The Director, Procurement - North America is a senior leader responsible for setting and executing procurement strategy for automation solutions supporting parcel, mail, warehouse, automation operations across North America. The Director, Procurement North America will lead the procurement organization supporting engineered-to-order and project-based automation solutions. The role is accountable for procurement strategy, supplier performance, project execution support, cost reduction, working capital improvement, risk mitigation, and the standardization of sourcing and procurement processes across the North American business. This leader will serve as a critical bridge between commercial commitments, engineering requirements, project delivery needs, manufacturing/service execution, and supplier capabilities, ensuring procurement contributes directly to margin improvement, customer satisfaction, and operational resilience.

Your role in our team

• You will develop and execute the North America procurement strategy for automation, controls, electrical and mechanical components, fabricated assemblies, conveyors, sortation systems, robotics-related equipment, software/hardware interfaces, subcontracted services, and installation labor, ensuring alignment with business growth, project delivery requirements, and total cost of ownership objectives.
• Lead strategic sourcing and supplier management initiatives, including category strategies, supplier rationalization, make-versus-buy decisions, outsourcing strategies, and should-cost/TCO analyses to improve competitiveness, supply continuity, and operational performance.
• Establish and govern procurement policies, processes, and commercial standards while negotiating strategic agreements, pricing, lead times, service levels, and contractual terms that drive consistency, compliance, risk mitigation, and value creation across the region.
• Direct procurement execution for engineered, standard, and engineer-to-order projects, ensuring material and service availability, supplier readiness, milestone adherence, budget performance, and successful project delivery from proposal through installation and commissioning.
• You will build and maintain a high-performing supplier network that supports project execution, manufacturing operations, aftermarket services, and long-term capacity requirements while fostering collaboration, innovation, dual-sourcing strategies, and continuous improvement.
• Drive measurable business results through cost optimization and analytics, delivering procurement savings, inflation management, inventory optimization, lead-time reduction, sourcing ROI improvements, and data-driven decision-making through dashboards, reporting, and business reviews.
• Partner cross-functionally with engineering, project management, operations, manufacturing, finance, legal, sales, service, quality, and field teams to align procurement strategies with customer requirements, project timelines, operational objectives, and enterprise goals.
• Build, lead, and develop a high-performing procurement organization, strengthening capabilities in strategic sourcing, supplier development, commercial negotiations, project procurement, and stakeholder management while promoting a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, safety, and customer-focused execution.

Your profile

• You have exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to clearly and professionally convey complex information, influence decision-making, and engage effectively with executives, customers, suppliers, and cross-functional teams.
• Strong leadership and people management capabilities, with a proven track record of building, coaching, and motivating high-performing teams, driving accountability, and fostering a culture of collaboration, continuous improvement, and results-oriented execution.
• Extensive expertise in strategic sourcing, procurement leadership, and category management, including supplier negotiations, contract management, supplier development, and total cost of ownership (TCO) methodologies.
• Demonstrated experience leading project procurement and delivery assurance within complex, fast-paced environments, ensuring material availability, supplier performance, risk mitigation, budget adherence, and successful project execution.
• You have strong financial and analytical acumen, with the ability to leverage data, metrics, dashboards, and performance reporting to drive informed decision-making, cost optimization, operational improvements, and sourcing ROI.
• You have proven ability to prioritize competing demands and manage multiple initiatives simultaneously, demonstrating adaptability, operational urgency, and sound judgment in dynamic business environments.
• Highly collaborative and customer-focused approach, with a demonstrated ability to build strong working relationships across engineering, operations, manufacturing, finance, sales, service, and other functional teams to achieve organizational objectives.
• Commitment to continuous learning, change leadership, and process improvement, with the flexibility to adapt to evolving business needs, technologies, and industry best practices; willingness and ability to travel domestically and internationally up to 25% for customer visits, supplier meetings, conferences, training, and business-related activities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in parcel sortation, mail automation, warehouse automation, fulfillment systems, conveyor/sortation technologies, robotics, controls, or intralogistics solutions.
• Strong familiarity with engineer-to-order (ETO), project-based procurement, outsourced manufacturing, subcontracting installation, and lifecycle services.
• Knowledge of value engineering, procurement engineering, make/buy analysis, and TCO methodologies.
• MBA and/or APICS / ISM / CPSM / CSCP certification.

Additional Requirements

• Ability to travel domestically and internationally, as required by business needs.
• Must possess, or be able to obtain and maintain, all required travel documentation, including a valid passport where international travel is necessary.
• Must be able to lawfully enter and exit the United States and other countries required for business travel.
• Must not have any legal or regulatory restrictions that would prevent the issuance, renewal, or use of required travel documents, or otherwise limit the ability to fulfill the travel requirements of the role.

Your working environment at Körber

Körber is pioneering cutting-edge sorting technology and solutions that shape the future of mail and parcel automation across Europe, North America and Asia. Set new industry standards and champion customer-centric services and solutions with our dynamic Parcel Logistics team based in Irving, Texas, USA.

This role offers a hybrid work setting based in Irving, Texas, with up to 25% domestic and international travel.

Can you see yourself in this profile? Then Körber is the right place for you. We look forward to getting to know you!

Apply now and join our team!

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