Director - Global Procurement Operations

You’ll work in our Miramar, Amsterdam or London office as part of our global Procurement Department (Sourcing/Contracts & Purchasing teams) reporting to the Sr. Director, Procurement & Capabilities. While Category Management identifies value, our Procurement Department ensures that Sourcing secures it while Purchasing maintains it through critical controls.

The Director will collaborate closely with category leaders and senior business leaders across the firm to focus on the seamless integration of the category to sourcing to purchasing processes, ensuring regulatory adherence through well-designed processes, targeted training, and enhanced supplier due diligence. In this role, you will get a broad understanding of McKinsey’s overall business, gain visibility across the organization, and be responsible for leading efficiencies by leveraging automation, AI, and streamlined contracting to sustain the value over time.

Your Impact

As a key leader within our organization, you will be responsible for developing the firm’s vision for Sourcing, Contracting, and Purchasing (S2P) and implementing a strategic roadmap that ensures the value identified by Category Management is fully realized and sustained through integrated processes and critical controls. You will drive regulatory compliance by enhancing supplier due diligence, implementing critical S2P processes, and providing targeted training to relevant stakeholders.

Leveraging the expertise of cross-functional teams, you will integrate AI and automation to enhance efficiency in contracting, order times, and sourcing-purchasing hand-offs. In this role, you will foster strong partnerships and align on shared objectives while syndicating the vision and educating key leaders across departments, including Category Management, Finance, Legal, Cybersecurity, Social Responsibility, Risk, and Compliance. You will monitor and optimize key performance indicators for sourcing and purchasing to ensure that business objectives are met.

Leading continuous process improvement initiatives, you will streamline the S2P process, ensuring seamless hand-offs, precise execution, and clear roles and responsibilities within a complex matrix environment with multiple stakeholders. Additionally, you will attract, develop, and retain top talent by fostering an organization centered on continuous growth and development, where leaders actively support and care for their colleagues, empowering them to deliver impactful work. Acting as a change agent across the firm, you will drive a culture of procurement process efficiency and effectiveness.

Your responsibilities will also include partnering with Risk and Environmental Social and Governance Leaders to co-develop and cultivate responsible buying capabilities, ensuring these capabilities comply with regulatory and client requirements. You will advocate for, drive, and sponsor Optimize’s “Spend Under Management” KPIs. Staying current on external and internal influences that may impact the department or the firm, such as macroeconomic issues, regulations, and industry trends, will be essential. Furthermore, you will cultivate a culture of open thinking and collaboration to foster an environment that supports the creation of comprehensive and inclusive solutions.

Your qualifications and skills

• University degree (STEM/Supply Chain); MBA or advanced degree preferred
• 10+ years of relevant experience in category management
• Proven ability to lead, mentor, and inspire diverse teams, driving performance and collaboration to achieve objectives while fostering a positive, inclusive environment
• Proven ability to develop and execute strategies that align with organizational goals and drive growth, with a focus on long-term planning and operational efficiency
• Strong understanding of business operations and financial principles, with the ability to assess market trends, develop budgets, and make data-driven decisions to achieve business objectives
• Demonstrated expertise in managing and nurturing senior leadership relationships, including suppliers, clients and internal teams, to foster collaboration and ensure alignment with business objectives
• Demonstrates sound decision-making grounded in strong ethical principles and an ability to articulate a vision across a broad array of stakeholders in order to drive at results
• Skilled in negotiation, with a track record of securing favorable terms in complex contracts and agreements, ensuring optimal outcomes for the organization
• Collaborative style and ability to develop and motivate teams in a distributed environment, provide mentorship and drive professional development of colleagues
• High energy, responsive, quality orientation and comfortable operating in a fast-paced autonomous and ambiguous environment
• Strong knowledge of regulatory frameworks and compliance requirements, ensuring all business operations and processes adhere to legal and industry standards
• Extensive experience managing and optimizing S2P processes and systems, ensuring seamless procurement operations, transparency, and effective spend management