Job Description:

Director, Supply Chain & Procurement
Location: Houston, TX / Project Site as required | Reports To: VP, Manufacturing & Supply Chain | Contract-to-Hire

Position Summary

The Director, Supply Chain & Procurement will lead the development and execution of the company's supply chain and procurement strategy supporting the construction, commissioning, startup, and ongoing operation of its manufacturing facilities.

This leader will establish the processes, supplier relationships, commercial agreements, logistics networks, and material-management systems required to transition the organization from project execution into reliable, cost-effective plant operations. The role will work closely with Projects & Asset Management, Engineering, Manufacturing, Finance, and external EPC partners and suppliers.

Key Responsibilities

Procurement & Strategic Sourcing

• Develop and execute procurement and sourcing strategies for capital equipment, construction materials, services, operating supplies, raw materials, and critical spares.
• Lead supplier identification, qualification, competitive bidding, commercial negotiations, contracting, and purchase-order execution.
• Establish strategic supplier relationships and long-term supply agreements for critical materials and services.
• Partner with Engineering and Projects on technical bid evaluations, vendor selection, equipment procurement, and supplier performance.
• Establish procurement policies, approval processes, commercial terms, and supplier-management standards.
• Identify cost-reduction, value-engineering, and total-cost-of-ownership opportunities.

Construction & Project Support

• Support procurement and material requirements throughout engineering, construction, and commissioning.
• Coordinate with Projects and EPC partners to align purchasing activities with engineering deliverables and the project schedule.
• Monitor critical equipment and material lead times, supplier milestones, expediting requirements, and delivery risks.
• Manage supplier and logistics issues that could impact construction or commissioning schedules.
• Establish visibility and reporting for critical purchases, commitments, deliveries, and supply risks.

Commissioning & Operational Readiness

• Develop the supply chain infrastructure required for plant startup and commissioning.
• Ensure availability of commissioning materials, consumables, chemicals, spare parts, tools, and operating supplies.
• Establish initial inventory levels, critical-spares strategies, replenishment processes, and warehouse/material-control practices.
• Transition project procurement activities into sustainable operating procurement and supply-chain processes.

Operations Supply Chain

• Develop and manage the end-to-end supply chain supporting steady-state manufacturing operations.
• Establish sourcing strategies and supply agreements for raw materials, chemicals, consumables, packaging, MRO materials, and other operating requirements.
• Lead materials planning, inventory management, warehousing, and supplier performance management.
• Develop supply continuity and contingency strategies for critical materials and suppliers.
• Partner with Manufacturing and Maintenance & Reliability to optimize inventory while maintaining operational availability.

Logistics

• Develop and manage inbound and outbound logistics strategies supporting raw materials, operating materials, equipment, and finished products.
• Manage transportation providers, freight contracts, warehousing partners, and other logistics service providers.
• Optimize transportation modes, routes, inventory positioning, and total landed cost.
• Establish logistics processes capable of supporting international and domestic supply chains.

Systems, Controls & Performance

• Establish procurement and supply-chain processes, systems, KPIs, and reporting as the organization scales.
• Support implementation and utilization of ERP, purchasing, inventory, warehouse, and supplier-management systems.
• Develop metrics around cost, supplier performance, on-time delivery, inventory, working capital, material availability, and supply risk.
• Maintain appropriate commercial controls, documentation, approval authorities, and audit-ready procurement practices.

Leadership & Cross-Functional Responsibilities

• Build and develop the Supply Chain & Procurement organization as the company transitions from project development into operations.
• Serve as the primary interface between Manufacturing & Supply Chain and Projects for procurement, materials, supplier, and logistics requirements.
• Partner closely with Engineering, Construction, Commissioning, Manufacturing, Maintenance & Reliability, Quality, EHS, Finance, and Legal.
• Establish clear ownership and handoffs between project procurement and ongoing operational supply-chain activities.
• Develop a culture focused on safety, commercial discipline, supplier accountability, cost effectiveness, and operational reliability.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Engineering, Business, Operations, or related field; advanced degree or professional certification preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in procurement, supply chain, materials management, logistics, or related functions.
• Experience supporting capital projects, construction, commissioning, startup, and/or manufacturing operations.
• Strong experience sourcing engineered equipment, construction services, raw materials, chemicals, MRO, and industrial services.
• Demonstrated experience negotiating commercial agreements and managing strategic suppliers.
• Experience establishing or scaling procurement and supply-chain processes in a growing organization strongly preferred.
• Working knowledge of ERP, procurement, inventory, and materials-management systems.
• Experience in chemical processing, refining, minerals, energy, advanced manufacturing, or other capital-intensive industrial environments preferred.

Key Attributes

• Builder mentality with the ability to establish systems and processes in a growing organization.
• Strong commercial and contract-negotiation capabilities.
• Ability to balance project schedule requirements with cost, quality, risk, and long-term operational needs.
• Strong understanding of supply continuity, inventory strategy, logistics, and supplier risk.
• Comfortable operating across engineering, construction, commissioning, and manufacturing environments.
• Strong executive communication, supplier management, and cross-functional leadership skills.

Initial Priorities

• Establish the company's procurement and supply-chain operating model.
• Support critical equipment, construction, and commissioning procurement.
• Develop supplier and logistics strategies for plant startup.
• Establish operational sourcing agreements, critical-spares strategies, inventory requirements, and material-management processes.
• Build the systems, supplier base, and supply-chain organization required to transition successfully into commercial operations.

Pay rate: $95-115/hr. This is a contract-to-hire position (3 months to permanent), onsite in Houston, TX, with project-site travel as required. Candidates must be US Citizens or Green Card holders.

About Us

Peterson Technology Partners (PTP) is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to creating a transparent, inclusive, and human-centered hiring experience.

For more than 28 years, PTP has operated as one of the top IT staffing and recruiting firms in the USA—built on trust, long-term partnerships, and technical excellence.

Based in the Chicago suburb of Park Ridge, IL, our team of more than 500 employees and consultants is dedicated to:

• Helping every client make the best hiring decisions possible
• Matching professionals with the right IT jobs and career opportunities

As part of that commitment, we believe in providing clear information about how our hiring technologies work and how your data is used. The following section outlines our AI-assisted interview process and your rights as a candidate.

AI-Assisted Interview Experience (Pete & Gabi – Rebecca):

To provide a consistent, fair, and flexible experience for all candidates, we use AI-assisted tools to support parts of the interview process. This includes our proprietary AI platform Pete & Gabi, which includes AI recruiter Rebecca.

These AI hiring tools help us:

• Conduct recorded video interviews
• Transcribe interviews
• Summarize candidate responses
• Generate job-related insights
• Streamline communication and scheduling

Please note that:

• The AI does NOT make hiring decisions; all decisions are made by our human recruiters, hiring managers, or client partners.
• The AI does not evaluate facial expressions, emotions, or physical traits; it is used only to support fairness, consistency, and efficiency.

If you prefer a non-AI interview format, we will gladly provide an alternative.