Director, Strategic Sourcing - Technology

* Act as a strategic thought-partner to DTE leadership, influencing demand, solution design, and sourcing approaches to maximize enterprise outcomes.
* Partner with stakeholders to reframe requirements from specifications to outcomes, enabling more innovative and flexible supplier solutions.
* Support make-versus-buy and build-versus-partner decisions in the context of long-term transformation goals.
* Ensure procurement is embedded in key transformation programs, investment decisions, and governance forums.
* Lead, develop, and elevate a team of sourcing professionals to operate as strategic advisors and category leaders, setting clear expectations for performance, accountability, and impact aligned to the DTE transformation agenda.
* Define and drive capability development priorities across the team, including advanced commercial acumen, technology domain expertise (cloud, data, AI/ML, engineering), and executive stakeholder engagement, ensuring the team can effectively support complex, transformation-oriented initiatives.
* Establish clear prioritization frameworks and resource allocation models to focus team efforts on the highest-value transformation-critical initiatives, balancing speed, capacity, and business impact across a dynamic portfolio of work.
* Implement scalable tools, playbooks, and standardized ways of working that enable consistent, high-quality category management and sourcing execution across DTE, while allowing flexibility for strategic, partnership-driven engagements.
* Actively coach and mentor team members, providing hand-on guidance in strategy development, deal structuring, and stakeholder management to accelerate individual growth and elevate overall team performance.
* Foster a high-performance culture grounded in innovation, agility, and continuous learning, embedding data-driven decision making, knowledge sharing, and continuous improvement as core ways of working.
* 10+ years of progressive experience in procurement, supply chain, or technology-enablement roles, with at least 5 years in leadership.
* Deep expertise in developing and leading multi-year, global category strategies across complex spend areas, with the ability to integrate market intelligence, supplier capabilities, and business priorities into actionable strategies that drive enterprise value.
* Demonstrated ability to operate as a trusted advisor to senior stakeholders (e.g., CIO, CTO, SVP-level leaders), shaping business strategies, influencing demand, and aligning sourcing approaches to transformation objectives.
* Expertise in structuring and negotiating complex, enterprise-level agreements, including software, cloud, and services-based models; ability to design innovative, value-based commercial approaches aligned to business outcomes.
* Proven ability to design and manage strategic supplier ecosystems, including development of high-impact partnerships, executive governance models, and performance management frameworks that drive innovation and accountability.
* Experience enabling enterprise transformation initiatives through sourcing, including supporting new operating models, digital capabilities, and scalable external partnerships; ability to balance innovation, speed, and risk.
* Strong understanding of technology sourcing categories, including enterprise software, cloud platforms, data and analytics, and engineering services, as well as underlying commercial constructs and cost drivers.
* Advanced analytical capabilities, including the ability to leverage data, benchmarking, and market intelligence to inform strategies, quantify value, and support executive decision-making.
* Strong knowledge of Source-to-Pay (S2P) processes, procurement technologies, and digital tools, with the ability to leverage these capabilities to enhance sourcing effectiveness and transparency.
* Strong understanding of contracting principles, risk management frameworks, and regulatory considerations.
* Proven ability to lead, coach, and develop high-performing teams, while establishing clear priorities, accountability, and a culture of continuous improvement and strategic thinking.
* Expert communication skills, with the ability to clearly articulate complex ideas, influence senior stakeholders, and lead cross-functional alignment in a global, matrixed environment.
* Ability to lead cross-functional, enterprise-wide initiatives, manage competing priorities, and drive change in a dynamic, transformation-oriented environment.

The range provided is based on what we believe is a reasonable estimate for the base salary pay range for this job at the time of posting. This role is eligible for an annual bonus and annual equity awards. Some roles may also be eligible for overtime pay, in accordance with federal and state requirements. Actual base salary pay will be based on a number of factors, including skills, competencies, experience, and other job-related factors permitted by law.

At Vertex, our Total Rewards offerings also include inclusive…