Vice President, Procurement

Forward Air•Dallas, TX

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Vice President, Procurement is responsible for developing and executing the organization's global procurement function and procurement transformation initiatives. They oversee all direct and indirect categories while driving cost optimization, supplier performance, risk mitigation, and long-term value creation across the enterprise. Reporting to the CFO, they partner closely with executive leadership, Finance, Operations, IT, Legal, HR, and business stakeholders to ensure procurement and real estate strategies align with organizational objectives and support sustainable growth. They continuously improve sourcing practices, supplier governance, contract management standards, and procurement processes and infrastructure. This leader also leads the Corporate Real Estate function, including lease administration, property acquisitions and dispositions, facility portfolio optimization, landlord and property management relationships, and long-term real estate planning aligned with business objectives. They will bring strategic vision, financial acumen, operational expertise, and strong relationship management skills to deliver measurable outcomes across a complex, global organization.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Finance, Management, Real Estate, Operations, or a related field required
10+ years of progressive procurement leadership experience, including senior leadership responsibility within a large-scale, global, multi-site organization
Proven success leading enterprise procurement organizations and driving large-scale procurement transformation initiatives.
Demonstrated expertise in strategic sourcing, supplier negotiations, contract lifecycle management, spend management, category management, and supplier governance.
Experience negotiating and managing agreements across transportation, logistics, technology, facilities, fleet, professional services, and operational spend categories.
Experience leading or partnering closely with Corporate Real Estate functions, including lease management, site selection, facility operations, portfolio optimization, and commercial real estate negotiations.
Strong understanding of real estate financial analysis, occupancy planning, capital project budgeting, facilities management, and portfolio optimization best practices.
Strong understanding of procurement technologies and digital procurement platforms, including tools such as Oracle Procurement, Coupa, SAP Ariba, or similar solutions.
Advanced business, financial, and commercial acumen with the ability to evaluate complex contracts, supplier relationships, facility investments, and sourcing strategies.
Exceptional leadership, communication, and executive stakeholder management skills with a demonstrated ability to influence across all levels of the organization.
Strong analytical capabilities and experience leveraging data, metrics, dashboards, and market intelligence to drive decision-making and organizational performance.
Demonstrated experience building cross-functional partnerships with Finance, Operations, Technology, Human Resources, Legal, and executive leadership teams.
Demonstrated discretion and confidentiality in handling and protecting sensitive information.
Proficient with common office technologies, including Windows PCs, Microsoft O365 (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) and web conferencing (Teams, Zoom, Webex, etc.)

Nice To Haves

Master's degree (MBA or related advanced degree) preferred.
CPSM, CIPS, CPM, CPIM, CSCP, CCIM, SIOR, or other relevant procurement, supply chain, or real estate certifications preferred.
transportation, logistics, brokerage, supply chain, distribution, warehousing, or related industry experience strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute a modern, data-driven global procurement strategy aligned with enterprise financial, operational, and growth objectives.
Lead enterprise-wide sourcing and procurement activities across all direct and indirect spend categories, including transportation services, logistics partners, technology, professional services, facilities, fleet-related expenditures, corporate services, and other critical business functions.
Drive supplier consolidation, strategic sourcing initiatives, and total cost of ownership analyses to optimize expenditures and improve enterprise value.
Establish and maintain a best-in-class Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) program focused on supplier performance, innovation, service excellence, and partnership development.
Negotiate complex, high-value contracts, commercial agreements, transportation service agreements, technology subscriptions, strategic vendor partnerships, and real estate transactions that support business objectives and mitigate organizational risk.
Develop and execute category management strategies that support evolving transportation, brokerage, warehousing, distribution, technology, facilities, and operational requirements.
Develop, implement, and enforce procurement policies, procedures, controls, and governance frameworks that ensure compliance, consistency, and operational efficiency.
Establish procurement metrics, scorecards, dashboards, and key performance indicators to monitor savings, supplier performance, compliance, service levels, occupancy costs, and operational effectiveness.
Identify and mitigate supplier, operational, financial, geopolitical, cybersecurity, real estate, and compliance risks through proactive sourcing strategies, due diligence processes, and contingency planning.
Partner with internal stakeholders to ensure procurement and real estate activities support regulatory requirements, internal controls, customer commitments, and corporate governance standards.
Collaborate with executive leadership on mergers, acquisitions, integrations, and other strategic initiatives by evaluating supplier contracts, facility requirements, identifying synergies, and aligning procurement and real estate practices.
Champion sustainability, supplier diversity, ethical sourcing, and responsible stewardship across all vendor relationships, procurement activities, and property investments.
Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing procurement and corporate real estate organization, fostering a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, collaboration, and innovation.
Serve as a trusted advisor to executive leadership on procurement strategy, supplier dynamics, market trends, facility investments, and opportunities for business value creation.
Provide strategic leadership and oversight for the Corporate Real Estate function, including facility leasing, purchasing, property management, site selection, portfolio planning, workplace services, and real estate governance.
Develop and execute a comprehensive corporate real estate strategy that aligns with organizational growth objectives, operational requirements, workforce needs, and financial targets.
Lead negotiations for facility leases, renewals, acquisitions, dispositions, easements, and related real estate agreements to ensure favorable commercial terms and effective risk mitigation.
Oversee facility-related spend, occupancy costs, capital improvement projects, and real estate operating expenses to maximize return on investment and cost efficiency across the property portfolio.
All other duties as assigned to meet evolving business needs.