Director, Strategic Sourcing (Indirect)

Coates Group • Chicago, IL

5d • $140,000 - $160,000

About The Position

For over almost 60 years, our solutions have enabled impactful connections between some of the world’s leading brands and their customers. And while we’ve already done a lot of work we’re proud of, we’re just getting started!

We’re a global technology company focused on creating dynamic, smart, personalised and engaging customer experiences powered by our range of digital hardware, our proprietary content management system and our industry leading signage solutions. (For example: If you’ve ordered in-store or in the drive-thru at McDonald’s somewhere in the world in the last few years, chances are you’ve interacted with our digital solutions.) We work in over 50 global markets and have 9 offices around the world, with a global headquarters proudly located in our founding home of Sydney, Australia.

Coates Group has the values of a family-owned business and the innovative spirit of a start-up, both which fuel our purpose – Creating Connections. Empowering Partnerships. Always Evolving. Through hard work, dedication and creativity, we’ve become industry leaders who have won awards and set records while remaining focused on continual growth and evolution. We are a 2x Australia Good Design Award winner and successfully completed the largest hardware deployment in Quick Service Restaurant history.

We are curious, charismatic, authentic and we value and leverage the diversity of our crew. We are imaginers, kindness enthusiasts, experts, creators, thinkers, challengers, collaborators and over-achievers. And together, as a Crew, we are revolutionizing the way the world’s leading brands leverage technology to drive the best customer experiences.

As a key member of the Global Sourcing leadership team, the Director, Global Sourcing Indirect manages global strategic vendor relationships for areas of spend which include inbound/outbound freight, 3PL &, tariffs etc. This leader will be responsible for developing category-focused indirect procurement strategies that optimize cost efficiencies and improve contractual terms, including pricing, payment structures, and supplier performance. Finally, the role will work collaboratively to drive our commitment to ESG best practice, with the implementation of a framework & initiatives that progress Coates in this space

Requirements

• Strategic Thinker with strong negotiation skills
• Strong analytical acumen, used in supplier negotiations, RFP analysis & cost savings attainment
• Cultural awareness collaborating with internal/external stakeholders
• Strong process orientation to manage & control global indirect spend
• Critical thinker, capable of developing best practice frameworks in procurement & ESG
• Effective communicator capable of managing up in the organization
• Through external associations, introduce new & cutting-edge technologies to grow Operational competency in Procurement
• 10+ years of experience in Procurement, Supply Chain, or related fields managing Operations
• Bachelor or Master’s degree in Supply Chain, Procurement, Engineering, or a related discipline
• Deep knowledge of global supply chains, with expertise in leveraging diverse tools and methods to manage complex sourcing environments
• Advanced quantitative and analytical expertise with a track record of developing and executing risk frameworks and mitigation strategies
• Thorough understanding & implementation of ESG initiatives & frameworks for compliance with government standards & certifications extending to those required to retain/win customer RFP’s

Nice To Haves

• MCIPS certification (or equivalent) preferred
• Technology industry experience is desirable, with solid knowledge of Transport & 3PL service providers

Responsibilities

• Develop & elevate the indirect sourcing function by partnering with stakeholders to drive commercial efficiency, implementing initiatives that deliver measurable value
• Collaborate with functional owners to create a strategic sourcing roadmap of critical indirect spend categories, drive rationalization of suppliers & consolidation/optimization of spend
• Continually review global indirect spend, develop visualization tools for reporting to BizOps
• For global indirect spend suppliers ensure NDA’s & contracts are in place, consistently reviewed & maintained. Ensure commercial terms, aligning with organizational goals.
• Strengthen governance frameworks to ensure adherence to regulatory and ethical standards, including compliance with Modern Slavery legislation.
• Establish KPIs to track cost savings, mitigate supplier risks, and drive quality improvements, ensuring continuous optimization of sourcing outcomes.
• Lead end-to-end sourcing processes for indirect spend, including opportunity assessments, cost analyses, supplier due diligence, strategy development, RFQ/RFP management, negotiations, supplier selection, and contract execution.
• Implement indirect spend controls and improvements to approvals processes to control compressible spend growth
• Develop and manage strategic supplier engagement forums, such as Quarterly Business Reviews with technology & service providers to strengthen collaboration & alignment to business priorities
• Leverage technology and partnerships with third-party vendors to design and implement solutions for managing RFQs, RFPs, global spend analysis, and quality metrics.

Benefits

• annual market competitive bonus program
• “Thrive Program” which includes a suite of flexible work options because we’re strong believers that you should never miss an important life or work moment.
• Thrive also provides dedicated time to prioritize our health and wellbeing (think virtual Yoga or meditation sessions)
• Global Wellness paid day off to recharge
• “Give Back Day” to allow our Crew an opportunity to make an impact in the community.

What This Job Offers

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