Sr Director, Procurement

Description

The IRONMAN Group operates a global portfolio of events that includes the IRONMAN® Triathlon Series, the IRONMAN® 70.3® Triathlon Series, 5150™ Triathlon Series, the Rock ‘n’ Roll® Running Series, IRONKIDS®, World Triathlon Championship Series, Epic Series™ mountain bike races including the Absa Cape Epic®, road cycling events including UTMB®, and other multisport races.

The IRONMAN Group is the largest operator of mass participation sports in the world and provides more than a million participants annually with the benefits of endurance sports through the company’s vast offerings. Since the inception of the iconic IRONMAN® brand and its first event in 1978, athletes have proven that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE® by crossing finish lines around the world. Beginning as a single race, The IRONMAN Group has grown to become a global sensation with hundreds of events across 55+ countries. For more information about The IRONMAN Group visit: www.ironman.com. 

Position Summary:

We are seeking a dynamic and experienced Director or Senior Director of Procurement & Strategic Sourcing to lead and evolve our procurement function. Reporting directly to the CFO, this role will be responsible for designing and executing sourcing strategies that drive cost efficiencies, strengthen supplier relationships, and align with corporate financial and operational goals.

This individual will play a key role in enhancing procurement processes, implementing best practices, and delivering sustainable value through strategic supplier partnerships and contract negotiations. The ideal candidate has a proven track record in enterprise-wide sourcing, supplier management, and spend optimization in a fast-paced, growth-oriented environment.

Requirements

Key Responsibilities:

• Strategic Leadership
  • Develop and execute a forward-thinking procurement and sourcing strategy aligned with company goals and financial objectives.
  • Lead enterprise-wide procurement transformation initiatives, driving process efficiencies and cost optimization.
• Supplier & Contract Management
  • Establish and maintain strong supplier partnerships; lead contract negotiations to ensure favorable terms and risk mitigation.
  • Implement and oversee supplier performance management programs.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
  • Partner with Finance, Legal, Operations, Technology, and other key stakeholders to support business needs and strategic projects.
  • Serve as a trusted advisor to department heads on procurement strategy, spend visibility, and vendor selection.
• Operational Excellence
  • Influence stakeholders and teams to foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.
  • Implement systems and tools for spend analytics, sourcing automation, and procurement workflow optimization.
• Governance & Compliance
  • Ensure procurement practices comply with internal policies, regulatory requirements, and ethical standards.
  • Develop policies and training to promote strategic sourcing and purchasing discipline across the organization.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Finance, or related field; MBA or equivalent preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive procurement/sourcing experience, with at least 5 years working with Executive Leadership.
• Strong experience in strategic sourcing, contract negotiation, supplier management, and procurement operations.
• Demonstrated ability to lead transformation initiatives and manage complex, cross-functional projects.
• Familiarity with procurement systems (e.g., Coupa, SAP Ariba, Oracle, etc.) and analytics tools.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and influencing skills.
• Experience reporting into or working closely with C-level executives, ideally within a finance-led organization.

Preferred Experience:

• Industry experience in Events 
• Experience managing global or distributed supplier networks.
• Knowledge of ESG/sustainability sourcing practices a plus.

The above declarations are not intended to be an “all inclusive” list of duties and responsibilities of the job described, nor are they intended to be such a listing of the skills and abilities required to do the job. Rather, they are intended only to describe the general nature of the job and are a reasonable representation of its activities.

We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, gender identity, marital or veteran status, or any other protected class.