Director of IT Procurement

Position Title: Director of IT ProcurementLocation: Southeastern WisconsinPosition Summary:Our client is a privately held, family-owned distributor of business, industrial, and operational supplies, known across its industry for the speed, breadth, and reliability of its fulfillment operations. It is a multibillion-dollar organization with a large, geographically distributed workforce and a long-standing reputation as one of the most stable and respected employers in its region.The organization's technology team is substantial and largely in-house, building and supporting custom systems that run the business end-to-end — from warehouse management to e-commerce. As that technology footprint has grown, so has the complexity and scale of its vendor relationships and technology spend, creating the need for a dedicated procurement leader who can bring structure, strategy, and rigor to how the organization buys and manages hardware, software, SaaS, and cloud services.This is a newly created role reporting to a senior IT finance leader, with a dotted line to the CFO. The Director of IT Procurement will take ownership of vendor management — everything from six-figure agreements up to multi-million-dollar annual commitments — and will partner closely with technology and business leaders to negotiate favorable terms, manage risk, and ensure the organization is getting real, demonstrable value from its technology investments.Why this role?Build and shape a growth-stage procurement function inside a large, stable, and highly profitable organization — with real influence over how the company invests in technologyStep into a newly created leadership role with direct access to senior technology and finance executivesGenuine strategic ownership of key vendor relationships, not just tactical purchasing or contract administrationExceptional organizational stability, low turnover, and consistent reinvestment in technology and peopleMeaningful potential for the role and scope to expand as the procurement function maturesResponsibilities:Lead enterprise procurement strategy and vendor performance across hardware, software, SaaS, and cloud servicesOversee contract lifecycles, partnering with Legal, Finance, and Security teams to ensure coverage and protectionsProvide executive-level insights on technology spend, market trends, and vendor negotiations to inform strategic decisionsOwn vendor management for critical, high-spend relationships, negotiating favorable long-term terms and mitigating riskPartner proactively with business and technology leaders to get ahead of contract renewals and align vendor relationships with evolving organizational needsContinuously refine procurement processes and best practices, identifying improvements that support business goalsGuide and develop the IT procurement team, building a positive, high-performance cultureTranslate complex vendor and technology spend decisions into clear, business-friendly terms for executive and non-technical stakeholdersRequired Qualifications:Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, or a related field; MBA preferred10+ years of IT procurement experience, including IT contract negotiation5+ years of experience managing teams and large vendor portfoliosProven experience using procurement software and organizing procurement initiativesStrong negotiation and analytical skillsComfortable operating in a hands-on, in-office, fast-paced environment, with the credibility to negotiate directly rather than delegate through layers of staffExecutive presence and the ability to translate technical and vendor complexity into clear business value for senior, non-technical stakeholders