Director, Strategic Procurement, Americas

Purpose of the Position Understand Corporate strategy and define, deploy and implement aligned procurement strategic for main sourcing categoriesAccountable to lead the Strategic Procurement team within Americas region.Understand industry trends and technology innovations in order to identified efficiency and saving opportunitiesEnsure alignment and remove roadblocks between the different stakeholders (IBPs, DSP, Execution) in order to implement identified projects or capture the targeted savings/benefits for theAccountable for the correct strategic sourcing process rollout across theProcurement strategy development for all products & commodities (Energy sourcing not included)Responsible of savings delivery & benefits trackingRelationship building with regional and country suppliersInvolvement, support or guidance in major negotiations Principal Responsibilities Establish and manage a high performing Procurement team Hire, manage & motivate qualified & capableDevelop team capability and performance through coaching, training and developmentEnsure team skillset level, tools and processes required to deliver against the definedEncourage procurement team engagement over all business areas Develop & deliver the procurement strategies for major commodities in the region Develop procurement strategies within the region to optimize our spendEnsure Procurement strategy integration and alignment with the businessSupport the transformation and optimization of fragmented addressable spend through various procurement activitiesSupport and lead the negotiation of multiyear Master Service Agreements, Master Purchase AgreementsSponsor rollout of Category Management processDeliver against savings targets agreed with the businesses Benefits tracking and performance measurement Drive procurement and sourcing requirements with speed, agility, and intelligent risk takingDrive productivity, spend reduction, improve working capital / cashMonitor, measure and report Procurement benefits in the area of responsibilityMeasure individual performance and team performanceSavings pipeline creation and follow upExternally – develops a performance measurement and improvement scheme for identified key strategic global suppliers Supplier relationships Own Supply Base Management, supplier strategies and establish plans for Prefer Suppliers, Tail Spend, etc.Lead development of supplier plans, scorecards and Quarterly Business ReviewsBuild relationships with key global and regional suppliersInvolvement, support or guidance in major negotiationsDevelop and implement Supplier Relationship Management approach for main categories Internal Business Partner (IBP) Relationships Act as influential leader across leaders within Messer, using critical thinking, change management, strong business acumen, and deep experience driving procurement fundamentals to develop and implement procurement strategies in alignment with business needsLeads critical cross organizational projects and/or participate in company projects representing supplier, sourcing, contracting, and supplier management activitiesConduct periodic alignment meetings with IBPsShepherd cross functional/BU Sourcing TeamsInterface with senior managementAlign project efforts with Performance Improvement teamAlign with legal team contract support Champion deliverables from the Strategic Procurement Team Conduct procurement target planning & settingEnsure data transparency for the area of responsibilityCreate & manage strategic procurement analysis (suppliers, products, categories)Ensure pipeline management – procurement initiative planning inEnsure “one voice” to suppliers and IBPs through proper alignment with Procurement Execution Head and Procurement Execution HubAgree & communicate Global Framework agreements for implementation in the businesses Promote the corporate values of the company Operates with integrity, focus, clarity, and sound judgment in an environment of ambiguity to drive change and improvement to future organizational processes, structures and cultureEnsure that the Code of Ethics is observed in all dealings with our suppliers and business partners, and foster relationships based on mutual respectEnsuring that staff & suppliers act in accordance with corporate safety guidelinesFoster team work and mutualEnsure staff and suppliers act in accordance with all appropriate safety legislation and corporate guidelinesComply internally and externally with Messer ethics and code of conduct guidelines Required Skills Commercial Awareness: Good understanding of key business drivers & strategic business planning processCategory Management: A comprehensive understanding of the C/M approach & its applicationStrong influencing skillsChange Management: Ability to sponsor change throughout theCommunication Skills: Effective facilitation, presentation & communication skillsHighly developed negotiation skillsQuality & Safety: Sponsorship of quality, safety and environmental initiativesProject Management: Able to establish priorities and deliver results when promisedPeople & Team Management skillsLanguage skills: Fluent in English and Spanish; Portuguese a plusWillingness to travel as required Required Education Bachelor's Degree in business, engineering, or supply chain requiredMaster's Degree in business or supply chain required Required Qualifications Minimum 10 years procurement/supply chain experience in multinational corporationsMultilingual English & Spanish Other Qualifications Leadership competence Inspiring others to a common purpose by being a model of the company’s valuesOperates ethically and with integrity Strategic competence Experience defining and developing long term strategiesDerives high level plans and actions from strategies Business competence Looking for opportunities to improve business operations to increase ongoing competitive advantageIdentifies innovative opportunities for cost savings or increasing revenue or profitProviding result oriented ideas for the improvement & expansion of business Interpersonal competence Active engagement and relationship with businessCreation of an inspiring and motivational work environmentExperience of initiating & implementing change within an organizationMulti-national experience leading team across several countries