Director, Supplier Engagement

We are seeking an experienced and dynamic Director of Supplier Engagement to lead our company's initiatives in promoting and managing productive relationships across our diverse supplier base. Among other responsibilities, this newly created role is critical for ensuring that our procurement processes are inclusive and reflective of our commitment to diversity, equity, and sustainability.  More broadly, this role will lead the establishment and governance of policies and procedures for engaging suppliers across many segments.

Job Type: Exempt

Pay: Salary 

Are you a real go-getter looking for an amazing opportunity with a nationwide full-service utility contractor offering competitive wages and incredible benefits? Keep reading because this job might be for you!

Since 1928, Asplundh has been dedicated to safe, efficient, and innovative line clearance services for the utility industry. Reliable, uninterrupted power is an important service provided by the world's electrical utilities and Asplundh has the expertise to help keep the power flowing. Over the years, diversification has opened vegetation management services to other specialized markets such as municipalities, railroads, pipelines, helicopter vegetation services, and departments of transportation.

A family-owned and operated corporation headquartered near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Asplundh has grown to employ over 36,000 service professionals throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Benefits:

• Benefits Available and vary per position and location.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Supplier Engagement

• Own and manage company policies regarding supplier segmentation, how suppliers engage our various systems, and the frequency of updating segmentation
• Own and manage strategies with regards to diverse suppliers to develop and maintain a robust, nationwide network of solutions
• Engage with the purchasing function within Procurement for divisions of responsibility of supplier management
• Collaborate with the ESG team to continuously improve sustainability efforts across the company
• Provide leadership for various third-party audits and assessments (e.g., EcoVadis)

2. Diverse Supplier Reporting

• Serve as the point of contact and subject matter expert for procurement related topics as well as supplier diversity initiatives, internally and externally
• Responsible for all internal and external supplier diversity reporting
• Coordinate with Procurement Analytics to source and compile supporting report data
• Ensure timeliness and accuracy of reporting
• Promote standardization of reporting across all regions and customers

3. Support Operations

• Serve as key point of contact in meetings with customers regarding diverse suppliers
• Critically assess the perspectives of Operations Leaders and established views regarding diverse expenditure across the organization
• Develop methodologies or policy supporting the bid process with regards to anticipated spend with key vendors in regions
• Manage supplier development / strategic partnership programs by business unit or region to strengthen the diverse supplier pipeline
• Act as a company representative at industry forums, meetings and conferences with other government agencies and segments of private industry.

4. Investment Opportunities

• Work with Business Development and other internal resources to assess investment opportunities
• Conduct due diligence on potential acquisitions and partnerships
• Serve as a thought leader for the company and industry
• Represent the company at industry events like SSCA, etc.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in progressively more responsible roles in Procurement and/or Reporting
• Industry experience is a plus
• Undergraduate degree required; graduate degree in a relevant field (MBA or Sustainability) preferred
• Direct experience with building and reporting diverse supply programs
• Familiarity with reporting platforms like Supplier.io, Power Advocate, etc. preferred
• Ability to travel to customer meetings and conferences as needed; anticipate between 25-50% travel

Skills & Competencies

• Excellent leadership and people management skills
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills
• Proven ability to work collaboratively across different departments and with external partners
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail

We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. If you are passionate about supplier diversity and sustainability, we encourage you to apply for this exciting opportunity to make a significant impact within our organization and the industry.

Pre-Screen

Upon offer, employees may be required to complete and pass a pre-employment drug screen, background, and/or MVR check.

Physical Requirements:

• Rarely: Kneeling, Squatting, Crawling, Climbing, Color Vision, Lifting, Carrying, Pushing, Pulling, Climbing Ladders, Balancing, Lifting up to 10lbs, Lifting 10lbs to 50lbs, Lifting over 50lbs.
• Occasionally: Standing, Walking, Stooping, Body Twisting, Seeing Distant, Climbing On/Off Truck, Gripping, Reaching, Range of Motion, Depth Perception, Climbing Stairs.
• Frequently: Sitting, Sense of Touch, Manual Dexterity, Speaking Clearly, Reading, Hearing-Speech Range.
• Constantly: Seeing.

About Us:

As a full-service utility contractor, Asplundh performs tree pruning and removals, right-of-way clearing and maintenance, vegetation management with herbicides, and emergency storm work and logistical support. Asplundh is the parent company of Asplundh Infrastructure Group whose subsidiaries provide overhead and underground line construction, planning and design, meter reading and AMR/AMI installation, electrical testing, and street lighting/traffic signal services. Asplundh also operates Rotor Blade Airborne Utilities Management, overhead electric distribution, and transmission lines using MD 500 helicopters.

Individuals must be able to perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.  Individuals with a disability who desire a reasonable accommodation should contact the ADA Coordinator at 1-800-248-8733, ext. 1339.

An Equal Opportunity Employer.