Director - Strategic Sourcing

Organizations everywhere struggle under the crushing costs and complexities of “solutions” that promise to simplify their lives. To create a better experience for their customers and employees. To help them grow. Software is a choice that can make or break a business. Create better or worse experiences. Propel or throttle growth. Business software has become a blocker instead of ways to get work done.

There’s another option. Freshworks. With a fresh vision for how the world works.

At Freshworks, we build uncomplicated service software that delivers exceptional customer and employee experiences. Our enterprise-grade solutions are powerful, yet easy to use, and quick to deliver results. Our people-first approach to AI eliminates friction, making employees more effective and organizations more productive. Over 72,000 companies, including Bridgestone, New Balance, Nucor, S&P Global, and Sony Music, trust Freshworks’ customer experience (CX) and employee experience (EX) software to fuel customer loyalty and service efficiency. And, over 4,500 Freshworks employees make this possible, all around the world.

Fresh vision. Real impact. Come build it with us.

Job Description

Freshworks is looking for an experienced and driven Head of Strategic Sourcing to lead a global

team of Strategic Sourcing Managers. This person will manage the entire category portfolio,

responsible for developing and managing global category strategies and understanding the

business/company requirements to maximize value. This person will lead a team professionals

responsible for the end-to-end execution of Sourcing processes in addition to developing

sourcing strategies that align with the business. He/She should have deep sourcing and vendor

management experience, be able to operate at all levels of the organization and move

seamlessly from tactical to strategic. Additionally, he/she must be a proven leader with a keen

eye for detail, be able to provide insights based on market conditions and trends, investigate

innovative methods, optimize value from goods and service providers, improve the decision-

making process, guide/develop their team, and ensure the process is executed in alignment

with policy.

Responsibilities:

• Develop a team structure that supports execution of Sourcing strategies focused on the organization strategy, business strategies and balance of cost / value spending.
• Lead and mentor a team of Sourcing Managers, providing guidance, support, and performance feedback
• Foster a collaborative and high-performing team environment, promoting teamwork and knowledge sharing
• Delegate tasks effectively, monitor progress, and ensure team members meet performance expectations (Individual Contribution Goals and SLAs)
• Identify training and development needs for team members and facilitate their professional growth
• Contribute to the recruitment and onboarding of new team members.
• Understand internal procurement processes to provide guidance to team and stakeholders.
• Maintain alignment with internal cross functional stakeholders on key processes required for successful project execution.
• Manage most critical and strategic supplier relationships and negotiations.
• Have a deep understanding of sourcing and supplier management to mentor and provide strategic direction to the team.

Critical Skills:

• Sourcing and Procurement: ability to identify, evaluate, and acquire goods or services from external sources in a cost-effective and efficient manner, involving understanding market trends, supplier performance, supply chain management, negotiation tactics, contracts, and quality assurance
• Leadership: Demonstrated ability to lead, motivate, and develop a team of procurement professionals
• Sourcing Strategies: the implementation of methods to manage procurement processes effectively, involves understanding the supply market/market analysis, cost modeling/assessing total cost of ownership, performance monitoring, risk management, and negotiation tactics
• Relationship Building: ability to establish and nurture strong connections with cross-functional teams and stakeholders to collaborate effectively by understanding interpersonal dynamics, effective communication strategies, empathy, and the ability to manage conflicts or disagreements
• Results-Oriented: ability to focus on the desired outcome of a project or task, while setting clear goals and prioritizing tasks to achieve the desired outcome and consistently
• Business Strategies: ability to develop, communicate, and implement comprehensive plans of action to achieve long-term goals and objectives, understanding market trends, stakeholder analysis, financial planning, risk management, applying strategic thinking to make strategic decisions based on these factors
• Strategic Planning: ability to envision a desired future, translate this vision into broadly defined goals or objectives and a sequence of steps to achieve them, involving understanding the mission, vision, and values, conducting SWOT analysis, setting strategic goals, developing plans to achieve those goals, and measuring progress

Qualifications

• ​​​​Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, or a related field
• 15+ years of experience in procurement or sourcing, with at least 8 years in a leadership
• role
• Proven track record of successfully managing and developing a team.
• Proficiency in procurement systems and tools
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Additional Information

We're committed to building a workplace that reflects the diverse world we serve. At Freshworks, you'll find inclusive teams, flexible thinking, and opportunities to grow your career - while making work better for millions.

If this sounds like a journey you want to be part of, we'd love to meet you. Let's building something refreshing together.

The annual base salary range for this position is $220,000 - $2880,000 Base Salary. This role is also eligible for variable compensation.

Compensation is based on a variety of factors including but not limited to location, experience, job-related skills, and level. Bonus/equity may be available.

At Freshworks, we have fostered an environment that enables everyone to find their true potential, purpose, and passion, welcoming colleagues of all backgrounds, genders, sexual orientations, religions, and ethnicities. We are committed to providing equal opportunity and believe that diversity in the workplace creates a more vibrant, richer environment that boosts the goals of our employees, communities, and business. Fresh vision. Real impact. Come build it with us.