What you'll do:
- Own and lead the enterprise indirect procurement strategy, aligning category roadmaps with business priorities and long-term growth plans
- Provide executive oversight for complex, high-value sourcing initiatives across all indirect spend categories
- Establish and govern category strategies, including demand management, supplier consolidation, and innovation partnerships
- Sponsor and oversee RFx processes (RFI, RFP, RFQ) for mission-critical goods and services
- Lead or approve negotiations for major contracts, including pricing models, SLAs, risk allocation, and long-term agreements
- Drive enterprise-level cost savings, cost avoidance, and value realization initiatives
- Set the strategic framework for supplier relationship management, performance management, and risk mitigation
- Build and maintain executive-level relationships with key strategic suppliers
- Partner with Legal and Compliance to oversee contract standards, negotiation strategy, and approval authority
- Ensure governance over contract lifecycle management, renewals, and commercial obligations
- Resolve escalated supplier issues and lead remediation or exit strategies as needed
- Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leaders and executives across the organization
- Translate business strategy into procurement-led solutions that balance cost, risk, speed, and innovation
- Influence stakeholders on sourcing decisions, demand planning, and total cost of ownership considerations
- Champion procurement best practices, governance, and policy adherence at the leadership level
- Provide leadership and direction to indirect procurement teams, including coaching, performance management, and capability development
- Establish scalable procurement operating models, policies, and approval frameworks
- Oversee procurement execution, including requisitions, purchase orders, vendor onboarding, and invoice resolution
- Ensure robust documentation, audit readiness, and process discipline across procurement operations
- Ensure enterprise compliance with procurement policies, approval authorities, and internal controls
- Provide oversight for SOX, FAR/DFARS, cybersecurity, and regulatory compliance as applicable
- Lead supplier risk management efforts, including financial, operational, cybersecurity, and regulatory risk
- Promote ethical sourcing, sustainability, and supplier diversity initiatives aligned with corporate values
- Define and monitor KPIs for spend visibility, savings, supplier performance, and risk
- Present procurement performance and insights to executive leadership
- Sponsor enhancements to procurement systems and tools (ERP, P2P, contract lifecycle management)
- Lead continuous improvement, automation, and digital transformation initiatives across procurement
- Contribute to enterprise governance, policy development, and long-range procurement planning
Required qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, Finance, or a related field (MBA or advanced degree preferred)
- 10+ years of progressive experience in indirect procurement, strategic sourcing, or supply chain leadership
- Demonstrated experience leading enterprise-level indirect spend categories (IT, software, professional services, facilities, etc.)
- Proven track record of developing and executing procurement strategies at scale
- Executive-level negotiation and contract management expertise
- Strong understanding of procurement governance, compliance, and risk management frameworks
- Experience with ERP and P2P platforms (SAP, Oracle, Workday, Coupa, Ariba, or similar)
- Advanced financial acumen, data analysis, and spend analytics capabilities
- Exceptional communication, executive presence, and stakeholder influence skills
- Demonstrated people leadership and organizational change management experience
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, Finance, or a related field
- MBA or advanced degree
- 10+ years of progressive experience in indirect procurement, strategic sourcing, or supply chain leadership
- Demonstrated experience leading enterprise-level indirect spend categories (IT, software, professional services, facilities, etc.)
- Proven track record of developing and executing procurement strategies at scale
- Executive-level negotiation and contract management expertise
- Strong understanding of procurement governance, compliance, and risk management frameworks
- Experience with ERP and P2P platforms (SAP, Oracle, Workday, Coupa, Ariba, or similar)
- Advanced financial acumen, data analysis, and spend analytics capabilities
- Exceptional communication, executive presence, and stakeholder influence skills
- Demonstrated people leadership and organizational change management experience
Shield AI Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Healthcare Strength — Company materials describe excellent medical, dental, and vision coverage alongside a mental‑health EAP. Site perks such as an onsite gym in DC and a gym discount in San Diego support a health‑focused offering.
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Retirement Support — Careers materials highlight a 401(k) with company match as part of the standard package. A Total Rewards overview emphasizes retirement features within a broader, transparent compensation view.
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Career-Linked Recognition & Rewards — Compensation for in‑demand technical and senior go‑to‑market roles is described as competitive, with visible engineering ranges and top‑end packages. This points to meaningful upside tied to role, level, and scarce skills.
Shield AI Insights
What We Do
Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed deep-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include the V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, Hivemind Enterprise, and the Hivemind Vision product lines. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide.
Why Work With Us
What makes Shield AI special is our people. We unlock the power of autonomy, and in the face of overwhelming odds and challenges, we find ways to win and make a difference for our customers. We bring together software, AI, and aerospace engineering disciplines to deploy the most intelligent aviation capabilities in the world.
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Shield AI Offices
Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.