Head of Procurement

Stord•Atlanta, GA

About The Position

Stord is seeking an experienced Head of Procurement to lead its newly forming procurement function. This role is critical for managing costs, optimizing cash flow, and developing vendor strategies, directly impacting the company's financial health. The Head of Procurement will build and own the vendor strategy across various spend categories, lead contract negotiations, and establish a preferred vendor program. They will also partner with Finance and Operations to identify cost-reduction opportunities and manage vendor payment terms for working capital optimization. Additionally, this role involves building procurement processes and infrastructure from the ground up, including sourcing, contracting, PO management, and implementing procurement tooling. Collaboration with Legal, Engineering, Operations, Sales, and Finance is essential, as is reporting procurement performance and strategic initiatives to senior leadership.

Requirements

15+ years of progressive procurement experience, including 5+ years at the director / senior director level.
Deep expertise in strategic sourcing, vendor negotiations, and contract management across multiple spend categories.
Experience at a high-growth company or large-scale complex organization (Fortune 500 or comparable) where procurement was a meaningful driver of business performance.
Track record of building or significantly maturing a procurement function.
Strong financial acumen: you understand how procurement decisions connect to cash flow, gross margin, and working capital.
Excellent negotiation skills with the ability to drive outcomes while maintaining productive supplier relationships.
Clear communicator who can present procurement strategy and results to C-suite audiences.

Nice To Haves

International procurement experience is a strong plus.

Responsibilities

Build and own Stord's vendor strategy across all spend categories: technology, facilities, transportation, professional services, and operations.
Lead all contract negotiations with a focus on securing favorable payment terms, pricing, and SLAs that support Stord's growth and cash position.
Establish a preferred vendor program, rationalizing the supplier base where appropriate.
Partner with Finance and Operations to identify and execute cost reduction opportunities across indirect and direct spend.
Own vendor payment terms as a lever for working capital optimization, developing structured approaches to extending terms where possible without damaging supplier relationships.
Provide procurement input into cash flow forecasting and reporting for senior leadership.
Build and standardize Stord's procurement processes from the ground up, including sourcing, contracting, PO management, and approval workflows.
Evaluate and implement procurement tooling to increase visibility and control over spend.
Define and track KPIs for procurement performance, including savings delivered, payment terms improvement, and vendor compliance.
Work closely with Legal on contract risk and compliance.
Partner with Engineering, Operations, Sales, and Finance to anticipate procurement needs and build ahead of demand.
Report to senior leadership with clear, data-grounded updates on procurement performance and strategic initiatives.