Procurement Director

Procurement Director

The Procurement Director will lead the end-to-end Procurement function across Direct and Indirect categories for all the entities in the client's company. Scope includes Non‐Tobacco Materials (NTM), finished goods (cigars and cigarettes), merchandising materials for the B2C business, as well as full ownership of Indirect Procurement across corporate and operational spend categories (including professional services, logistics support services, marketing agencies, travel, facilities, IT, and lease agreements). This role owns the development and execution of sourcing strategies, category management frameworks, supplier ecosystems, and commercial governance for a portfolio exceeding $150M in annual spend. The objective is to ensure supply continuity, cost competitiveness, service excellence, risk mitigation, and supplier-enabled innovation. The role operates as a strategic business partner across Operations, Commercial, Finance, Legal, Marketing, and Corporate Functions, while maintaining hands-on leadership in complex negotiations, contract structuring, and supplier performance management across both direct and indirect spend categories.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and execute category management strategies across Direct and Indirect spend.
• Define and execute Indirect Procurement strategies across enterprise spend categories including professional services, facilities, IT, logistic services, travel and marketing agencies.
• Implement structured sourcing methodologies (RFx, negotiations, supplier consolidation).
• Establish procurement governance, policies, and decision frameworks ensuring compliance and scalability.
• Define and execute the NTM sourcing strategy (approx. $15M p.a.) aligned with cost, quality, service, and innovation objectives.
• Lead purchasing strategy and commercial negotiations for finished cigars, cigarettes, and merchandising materials for the B2C business (approx. $100M p.a.).

Supplier & Vendor Management

• Develop, maintain, and continuously improve a Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) program, focusing on strategic partnerships and long-term value creation.
• Design and operate a Supplier Performance Evaluation framework, incorporating quality, lead time, cost, service level, flexibility, and risk.
• Identify, qualify, and onboard new suppliers, materials, technologies, and capabilities to support innovation, resilience, and growth.
• Proactively manage supplier risk, including capacity constraints, geopolitical exposure, cost volatility, and dependency.

Commercial & Financial Leadership

• Lead contract negotiations, working closely with the Legal team on terms, risk allocation, and compliance.
• Perform total cost and cost structure analysis across suppliers and material categories; identify savings, and quality/value opportunities.
• Apply strong financial and P&L acumen to sourcing decisions, ensuring alignment with margin, working capital, and cash objectives.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with functional leaders to manage demand and specifications.
• Align procurement with budgeting cycles and business needs.
• Partner with Operations, E2E Planning, and Factories to define MOQs, EOQs, and replenishment strategies by supplier and category.
• Support Operations in supplier‐related issue resolution, including quality deviations, delivery delays, and escalation management.
• Act as a key contributor to innovation initiatives, packaging development, and new product introductions.
• Provide functional leadership within Procurement, driving a performance-oriented, fact-based, and collaborative culture.
• Influence senior stakeholders through data, insight, and structured recommendations.

Qualifications Required

• Bachelor's degree (Business, Supply Chain, Engineering, or related discipline).
• 7-10+ years of Procurement experience across Direct and Indirect categories
• Experience managing marketing, IT, services, and facilities spend.
• Strong sourcing, negotiation, and contract management skills.
• Knowledge of TCO (Total Cost of Onwership), SLAs, procurement governance, and P2P processes.
• Strong financial acumen and stakeholder management capability.
• Advanced Excel and PowerPoint proficiency.
• Spanish (mandatory proficiency).
• 5+ years of experience in the packaging industry; familiarity with premium, luxury, or regulated products strongly preferred.
• Proven expertise in:
  • Strategic sourcing and supplier selection
  • Commercial negotiations
  • Supplier performance management and SRM programs
  • Cost modeling, product costing, and financial analysis

Preferred:

• Experience with procurement systems (NetSuite, SAP, Ariba).
• Experience with NTM / packaging categories relevant to cigars (boxes, bands, labels, wraps, accessories, POS materials).
• Exposure to international sourcing environments and multi‐country supplier bases.
• Prior experience in consumer goods, premium/luxury brands, or regulated industries.

Work Conditions & Travel

• Office-based role with hybrid arrangement (3 days in office / 2 days remote).
• Ability to work in a cigar smoke–filled environment.
• International travel required to supplier locations, as business needs dictate.
• Standard office work environment; no lifting requirements.