SVP, Procurement Operations

Life Care Services•Des Moines, IA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

The SVP, Procurement Operations provides executive leadership for LCS’s enterprise-wide purchasing and procurement strategy, encompassing both Group Purchasing and Procurement functions. This role is responsible for driving cost-effective, compliant, and scalable sourcing strategies that support owned and managed communities, as well as external client organizations. Through close collaboration, these functions enable consistent value creation, strong vendor partnerships, and operational excellence across the organization. Experience is Everything. At LCS, experience is everything. We provide you the opportunity to use your talents in a progressive, growing organization that makes a positive difference in the lives of the seniors we serve. If you are seeking an organization that gives back, you’ll love working here. Our principles and hospitality promises define our company culture. LCS employees can be found participating in volunteer activities, getting involved in our committees or collaborating with team members in our innovative workspace. You’ll find several opportunities to grow as a professional, serve the community, and enhance the lives of seniors.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, Finance, Healthcare Administration, or related field, or equivalent experience.
Minimum of 15 years of progressive leadership experience in procurement, strategic sourcing, or group purchasing.
Demonstrated success leading enterprise-wide purchasing strategies serving both internal stakeholders and external clients.
Proven executive-level vendor negotiation and contract management experience.
Strategic and systems-oriented thinker with strong business acumen.
Ability to influence and collaborate effectively across diverse stakeholder groups.
Strong leadership presence with experience leading senior-level teams.
Deep understanding of compliance, regulatory, and quality requirements in senior living and healthcare environments.
Data-driven decision-maker with experience leveraging analytics to drive results.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree (MBA or equivalent) preferred.
Prior experience in senior living, healthcare, hospitality, or similarly regulated service-intensive industries strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute a comprehensive purchasing and procurement strategy aligned with LCS’s community operations, and growth objectives.
Develop and implement a strategic category management process which supports both LCS communities and GP clients.
Ensure strategic coordination between Group Purchasing and Procurement to optimize pricing, supplier performance, contract compliance, and service delivery.
In partnership with the Business Development team, drive new business opportunities by identifying, developing, and executing strategic partnerships that support growth and revenue objectives.
Serve as a trusted advisor to the EVP, Community Operations and senior leadership on sourcing strategy, market trends, and risk management.
Ensure strategic e-procurement platform alignment for community operations and group purchasing.
Oversee the Group Purchasing function serving LCS communities and external clients, ensuring competitive value propositions and high client satisfaction.
Strengthen and expand external client relationships through innovative programs, strong account management, and differentiated offerings.
Lead negotiations with national and regional vendors to deliver best-in-class pricing, terms, and service levels.
Monitor contract utilization and performance to ensure clients realize full value from group purchasing programs.
Direct procurement strategy and execution for all owned and managed communities, ensuring consistent standards and compliance.
Drive sourcing excellence across categories, including but are not limited to clinical, culinary, plant, environmental services, capital expenditures, services, and indirect spend.
Implement best practices in supply chain management, purchasing controls, and supplier governance to ensure cost efficiency and operational continuity.
Manage any third-party procurement partners.
Partner closely with regional subject matter experts and community operations leadership to support compliant, high-quality supply and program strategies. These include but are not limited to clinical, culinary, plant, environmental services, community life, and information technology.
Ensure procurement and purchasing practices meet regulatory, quality, and safety standards in senior living and healthcare environments.
Lead enterprise strategic sourcing initiatives to optimize total cost of ownership and mitigate supply chain risk.
Build and maintain strong, collaborative vendor partnerships aligned with LCS values and performance expectations.
Oversee contract lifecycle management, ensuring favorable terms, compliance, and ongoing value realization.
Deliver measurable cost savings and value creation across purchasing and procurement initiatives.
Establish KPIs, dashboards, and reporting to track performance, savings, compliance, and client satisfaction.
Collaborate with Finance to support budgeting, forecasting, and long-term financial planning including our CapEx center of excellence
Strive to enhance LCS enterprise value while supporting community ownership objectives.
Responsible for the effective management and leadership of a team. This includes, but is not limited to: hiring, training, coaching, evaluating and managing performance, allocating compensation, effectively handling employee relations issues, managing terminations.