Director Global Procurement

Career Area:
Procurement

Job Description:

Your Work Shapes the World at Caterpillar Inc.

When you join Caterpillar, you're joining a global team who cares not just about the work we do – but also about each other. We are the makers, problem solvers, and future world builders who are creating stronger, more sustainable communities. We don't just talk about progress and innovation here – we make it happen, with our customers, where we work and live. Together, we are building a better world, so we can all enjoy living in it.

The Director, Global Procurement, will provide leadership to a diverse team of Category Managers and Indirect Site Advisors (site buyers) who support manufacturing facilities and other business operations. The role is accountable for connecting enterprise category strategies with site-level requirements, improving supplier performance, managing procurement risk, and delivering sustainable value through a high-performing supply network. The position establishes priorities, operating standards, and performance expectations across both category and site procurement activities.

What You Will Do:

- Leads, develops, and manages a geographically dispersed team of category managers and Indirect Site Advisors supporting manufacturing locations across the Americas.
- Develops and implements regional and enterprise procurement strategies for assigned indirect goods and services.
- Ensures enterprise category strategies are effectively translated into actionable sourcing, supplier management, and service-delivery plans at manufacturing locations.
- Establishes clear roles, priorities, governance, and operating rhythms across category management and site procurement activities.
- Partners with manufacturing, facilities, engineering, operations, finance, legal, and other business stakeholders to understand requirements and align procurement priorities with operational needs.
- Builds effective relationships with site leadership and serves as a senior procurement escalation point for critical supplier, commercial, service, or continuity issues.
- Identifies gaps in supplier, category, and site procurement performance and leads the development and implementation of corrective action and improvement plans.
- Establishes category and regional priorities based on business value, operational risk, supply continuity, stakeholder requirements, and market opportunities.
- Leads strategic sourcing, negotiation, contracting, and supplier relationship management for complex, high-value, or high-risk goods and services.
- Owns executive-level relationships with strategic suppliers and ensures appropriate governance, performance management, risk mitigation, and continuous improvement.
- Drives procurement compliance, including adherence to enterprise policies, delegated authorities, sourcing requirements, contractual standards, and applicable internal and external requirements.
- Monitors external market conditions, supplier capabilities, inflationary pressures, emerging technologies, regulatory developments, and geopolitical risks that may affect the supply network.
- Develops and monitors performance measures across category and site procurement activities, including value delivery, stakeholder service, supplier performance, compliance, sourcing execution, risk reduction, and operational continuity.
- Builds organizational capability through coaching, talent development, succession planning, and the consistent application of category management and site procurement practices.
- Promotes collaboration and knowledge sharing across countries, categories, manufacturing locations, and other regional or global procurement teams.
- Leads procurement transformation and continuous-improvement initiatives, including the adoption of digital tools, data analytics, standardized processes, and new ways of working.

What You Have:

Strategic Procurement & Category Management: Knowledge of strategic sourcing, category management, and procurement methodologies; ability to develop and execute enterprise and regional procurement strategies that deliver sustainable business value.

- Develops and executes category strategies aligned with enterprise objectives and manufacturing requirements.
- Evaluates market conditions, supplier capabilities, cost drivers, business demand, and emerging opportunities to inform procurement strategies.
- Establishes sourcing priorities, governance, and performance expectations across assigned categories.
- Leads complex sourcing initiatives, negotiations, and contracting strategies to optimize total cost, service, quality, and value.

Ensures category strategies translate into measurable results at the regional and site levels.

Organizational Leadership & Talent Development: Knowledge of organizational leadership principles; ability to lead, develop, and inspire geographically dispersed teams while establishing accountability and driving organizational effectiveness.

- Leads and develops a diverse team of Category Managers and Indirect Site Advisors across multiple locations.
- Establishes organizational priorities, operating standards, roles, and performance expectations.
- Builds organizational capability through coaching, performance management, succession planning, and talent development.
- Fosters collaboration, accountability, and consistency across category and site procurement teams.
- Leads effectively through organizational change, competing priorities, and business challenges.

Supplier Relationship & Performance Management: Knowledge of supplier relationship management practices and methodologies; ability to establish strategic supplier partnerships, optimize performance, and mitigate supplier-related risks.

- Establishes supplier governance and performance-management practices across assigned categories and manufacturing locations.
- Manages executive-level relationships with strategic suppliers.
- Monitors supplier performance, capabilities, service delivery, commercial value, and operational continuity.Leads resolution of complex supplier performance, capacity, commercial, and service-related issues.Identifies opportunities to improve supplier relationships, performance, innovation, and long-term value.

Site Procurement & Stakeholder Management: Knowledge of site procurement practices and manufacturing operations; ability to align enterprise procurement strategies with local business requirements and operational priorities.

- Establishes consistent procurement standards and operating practices across manufacturing locations.
- Builds strong partnerships with manufacturing, facilities, engineering, operations, finance, and other business stakeholders.
- Balances enterprise procurement strategies with site-specific operational requirements.
- Serves as a senior escalation point for critical supplier, commercial, and service delivery issues.
- Drives stakeholder alignment, procurement responsiveness, and continuous improvement across site operations.

Strategic Planning & Business Intelligence: Knowledge of strategic planning, business intelligence, and performance management principles; ability to use data, market insights, and business trends to establish priorities and drive informed decisions.