Director, Procurement

Director, Procurement

Location:

Salt Lake City, UT or San Francisco, CA – Hybrid |

Reports to:

VP, VMO & Procurement

Rakuten International is seeking a Director, Procurement to lead and elevate our procurement and vendor management capabilities. Sitting at the intersection of strategic sourcing, commercial execution, governance, and operational excellence, this role drives value across the full supplier lifecycle — from sourcing and contracting through renewals, data stewardship, and supplier engagement. The right candidate brings a builder's mindset: someone who owns outcomes, operates with accountability and transparency, and actively champions the adoption of automation and AI where they create real, measurable business value.

This is not a policy‑enforcement role. It requires sound judgment, trusted relationships, and a relentless focus on results. This role also requires the ability to challenge assumptions, evaluate business rationale, and help ensure supplier investments remain aligned with organizational priorities and expected outcomes.

Procurement & Vendor Lifecycle Management

• Lead competitive sourcing, supplier evaluations, commercial negotiations, and contract execution across multiple spend categories.
• Own renewal planning and actively drive contractual obligation management — ensuring informed, value‑driven decisions ahead of key milestones.
• Evaluate purchasing and renewal decisions against business requirements, utilization, strategic alignment, and expected ROI.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to business stakeholders, balancing cost, risk, and quality with a clear bias toward business outcomes.
• Identify and capture opportunities to improve commercial terms, reduce unnecessary spend, and maximize supplier value.

Data, Governance & Operational Integrity

• Improve the quality, completeness, and accessibility of supplier, contract, and spend data to support smarter decisions.
• Support supplier governance — onboarding, documentation, lifecycle management, and ESG‑related reporting requirements.
• Partner with Internal Audit, Finance, and Legal to maintain procurement controls, process documentation, and audit‑ready records.
• Prepare and continuously improve executive and governance reporting: QBRs, Risk Compliance Committee presentations, and business reviews.

Modernization & Strategic AI/Automation

• Proactively identify and advance automation and AI opportunities that drive practical, scalable improvements across the procurement lifecycle.
• Champion process modernization with a disciplined approach: pilot, measure, and scale initiatives that demonstrate clear business value.
• Contribute to the organization’s long‑term procurement technology and capability roadmap.

Global Partnership & Alignment

• Collaborate with Rakuten Group headquarters and regional stakeholders to align on policies, standards, and global procurement priorities.

• Experience leading procurement transformation, automation, or AI‑driven process improvement initiatives.
• Background in governance, ESG, risk management, or control frameworks.
• Experience operating within globally governed or matrixed organizations.

• Ownership & Accountability:
  Takes full ownership of outcomes — not just activities. Stays actively engaged in the details, drives follow‑through, and holds them and others to high standards.
• Strategic & AI Mindset:
  Sees beyond the transaction. Connects procurement decisions to business strategy and actively seeks ways to leverage technology, automation, and AI to scale impact.
• Intellectual Honesty:
  Provides balanced, evidence‑based assessments. Comfortable surfacing problems, challenging assumptions, and delivering difficult messages with clarity and respect.
• Credibility Through Execution:
  Earns trust by doing the work — not just directing it. Maintains direct awareness of contracts, renewals, and operational priorities rather than managing solely through delegation.
• Collaborative Influence:
  Builds trusted relationships across business functions. Leads through partnership, not authority, while maintaining clear standards and sound judgment.

• 10+ years of…