Director, Global Procurement Operations (Columbia, MD, US, 21044)

Job Description

The Director, Global Procurement Operations sets the enterprise vision and leads end to end (E2E) execution of Grace’s Source to Pay (S2P) and Supplier Lifecycle Management capabilities overseeing ~$2B in spend. The role drives global process design, governance, digital enablement, and operational excellence. It’s accountable for defining and delivering procurement technology strategy, including Ariba, and ensures scalable, compliant, value creating processes from supplier onboarding through payment, performance, and risk. The role encompasses the role of Global Process Owner (GPO), designing and governing standardized process frameworks, including operating models, KPIs, and continuous improvement mechanisms. With functional leadership of a 40+ person global team, the Director partners closely with Strategic Sourcing, Manufacturing, Finance, IT, Quality, Risk, and business leaders to deliver efficiency, savings, service excellence, and cash flow impact

Responsibilities (1 of 2)

Enterprise Leadership & Governance

• Model Grace’s safety-first culture and lead with accident free workplace accountability
• Serve as Global Process Owner for S2P, setting enterprise standards, policies, and controls
• Ensure tight integration of S2P with planning, manufacturing, finance, quality, and enterprise risk
• Align procurement operations with enterprise strategy and priorities in partnership with leadership

Source to Pay Digitalization & Transformation

• Own and execute the global S2P digital roadmap, driving automation, standardization, and scale
• Lead optimization and continuous improvement of Ariba/SAP and connected procurement technologies
• Deliver step change improvements in cycle time, productivity, user experience, and data transparency
• Leverage analytics and BI to manage supplier performance, risk, and value realization

Responsibilities (2 of 2)

Global Process Ownership (GPO) Leadership and Expertise

• Drive clear accountability for vision, design, governance, and performance across regions and businesses for complex, E2E enterprise processes
• Define global standards, policies, controls, and decision rights while balancing enterprise consistency with regional and business needs.
• Drive alignment across adjacent processes and functions (e.g., Finance, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, IT, EHS), ensuring seamless integration and elimination of handoffs, duplication, and inefficiencies.

Procurement Operations & Supplier Performance

• Sets strategic objectives for global procurement operations to support sourcing strategies that deliver high service to manufacturing and functional stakeholders
• Enforce supplier performance management across quality, delivery, cost, risk, and service
• Rapidly escalate and resolve critical supplier issues with a solutions-oriented approach
• Govern supplier onboarding, lifecycle performance, and risk to protect supply continuity and total cost

People Leadership & Change Management

• Provide visible leadership to a diverse, global organization
• Collaborate with Global Business Services (GBS) leadership to ensure talent development, performance management, and succession planning
• Lead change management for global process and system transformations

Required Qualifications

• Executive-level presence and proven ability to influence cross functional leaders and drive change
• Strong commercial and relationship management skills; builds trusted, collaborative partnerships
• Action oriented, results-driven leader with a track record of delivering outcomes through teams
• Deep expertise in global S2P, including process design, governance, controls, and digital enablement
• Demonstrated change-leadership in driving digital adoption across regions and functions, including stakeholder engagement, training strategies, communication, and continuous improvement.
• Deep experience as a GPO designing and governing standardized process frameworks, including ownership of processes, operating models, KPIs, and continuous improvement mechanisms.
• Strong business and financial acumen, including supplier financial health and total cost management
• Advanced analytical capability: leverages data to drive decisions and improve E2Eperformance
• Clear, compelling communicator effective across regions, cultures, and senior audiences
• Proven program, project, and change leader managing multiple strategic initiatives
• Hands-on experience implementing enterprise procurement platforms and analytics tools
• 5+ years of effective leadership and collaboration with global operations in GBS environments.
• Demonstrated success leading large-scale S2P processes and procurement digitalization initiatives.
• Deep experience working directly with suppliers to balance commercial needs, risk, and total cost while building collaborative partnerships.
• Proven leadership of large, complex programs and high-performance global teams
• Ability to travel up to 25%

• #LI -TC1  

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required (Science, Engineering, Supply Chain, or Business preferred).
• MBA and/or professional certifications (e.g., CPSM, CIPS, CSCP) are highly preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in strategic sourcing, procurement, or supply chain within a global, world-class manufacturing environment (chemical or materials industry preferred

Benefits

• Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance
• Life Insurance and Disability
• Grace Wellness Program
• Flexible Workplace
• Retirement Plans 
• 401(k) Company Match 
• Paid Vacation and Holidays
• Parental Leave (salaried only)
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Company Donation Match Program