Head of Innovation Strategy & Design

Our client is a global leader in the design, engineering, and manufacturing of highly engineered flow control and fluidics solutions, serving industries such as energy, water/wastewater, chemical processing, life sciences, and industrial manufacturing. With a strong reputation for innovation and product quality, the organization operates manufacturing and distribution facilities across multiple regions and continues to grow through both organic expansion and strategic acquisitions.

Position Summary The Director of Strategic Sourcing will lead the strategic sourcing and procurement function for a growing engineered products business, developing and executing category strategies that drive cost savings, supply resilience, and supplier performance across direct materials, components, and services. This is a highly visible leadership role, partnering closely with Operations, Engineering, Finance, and Business Unit leadership to align sourcing strategy with business growth objectives.

The ideal candidate brings deep experience in strategic sourcing within a manufacturing or industrial products environment, strong negotiation and supplier management skills, and a track record of building and leading high-performing sourcing teams.

Key Responsibilities Strategic Sourcing Leadership Develop and execute multi-year category strategies for direct materials (e.g., castings, machined components, electronics, raw materials) and indirect categories.

Lead cross-functional sourcing initiatives that balance cost, quality, supply risk, and speed to market.

Build and maintain strategic relationships with key suppliers, including regular business reviews and performance scorecards.

Identify and mitigate supply chain risks, including single‑source exposure, geopolitical risk, and capacity constraints.

Negotiate complex contracts and commercial terms, ensuring favorable terms while managing risk exposure.

Team Leadership & Cross-Functional Partnership Build, mentor, and lead a team of sourcing/category managers and buyers.

Serve as a key advisor to Business Unit and Operations leadership on sourcing strategy and market dynamics.

Present sourcing performance, savings, and risk updates to executive leadership on a regular cadence.

Process & Continuous Improvement Establish and mature sourcing processes, tools, and governance (RFx processes, contract management, spend analytics).

Drive continuous improvement in sourcing systems and reporting to improve visibility into spend and supplier performance.

Ensure compliance with company policies and relevant regulatory/quality standards across the supply base.

Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Engineering, or related field (MBA preferred).

10+ years of progressive experience in strategic sourcing/procurement within a manufacturing, industrial products, or engineered products environment.

5+ years of people leadership experience, including building and developing sourcing/category management teams.

Strong background in direct materials sourcing (metals, castings, machined/fabricated components, electronics, or similar).

Experience with should‑cost modeling, TCO analysis, and value engineering.

SAP, Oracle, Coupa, or similar).

Advanced Excel skills and strong analytical/data-driven approach to decision‑making.

Experience in a multi‑site or multi‑business‑unit manufacturing environment strongly preferred.

Willingness to travel as needed to supplier and manufacturing sites (approximately 20-30%).