Director, Strategic Procurement & Vendor Performance

Groundworks•Virginia Beach, VA

8d•$110,000 - $150,000•Onsite

About The Position

Groundworks is seeking a talented Director of Strategic Procurement & Vendor Performance to join our tribe in Virginia Beach, VA! The Director, Strategic Procurement & Vendor Performance will lead enterprise-wide strategic sourcing, spend optimization, and vendor performance management across approximately $250M in direct and indirect spend, with a primary focus on construction materials and field operations support. This role is responsible for driving measurable cost savings, improving pricing discipline, strengthening contract governance, and reducing procurement risk across the organization. The Director will serve as a hands-on procurement leader, directly executing sourcing events and negotiations while partnering closely with internal stakeholders and vendors to ensure commercial rigor, compliance, and operational consistency.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, Finance, or related field required; advanced degree or certifications preferred.
8–12+ years of progressive procurement or strategic sourcing experience, including hands-on negotiation and category execution responsibility.
Demonstrated success in strategic sourcing, supplier negotiations, and delivering measurable cost savings in a complex spend environment.
Strong experience in construction, field services, industrial services, or related high-volume, multi-vendor industries strongly preferred.
Proven ability to analyze spend data, identify savings opportunities, and implement procurement-driven cost reduction initiatives.
Experience managing supplier performance programs, KPIs, and contract compliance frameworks.
Strong interpersonal, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills with ability to influence across all levels of the organization.
Experience working cross-functionally with Finance, Legal, and Operations in a governance-driven environment.
Familiarity with procurement systems (P2P), spend analytics tools, and ERP environments.
Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, evolving organization with limited structure and high expectations for execution.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute vendor management programs to optimize vendor performance, reliability, and service quality across Groundworks’ projects and operations.
Lead and execute end-to-end strategic sourcing initiatives across construction materials, MRO, and key indirect categories.
Personally conduct supplier negotiations, bidding events (RFx activities), and commercial discussions to establish competitive pricing and favorable terms.
Develop sourcing strategies that consolidate spend, improve leverage, and reduce price variability across vendors and regions.
Identify and eliminate maverick spend through improved controls, supplier standardization, and stakeholder alignment.
Establish and enforce pricing consistency frameworks and standardized rate structures where applicable.
Partner with Finance and Operations to improve spend visibility, forecasting, and compliance adherence.
Track, validate, and report savings initiatives using defined procurement methodologies and KPIs.
Identify continuous improvement opportunities to reduce total cost of ownership across categories.
Lead development and negotiation support of supplier contracts to ensure appropriate pricing structures, service levels, and risk protections.
Identify contractual gaps and mitigate commercial, operational, and supply chain risks in collaboration with Legal and Finance.
Improve consistency and standardization of supplier agreements across categories.
Develop and maintain vendor performance frameworks including KPIs, scorecards, and performance reviews.
Drive accountability with suppliers to ensure delivery reliability, quality standards, and pricing adherence.
Serve as escalation point for critical supplier issues, ensuring timely resolution and corrective action.
Contribute to the development and adoption of procurement tools, systems, and spend analytics capabilities in partnership with the VP of Procurement and IT.
Support definition of procurement processes, governance frameworks, and category management foundations.
Drive adoption of standardized procurement practices across the organization.
Operate as a senior procurement leader and key partner to field and department leaders, aligning procurement strategies with business needs, supporting strategic decision-making, and executing key priorities.
Provide leadership continuity and execution support across procurement activities, including acting on behalf of the VP Procurement as needed.
Influence cross-functional stakeholders and mentor internal team members as the procurement function evolves and scales.