Who We’re Looking for

S/he will have a high-visibility role significantly impacting operational efficiency and internal customer/stakeholder success, as well as Airbnb bottom line and profitability.  S/he will partner closely with internal stakeholders to develop area plans and operating priorities across Marketing and Professional Services categories of expenditure ensuring alignment to stakeholders business needs while delivering major cost and/or value improvements for Airbnb. 

S/he should also have demonstrated experience in building trust and credibility with both internal and external stakeholders; a solid understanding of business strategies and priorities with an ability to connect business strategies into relevant categories strategies. S/he should be a passionate, thoughtful and clear communicator, and be able to articulate Marketing and Professional Services (including contingent workforce program) category strategies to the team and internal departmental stakeholders. It is a bonus to have worked in a startup or other high growth, fast paced company. 

Responsibilities

S/he is responsible for strategic sourcing and relationship management efforts for at least one of these categories: Marketing, Contingent Workforce, Professional Services.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to planning and executing:

• Opportunity Assessment: Deep experience collecting, aggregating, and cleansing disparate sources of data and subsequently analyzing it to draw meaningful conclusions and compelling business opportunities within the Marketing, Contingent Workforce, Professional Services, IT Software, and Information Security. 
• Strategic Sourcing: Anticipates and leads solution development for complex multi-dimensional business; applies critical thinking to recommend category strategies that mitigate risk and propel growth given resource requirements.
• Supplier Relationship Management: Influences domestic and international vendors/suppliers and defines criteria for assessment of supplier performance and capability; collaborates with business to ensure delivery of cost, quality, service, diversity and innovation demanded by company and its users; ensures supplier risk program is in place for key products/services.
• Negotiation and contract development: Undertakes complex contractual and business negotiations at an executive level with major suppliers, leads project teams through the bidding, supplier selection process, resolves most negotiated contractual terms and is fully familiar with standard commercial terms; implements performance guarantee contracts to minimize Airbnb’s risk and increase supplier accountability for non-performance; achieves cost control, cost reduction and cost containment targets for designated categories of expenditure through a strong total cost orientation; identifies requirements, defines specifications, prepares and solicits competitive bids and requests for proposals (RFP) for services and materials; works in partnership with relevant departments for finalization.

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications:

• Degree or advanced degree in finance, supply chain or related fields.
• 5-10+ years Procurement or equivalent Industry or Subject Matter experience. Preferably in “indirect” spend categories for at least one of these categories: marketing, contingent workforce, professional services, IT Software, Information Security, and managing spend in excess of $500M per year.
• Excellent project management skills and ability to solve complex problems; to take a new perspective on existing solutions; to exercise judgement based on the analysis of multiple sources of information and structures key trade-off decisions.
• An empathetic team member who acts as a resource for colleagues with less experience.
• Guided by a personal integrity that reflects Airbnb’s core values and commitment to our stakeholders.
• Demonstrated track record of success in negotiation planning and execution, including RFP development & delivery. 
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and presentation skills. 

Preferred Qualifications:

Our expectation of procurement discipline execution is traditional, our approach is not. We focus on the how – how you do anything is you do everything. We encourage you to: 

• Think big: Think broadly for the company, build comprehensive commercials solutions. 
• Lead it: Step forward to address difficult issues and in doing so lead courageously, putting self on the line to deal with important problems, standing firm when necessary for the good of the company. 
• Own it: take ownership and drive for results while exemplifying a positive attitude. 
• Solve it: apply critical thinking to simplify complex problems. 
• Get it done: be proactive, bias for action, and solution focused. 
• Have fun!