Senior Director of Procurement

COMPANY:
A sports and entertainment company located in the Southeast US.

REPORTS/RELATIONSHIPS:
This position will report directly to the Chief Financial Officer.

BASIC FUNCTIONS:
The Senior Director of Procurement is a new role residing in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer. This position is a significant contributor to the organizational value by designing, building, leading, and establishing the procurement function with a strong set of fundamental capabilities, influencing the organization’s businesses by showcasing how strategic procurement and contracting can unlock new enterprise value and embrace innovation to drive digital transformation.

Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer and working in lock‑step with the Vice President of Sponsorships, this role ensures that every dollar spent delivers maximum value, mitigates risk, and strengthens the organization’s commercial partnerships.

Specific duties will include, but not necessarily be limited to:

Develop and execute multiyear category sourcing strategies for core spend areas, including travel, equipment, concessions and food and beverage, facility operations, information technology, marketing services, and capital projects.
Serve as the organization’s procurement subject matter expert, providing leadership on process design, policies, controls, and technology — including the rollout of e‑Procurement and contract‑lifecycle‑management platforms.
Create and report performance metrics (e.g., cost savings, cost avoidance, supplier performance, cycle‑time, supplier diversity) to Finance and executive leadership; implement continuous‑improvement projects to close gaps.
Negotiate complex, multiyear, multi‑million‑dollar agreements with domestic and international suppliers, balancing total cost of ownership with service quality, sustainability, and risk considerations.
Partner with the Vice President of Sponsorships to structure supplier agreements that drive incremental sponsorship revenue, in‑kind value, or activations without compromising procurement integrity.
Own the organization’s responsible‑sourcing framework, ensuring that all suppliers meet ethical, safety, environmental, and diversity standards consistent with company policies and local regulations.
Act as primary liaison between internal stakeholders (Finance, Operations, Legal, Marketing, etc.) and suppliers, resolving commercial issues and fostering collaborative relationships.
Champion digital transformation, including data analytics, spend visibility tools, and market intelligence to identify opportunities for innovation and value creation.

REQUIREMENTS:

10+ years of progressive strategic sourcing/procurement leadership with at least five years managing teams; experience in sports, entertainment, hospitality, consumer goods, or related high‑profile, fast‑paced environments strongly preferred.
Demonstrated success leading complex, cross‑functional negotiations and implementing category strategies yielding measurable financial benefits.
Working knowledge of sponsorship or partnership marketing and ability to balance commercial partnership objectives with procurement best practice.
Expertise in e‑Procurement, contract‑lifecycle‑management, and spend‑analytics tools; experience standing up such systems is a plus.
Strong analytical, financial‑modeling, and presentation skills; able to translate data into actionable insights and executive‑level narratives.
A collaborative, influential leader and coach who can motivate high‑performing teams and persuade senior stakeholders.
Passion for sports and live entertainment; able to thrive in event‑driven schedules, including occasional evenings or weekends.
Visionary, yet pragmatic builder who balances innovation with disciplined execution.
High integrity with unwavering commitment to ethical sourcing and compliance standards.
Data‑driven decision-maker with strong business acumen and sound judgment under pressure.
Excellent communicator, comfortable engaging C‑suite executives, suppliers, and venue staff.
Ambitious and energetic; eager to turn procurement and sourcing into a strategic value-driver for the organization.
Physical requirements: sitting at a desk and computer for long periods of time; bending, standing, reaching, kneeling, and lifting technology equipment and office materials; walking throughout the facility, sometimes for an extended period of time.
Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, business, finance, or a related field; MBA or equivalent advanced degree is preferred.

COMPENSATION:
Compensation will be commensurate with experience including a competitive salary, bonus opportunity, and competitive benefits package.

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Gregory Lynn Tennent
gltennent@CLCBsearch.com
704.377.0362