Strategic Procurement Lead: Savings & Vendor Performance

Ready to build your future? We're Groundworks, North America's leading foundation repair and water management specialist. We're more than a company - we're a team driven by purpose. As a Top Workplace, we're looking for top talent to fuel our mission: to protect, repair, and improve our customers’ greatest asset – their home.But what makes us a great place to work? Here, you'll find real career growth, comprehensive and affordable benefits, a culture that values hard work and innovation, and company ownership equity. Whether you’re starting your career or looking for your next big move, we offer hands-on training, advancement opportunities, and the chance to make a real impact every day.Join us and lay the foundation for your success. Apply today!Groundworks is seeking a talented Director of Strategic Procurement & Vendor Performance to join our tribe in Virginia Beach, VA!The Director, Strategic Procurement & Vendor Performance will lead enterprise-wide strategic sourcing, spend optimization, and vendor performance management across approximately $250M in direct and indirect spend, with a primary focus on construction materials and field operations support.This role is responsible for driving measurable cost savings, improving pricing discipline, strengthening contract governance, and reducing procurement risk across the organization. The Director will serve as a hands-on procurement leader, directly executing sourcing events and negotiations while partnering closely with internal stakeholders and vendors to ensure commercial rigor, compliance, and operational consistency.Duties and ResponsibilitiesStrategic Sourcing & Negotiation Leadership:Develop and execute vendor management programs to optimize vendor performance, reliability, and service quality across Groundworks’ projects and operations.Lead and execute end-to-end strategic sourcing initiatives across construction materials, MRO, and key indirect categories.Personally conduct supplier negotiations, bidding events (RFx activities), and commercial discussions to establish competitive pricing and favorable terms.Develop sourcing strategies that consolidate spend, improve leverage, and reduce price variability across vendors and regions.Spend Governance & Compliance:Identify and eliminate maverick spend through improved controls, supplier standardization, and stakeholder alignment.Establish and enforce pricing consistency frameworks and standardized rate structures where applicable.Partner with Finance and Operations to improve spend visibility, forecasting, and compliance adherence.Cost Savings & Value Delivery:Share accountability with the VP of Procurement for delivering a minimum of 5% cost savings across total managed spend.Track, validate, and report savings initiatives using defined procurement methodologies and KPIs.Identify continuous improvement opportunities to reduce total cost of ownership across categories.Contract Management & Risk Mitigation:Lead development and negotiation support of supplier contracts to ensure appropriate pricing structures, service levels, and risk protections.Identify contractual gaps and mitigate commercial, operational, and supply chain risks in collaboration with Legal and Finance.Improve consistency and standardization of supplier agreements across categories.Vendor Performance Management:Develop and maintain vendor performance frameworks including KPIs, scorecards, and performance reviews.Drive accountability with suppliers to ensure delivery reliability, quality standards, and pricing adherence.Serve as escalation point for critical supplier issues, ensuring timely resolution and corrective action.Procurement Leadership:Contribute to the development and adoption of procurement tools, systems, and spend analytics capabilities in partnership with the VP of Procurement and IT.Support definition of procurement processes, governance frameworks, and category management foundations.Drive adoption of standardized procurement practices across the organization.Operate as a senior procurement leader and key partner to field and department leaders, aligning procurement strategies with business needs, supporting strategic decision-making, and executing key priorities.Provide leadership continuity and execution support across procurement activities, including acting on behalf of the VP Procurement as needed.Influence cross-functional stakeholders and mentor internal team members as the procurement function evolves and scales.QualificationsBachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, Finance, or related field required; advanced degree or certifications preferred.8–12+ years of progressive procurement or strategic sourcing experience, including hands-on negotiation and category execution responsibility.Demonstrated success in strategic sourcing, supplier negotiations, and delivering measurable cost savings in a complex spend environment.Strong experience in construction, field services, industrial services, or related high-volume, multi-vendor industries strongly preferred.Proven ability to analyze spend data, identify savings opportunities, and implement procurement-driven cost reduction initiatives.Experience managing supplier performance programs, KPIs, and contract compliance frameworks.Strong interpersonal, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills with ability to influence across all levels of the organization.Experience working cross-functionally with Finance, Legal, and Operations in a governance-driven environment.Familiarity with procurement systems (P2P), spend analytics tools, and ERP environments.Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, evolving organization with limited structure and high expectations for execution.Working ConditionsFull-time position based at Groundworks’ corporate headquarters with limited travel required (less than 5%).Dynamic work environment requiring effective communication and collaboration across departments.Occasional extended hours may be necessary depending on project demands or vendor issues.What We ProvideCompetitive PayEmployee Company Ownership OpportunitiesIndustry Leading Training ProgramsLeadership Development and Career Growth TracksComprehensive and Affordable Benefits PackageTop Workplace with Award Winning Culture #J-18808-Ljbffr