable costs, market pricing, commercial structures, and industry practices with Technology, Operations, and business units.
• Lead complex sourcing events, RFx activities, auctions, supplier analysis and selection, negotiations, and contract review, approval, and execution.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to develop, measure, and report procurement and supplier-performance KPIs.
• Lead the commercial component of contracting and partner with Legal on contract review, negotiation, and execution.
• Work with operational buyers and procurement teams to ensure requisitions, purchase orders, invoicing, and purchasing activity conform to contract terms.
• Direct technology procurement across IT and other business units, including categories such as software, SaaS, cloud, infrastructure, hardware, telecommunications, cybersecurity, data and analytics, digital platforms, AI, managed services, consulting, and technology-enabled professional services.
• Establish enterprise-wide technology sourcing priorities, category governance, procurement roadmaps, and renewal strategies.
• Lead high-value, complex, and multi-year sourcing initiatives and negotiations, including acquisitions, renewals, expansions, transformations, and supplier consolidations.
• Develop commercial structures that optimize total cost of ownership, pricing transparency, service levels, scalability, flexibility, implementation commitments, data rights, performance protections, and exit provisions.
• Provide executive-ready recommendations and decision support for technology investments, supplier selections, renewals, competitive sourcing, and build, buy, lease, or outsource decisions.
• Challenge requirements and supplier proposals to ensure solutions are competitive, appropriately scoped, and aligned with enterprise priorities.
• Own commercial relationships and strategic supplier management for critical technology providers, including performance reviews, renewal planning, executive engagement, risk mitigation, escalations, and continuous value improvement.
• Partner with control functions to identify and address commercial, operational, security, privacy, data, implementation, concentration, continuity, and supplier risks.
• Ensure technology purchases follow enterprise procurement, contracting, approval, information-security, privacy, risk-management, and financial-control requirements.
• Develop and monitor measurable procurement results, including validated savings, cost avoidance, budget impact, supplier performance, contract compliance, risk reduction, and stakeholder outcomes.
• Maintain technology market intelligence, supplier benchmarks, and knowledge of evolving commercial models.
• Provide functional leadership, coaching, and subject-matter expertise to Procurement team members supporting technology sourcing.
• Represent Procurement in executive discussions involving enterprise technology strategy, investments, supplier performance, and commercial commitments.
• Perform additional projects and support other procurement categories as required.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation.
• 401(k) matching.
• Health, dental, and vision insurance plans.
• Maternity benefits.
• Associate purchase and discount programs for new and pre-owned vehicles, services, parts, collision, accessories, and AutoGear.
• Deals and discounts through YouDecide.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director