Director - Strategic Sourcing

Freshworks•San Mateo, CA

5h•$220,000 - $288,000

About The Position

Freshworks is looking for an experienced and driven Head of Strategic Sourcing to lead a global team of Strategic Sourcing Managers. This person will manage the entire category portfolio, responsible for developing and managing global category strategies and understanding the business/company requirements to maximize value. This person will lead a team professionals responsible for the end-to-end execution of Sourcing processes in addition to developing sourcing strategies that align with the business. He/She should have deep sourcing and vendor management experience, be able to operate at all levels of the organization and move seamlessly from tactical to strategic. Additionally, he/she must be a proven leader with a keen eye for detail, be able to provide insights based on market conditions and trends, investigate innovative methods, optimize value from goods and service providers, improve the decision- making process, guide/develop their team, and ensure the process is executed in alignment with policy.

Requirements

Sourcing and Procurement: ability to identify, evaluate, and acquire goods or services from external sources in a cost-effective and efficient manner, involving understanding market trends, supplier performance, supply chain management, negotiation tactics, contracts, and quality assurance
Leadership: Demonstrated ability to lead, motivate, and develop a team of procurement professionals
Sourcing Strategies: the implementation of methods to manage procurement processes effectively, involves understanding the supply market/market analysis, cost modeling/assessing total cost of ownership, performance monitoring, risk management, and negotiation tactics
Relationship Building: ability to establish and nurture strong connections with cross-functional teams and stakeholders to collaborate effectively by understanding interpersonal dynamics, effective communication strategies, empathy, and the ability to manage conflicts or disagreements
Results-Oriented: ability to focus on the desired outcome of a project or task, while setting clear goals and prioritizing tasks to achieve the desired outcome and consistently
Business Strategies: ability to develop, communicate, and implement comprehensive plans of action to achieve long-term goals and objectives, understanding market trends, stakeholder analysis, financial planning, risk management, applying strategic thinking to make strategic decisions based on these factors
Strategic Planning: ability to envision a desired future, translate this vision into broadly defined goals or objectives and a sequence of steps to achieve them, involving understanding the mission, vision, and values, conducting SWOT analysis, setting strategic goals, developing plans to achieve those goals, and measuring progress
Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, or a related field
15+ years of experience in procurement or sourcing, with at least 8 years in a leadership role
Proven track record of successfully managing and developing a team.
Proficiency in procurement systems and tools
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Responsibilities

Develop a team structure that supports execution of Sourcing strategies focused on the organization strategy, business strategies and balance of cost / value spending.
Lead and mentor a team of Sourcing Managers, providing guidance, support, and performance feedback
Foster a collaborative and high-performing team environment, promoting teamwork and knowledge sharing
Delegate tasks effectively, monitor progress, and ensure team members meet performance expectations (Individual Contribution Goals and SLAs)
Identify training and development needs for team members and facilitate their professional growth
Contribute to the recruitment and onboarding of new team members.
Understand internal procurement processes to provide guidance to team and stakeholders.
Maintain alignment with internal cross functional stakeholders on key processes required for successful project execution.
Manage most critical and strategic supplier relationships and negotiations.
Have a deep understanding of sourcing and supplier management to mentor and provide strategic direction to the team.