Director - Global Markets & Supplier Programs

Job Description

Job Description

Job Overview

WEConnect International is a global nonprofit that helps women-owned businesses succeed in local and global markets by connecting them with major corporations and institutions committed to inclusive sourcing.

The Director, Global Markets & Supplier Programs is a senior leadership role responsible for leading global market engagement, fundraising, regional execution, and programs for women-owned businesses. The role oversees Regional Directors and ensures that women-owned businesses receive high-quality services that strengthen their readiness, competitiveness, and access to market opportunities. The role also ensures that member buyers receive consistent, high-quality regional support and access to qualified women-owned suppliers.

This role will work closely with the certification function to support growth in registrations and certifications through market engagement, supplier outreach, readiness-building, and regional execution.

This role ensures that WEConnect International not only connects women-owned businesses to opportunity, but also equips them with the programs, regional support, and market access needed to compete and grow. The role is central to translating global strategy into consistent market execution while strengthening value for both women-owned businesses and corporate buyers.

Job Responsibilities

1. Global Market Strategy & Regional Leadership

·       Lead the development and implementation of a consistent global market engagement framework across regions.

·       Work with Regional Directors to align regional strategies with WEConnect International's global priorities.

·       Identify opportunities to expand market presence, strengthen services, and increase engagement with women-owned businesses and member buyers.

·       Ensure regional activities are aligned with organizational goals, quality standards, brand expectations, and impact metrics.

·       Bring regional insights, opportunities, and risks to the executive leadership.

2. Program Design to Grow and Support Women-Owned Business

·       Design and strengthen programs, services, and tools that support women-owned businesses from registration through business readiness and market access.

·       Develop scalable offerings such as training, advisory services, mentoring, supplier readiness, and market-access programming.

·       Ensure services reflect the needs of women-owned businesses across different markets, sectors, and stages of growth.

·       Work with Regional Directors to identify country-specific needs, service gaps, and opportunities for program adaptation.

·       Support programs that help women-owned businesses compete for corporate and institutional contracts.

3. Regional Director Management & Team Execution

·       Lead, support, and manage Regional Directors and other assigned team members.

·       Establish clear expectations, goals, operating rhythms, performance metrics, and accountability structures.

·       Conduct regular team meetings, regional check-ins, and one-on-one meetings to support coordination and performance.

·       Build a collaborative team culture that balances global consistency with regional flexibility.

·       Support capacity building, professional development, and knowledge-sharing across regions.

4. Member Buyer Service Delivery

·       Ensure regional teams are equipped to support member buyers seeking qualified women-owned suppliers.

·       Support buyer-supplier connections, supplier identification, market insights, and regional engagement activities.

·       Work closely with Membership and Business Development teams to understand member needs and translate those needs into regional execution and supplier program priorities.

·       Help ensure that services to women-owned businesses also support the needs and expectations of member buyers.

5. Certification Growth Support

·       Partner with the certification function to support growth in registrations and certifications through outreach, readiness-building, and regional market engagement.

·       Help Regional Directors communicate the value of certification to women-owned businesses and ecosystem partners.

·       Identify market-specific barriers to registration and certification and recommend solutions in coordination with the certification function.

·       Ensure women-owned businesses understand how certification connects to market access, buyer opportunities, and business growth.

(Certification processing, review, compliance, and operational management will remain a separate and independent verification function).

6. Regional Fundraising, Partnerships & Donor-Funded Programs

·       Lead regional fundraising efforts in collaboration with Business Development, Regional Directors, and the executive leadership team to secure resources that support regional priorities, supplier programs, and market growth.

·       Support Regional Directors in identifying funding opportunities, developing regional funding pipelines, strengthening local and regional partnerships, and cultivating funder relationships.

·       Contribute to funding proposals, concept notes, donor engagement, partnership opportunities, and funder reporting related to regional and supplier program work.

·       Work with Business Development to identify and pursue opportunities that align with WEConnect International's mission, services, regional priorities, and revenue goals.

·       Represent WEConnect International team leads as needed with regional stakeholders, corporate members, partners, funders, donors, government entities, NGOs, and ecosystem actors, and contribute to donor-funded project coordination where regional execution or supplier program delivery is involved.

7. Marketing, Storytelling & Visibility

·       Work with the Marketing team to tell the story of women-owned business growth, market access, buyer-supplier connections, and regional impact.

·       Identify compelling examples of women-owned businesses, member buyer engagement, and regional success stories.

·       Ensure marketing and storytelling reflect both the needs of women-owned businesses and the value delivered to corporate members and partners.

·       Support visibility of WEConnect International's role as a global leader in women's economic empowerment, and inclusive sourcing.

8. Metrics, Learning, Budget & Performance Management

·       Define and track key performance indicators for regional engagement, supplier programs, buyer-supplier connections, registration growth, certification growth support, and program outcomes.

·       Use data, feedback, and regional insights to improve program design, service delivery, and market engagement.

·       Lead regional budget planning and monitor performance against approved budgets.

·       Provide regular updates to the Executive leadership team on progress, risks, opportunities, and impact.

·       Share lessons learned and best practices across regions.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

The Director, Global Markets & Supplier Programs will work closely with:

·       Leadership team on strategy, stakeholder relationships, organizational priorities, and executive-level market engagement.

·       Membership team on member buyer needs, buyer engagement, and member value.

·       Business Development team on funder opportunities, proposals, donor-funded projects, and partnership development.

·       Operations team on systems, processes, reporting, events, communications coordination, and operational execution.

·       Certification team on registration and certification growth, value proposition, outreach, and market-specific barriers.

·       Marketing team on storytelling, visibility, program promotion, and impact messaging.

·       Regional Directors on local execution, market insights, partnerships, and program delivery.

Skills & General Capabilities

·       10+ years of experience in global program leadership, market development, inclusive sourcing, women's economic empowerment, entrepreneurship, international development, or related fields.

·       Experience leading regional or geographically dispersed teams.

·       Strong understanding of program design, service delivery, stakeholder engagement, and performance management.

·       Experience working with corporate partners, funders, donors, government entities, NGOs, and ecosystem partners.

·       Ability to balance global standards with local market needs.

·       Strong management, communication, facilitation, and presentation skills.

·       Data-driven mindset and comfort using metrics to assess performance and guide decisions.

·       Experience with supplier development, business readiness, market access, buyer-supplier engagement, or certification growth preferred.

·       Strong commitment to women's economic empowerment and inclusive growth.

Key Success Measures

·       Improved consistency and quality of supplier programs and regional execution across markets.

·       Growth in women-owned business registrations and certifications supported through market engagement and outreach.

·       Increased buyer-supplier connections and market opportunities.

·       Improved women-owned business readiness, engagement, and satisfaction.

·       Stronger performance, coordination, and support for the success of Regional Directors.

·       Stronger alignment between regional execution, corporate buyer needs, and global strategy.

·       Improved use of data, metrics, and reporting to guide decisions.

·       Clearer storytelling and visibility of WEConnect International's global market impact.

The above job description is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of duties and standards of the position. 

WEConnect International is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All aspects of employment will be based on merit, competence, performance, and business needs. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law in the United States.