Director of Procurement

Job Title: Director of Procurement

Posting Date:November 2026

Job Department: Finance

Schedule: Full Time

Job Type: On-site/Hybrid

Location: Candler 111 Market Pl Suite 800 Baltimore MD 21202

JOB SUMMARY:

The National Aquarium is seeking a Director of Procurement responsible for developing and leading the National Aquarium's centralized procurement function. Reporting to the Vice President of Finance, this position will establish organization-wide procurement strategies, policies, and processes that strengthen financial stewardship, leverage purchasing power, improve vendor management, and provide greater visibility into organizational spending.

The Director will lead strategic sourcing, competitive bidding, vendor negotiations, and procurement standards while partnering with departments to understand operational needs. Departments will continue to initiate routine purchases within established guidelines, with Procurement providing centralized oversight of significant, strategic, and higher-risk purchases.

The Director also provides leadership oversight of the Accounts Payable Manager, ensuring effective coordination between procurement and payment processes while maintaining appropriate accounting controls, policies, and segregation of duties as directed by the Controller.

KEY REQUIREMENTS:

Essential responsibilities include:

Procurement Strategy & Operations

• Develop and implement a centralized procurement model across the organization.
• Establish procurement policies, purchasing thresholds, competitive bidding requirements, approval processes, and internal controls.
• Lead strategic sourcing, RFP/RFQ processes, vendor selection, and commercial negotiations for significant purchases.
• Establish preferred vendors and organization-wide purchasing agreements to leverage the Aquarium's purchasing power.
• Develop efficient processes that allow departments to execute routine purchases while ensuring appropriate Procurement involvement in significant or strategic purchases.
• Lead organizational adoption of centralized procurement practices through communication, training, and partnership with departments.
• Establish and oversee purchasing standards for purchasing cards, online marketplaces, and departmental purchasing accounts, including authorized access, spending limits, documentation, and compliance monitoring.

Spend, Vendor & Contract Management

• Analyze organization-wide spending to identify opportunities for savings, vendor consolidation, standardization, and improved purchasing terms.
• Develop visibility into significant vendor relationships and contractual commitments.
• Create and maintain vendor evaluations that include quality, service reliability, animal welfare, and safety metrics.
• Lead or support negotiations of significant vendor agreements and renewals.
• Establish consistent processes for vendor selection, onboarding, performance management, and evaluation.
• Track and report procurement savings, cost avoidance, managed spend, and other key performance indicators.
• Partner with Finance leadership during budgeting and forecasting to identify procurement opportunities and contractual commitments.
• Continue to streamline our database of vendor agreements, including contract owners, financial commitments, renewal dates, termination notice deadlines, and key obligations.

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Partner with department leaders to understand operational requirements and upcoming purchasing needs.
• Maintain clear accountability between department ownership of operational and technical requirements and Procurement ownership of sourcing and commercial processes.
• Develop procurement practices that balance financial controls, competitive sourcing, and operational efficiency.
• Serve as the organization's primary resource for procurement, sourcing, vendor negotiations, and purchasing best practices.

Accounts Payable Oversight

• Provide leadership and supervision to the Accounts Payable Manager.
• Ensure effective coordination across the procure-to-pay process while maintaining appropriate separation between procurement and accounting responsibilities.
• Partner with the Controller and Accounts Payable Manager to maintain strong controls over vendor setup, invoice processing, approvals, and payments.
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency and controls across purchasing and payment processes.
• Support company mission.
• Adhere to all organizational and departmental policies and procedures.
• Other duties as assigned or required.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, Supply Chain Management, Procurement, or a related field required.
• Minimum of 7 years of progressively responsible experience in procurement, strategic sourcing, including responsibility for competitive bidding, vendor negotiations, and contract management.
• Experience developing, implementing, or improving a centralized procurement function strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience with competitive sourcing, vendor negotiations, contract management, and spend analysis.
• Experience developing procurement policies, processes, and internal controls.
• Experience directly supervising staff and managing performance required.
• Experience in a nonprofit, cultural institution, attraction, hospitality, facilities-intensive, or similarly complex operating environment preferred.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Strong strategic sourcing, negotiation, analytical, and financial skills.
• Ability to identify and execute cost-saving and vendor consolidation opportunities.
• Strong understanding of procurement, vendor management, contracting, and the procure-to-pay lifecycle.
• Demonstrated ability to establish new processes and lead organizational change.
• Ability to balance strong financial controls with practical operational needs.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to build effective relationships across departments.
• Excellent project management, communication, and organizational skills.
• High degree of integrity, judgment, accountability, and professionalism.
• Strong proficiency with Microsoft Excel and financial/procurement systems.

TOTAL COMPENSATION INFORMATION

Salary range ($71,000-$92,399 annual). National Aquarium provides an excellent benefits package, including flexible paid leave and up to four weeks of paid family leave. Employees are eligible for health care (single and family) after 30 days of full-time work. Conservation day leave and 401(k) plan with employer match available.