Director, Procurement Buy Desk

Nationwide Mutual Insurance•Columbus, OH

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

If you’re passionate about being part of a dynamic organization that enables a Fortune 100 company with nearly $70 billion in annual sales to drive innovation and adopt new technologies that deliver business results, then Nationwide’s Technology team could be the place for you! At Nationwide®, “on your side” goes beyond just words. Our customers are at the center of everything we do and we’re looking for associates who are passionate about delivering extraordinary care. Purpose of the Buy Desk The Procurement Buy Desk is a centralized, intake‑driven function that manages defined, repeatable purchasing activities on behalf of business partners to ensure compliance, speed, and value. When accountable for the Buy Desk, the Director: Owns the overall strategy, design and performance of the Buy Desk within Procurement, ensuring alignment with category strategies and enterprise procurement policies. Establish a clear operating model for the Buy Desk, including services offered, intake channels, service levels, roles and responsibilities, and escalation paths. Ensures the Buy Desk is a “front door” to Procurement, providing a predictable, user‑friendly experience for business partners while protecting the company’s financial, legal and risk position. Key Responsibilities – Buy Desk Leadership In addition to the responsibilities outlined in the core job description, the Director is accountable for the following when leading the Buy Desk: Buy Desk Strategy & Scope Defines and periodically reviews the scope of work handled by the Buy Desk (e.g., low‑ to medium‑complexity sourcing events, renewals, standard catalog buys, spot buys, and defined non‑complex agreements). Aligns Buy Desk scope and workflows with category strategies , ensuring appropriate hand‑offs to strategic sourcing teams for higher‑complexity or higher‑risk initiatives. Partners with Procurement leadership to prioritize categories and spend types for Buy Desk coverage based on value, risk, and volume. Intake & Triage Management Designs and oversees intake processes for purchase and sourcing requests, including standard forms, channels (e.g., ticketing tools, procurement systems) and required data elements. Ensures the Buy Desk triages requests efficiently, routing them to: Buy Desk execution, Category management / strategic sourcing teams, or Self‑service / catalog solutions based on complexity, value, risk and policy. Establishes and maintains service-level expectations (e.g., response times, cycle times) for different request types and monitors adherence. Operational Execution & Process Excellence Leads the Buy Desk team to execute defined procurement activities end‑to-end, such as: Conducting low‑complexity RFQ processes within approved parameters. Managing standardized renewals and simple contract extensions. Executing catalog, marketplace and P‑card enabled purchases within policy. Supporting purchase order creation, change orders and order tracking where appropriate. Partners with process and technology teams to standardize and streamline workflows , templates, and playbooks that enable consistent, high‑quality execution. Drives continuous improvement in Buy Desk processes, using data to identify and remove bottlenecks, reduce manual work and improve the business partner experience. Policy, Risk & Compliance Ensures the Buy Desk operates in strict alignment with Procurement policies, risk controls, delegations of authority, and category‑specific guardrails. Implements controls so that all Buy Desk‑executed transactions: Use approved suppliers where required. Adhere to contract, information security, privacy, and legal standards. Follow appropriate spend approvals and documentation requirements. Partners with Risk Management, Legal, Compliance, Finance and Technology to identify and mitigate risk within the Buy Desk operating model and supporting processes. Stakeholder & Business Partner Experience Acts as a primary point of accountability for the Buy Desk experience, ensuring responsiveness, clarity, and transparency for business partners. Develops and socializes service catalogs, guidance and communications so business partners understand: When and how to engage the Buy Desk. What services and turn‑around times to expect. What information is required to initiate work. Regularly collects feedback from business partners and adjusts Buy Desk processes or communications to improve satisfaction and outcomes. Team Leadership & Talent Development Leads the Buy Desk team (analysts and/or specialists), providing clear goals, coaching and performance feedback aligned with Procurement and business objectives. Ensures the team is cross‑trained across categories, processes and tools to manage demand fluctuations and minimize single‑point‑of‑failure risk. Builds a service‑oriented culture within the Buy Desk, emphasizing: Strong customer service and communication skills. Accuracy, compliance and attention to detail. Proactive problem‑solving and continuous improvement. Partners with HR and Procurement leadership to attract, develop and retain talent with a mix of operational procurement, customer service and analytical skills. The position is located in Columbus, Ohio, and includes a hybrid work arrangement with in-office collaboration 2 days per week. #LI-KR1 Job Description Summary Procuring goods and services necessary to successfully run and grow our business is critical. Whether working to enable the processes that support buying decisions or finding the best supplier, price or contract terms, we bring expertise, skill and talent to the task. If you are collaborative, a top-level communicator, highly ethical and have the ability to manage key relationships by providing outstanding service, we want to know more about you! As a Director, you'll lead a team of sourcing professionals to deliver strategic sourcing projects that realize maximum long-term value to business units and functions for one or more of the designated categories of spend. We'll count on you to ensure critical relationships are developed and maintained with Executive Leadership, Business, Finance, Technology, Risk Management, Legal and suppliers to deliver optimal sourcing strategies and solutions.

Requirements

Undergraduate degree in supply management, procurement, business, finance, accounting, management information systems, economics or related fields strongly preferred.
Typically, 10 or more years of experience in all aspects of supply chain management, including management and supplier relationships or equivalent professional experience in other closely related industries, including managerial experience.
Proven knowledge of administrative/procurement policies and supply management strategy.
Thorough understanding of procurement policies, programs, practices and procedures.
Knowledge of current information technologies.
Knowledge in project management concepts and techniques.
Detailed understanding of financial controls, insurance business concepts, systems and data processing concepts, and financial planning/analysis.
Strong analytical skills to evaluate and recommend complex supply management strategies and expense reduction methods.
Strong negotiation skills as well as administrative, personnel and financial leadership skills.
Ability to develop and maintain strong supplier relationships, interpret complex contracts and evaluate outsourcing strategy.
Ability to lead and train others in all aspects of financial planning and analysis as well as supply management processes.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Nice To Haves

Procurement, purchasing or project management designations, as applicable.
Other criteria, including leadership skills, competencies and experiences may take precedence.
Staffing exceptions to the above must be approved by the hiring manager’s leader and HR Business Partner.

Responsibilities

Partners and collaborates with Executive Leadership, Business Partners, Finance, Technology and other Procurement team members to manage all aspects of the purchasing process for the assigned category including forecasting demand, aggregation and assignment of new sourcing requests, monitoring current contract pipelines and developing governance processes with the Business Unit.
Works with reporting teams to develop Procurement wide and Category Specific analytics, and review Procurement policy and procedures to ensure a predictable, easy-to-follow and efficient procurement process.
Leads all aspects of activities to maintain collaborative partnerships with business units, Finance, Technology, and Legal, to ensure alignment with Business Unit and sourcing strategy objectives.
Ensures team understands business unit budget for coming year.
Ensures alignment and partnership across all Procurement functions.
Coordinates the development, planning and execution of all in scope category strategies.
Monitors and evaluates category performance against business objectives, sourcing and risk mitigation strategies.
Defines and leads the execution of optimal sourcing solution based on business unit requirements, funding, suppliers and industry knowledge.
Consults with involved parties to create the best contractual outcome, including optimal negotiations, strong legal and business terms, and meaningful performance indicators and service level agreements.
Reviews and approves contracts.
Partners with Supplier Relationship Management to ensure alignment with the development of supplier relationships, driving effectiveness and value against planned strategies, facilitating supplier reviews, and generating continuous improvement ideas.
Resolves contractual discrepancies as they occur.
Monitors category metrics to ensure categories are performing.
Oversees actions to address issues and mitigate risks.
Ensures the team manages supplier compliance to contractual terms.
Provides strategic oversight on the development and implementation of policies, procedures and objectives for the sourcing of goods and services for all business units and functions.
Provides direction and guidance in the creation of the annual sourcing plans and develops annual savings targets.
Leads all activities associated with the execution of the established sourcing process, including preparation and delivery for each project summary/business case in accordance to the purchasing approval policy.
Oversees associate management, including performance management, salary planning and administration, training and development, workflow and organization planning, day-to-day management, hiring and placement and disciplinary actions for direct and possibly indirect reports.
May perform other responsibilities as assigned.

Benefits

medical/dental/vision
life insurance
short and long term disability coverage
paid time off with newly hired associates receiving a minimum of 18 days paid time off each full calendar year pro-rated quarterly based on hire date
nine paid holidays
8 hours of Lifetime paid time off
8 hours of Unity Day paid time off
401(k) with company match
company-paid pension plan
business casual attire