Manager Sr I, Strategic Sourcing

As the largest pureplay adhesives company in the world, H.B. Fuller’s (NYSE: FUL) innovative, functional coatings, adhesives and sealants enhance the quality, safety and performance of products people use every day. Founded in 1887, with 2023 revenue of $3.5 billion, our mission to Connect What Matters is brought to life by more than 7,000 global team members who collaborate with customers across more than 30 market segments in over 140 countries to develop highly specified solutions that enable customers to bring world-changing innovations to their end markets.

Job Title: Manager Procurement Technology and Digitalization

Position Overview

We are seeking a highly skilled and forward-thinking leader for the position of Senior Manager, Procurement Technology and Digital Transformation. In this pivotal role, you will drive the end-to-end implementation of our procurement technology roadmap, with the objective of transforming our procurement function into a leading-edge digital environment. This role demands a proactive individual with a strong focus on technology, automation, and digital strategy to enhance global sourcing efficiency and innovation. Leveraging the latest advancements in Artificial Intelligence, you will help create predictive analytics capabilities that enhance decision-making and streamline procurement operations. AI-driven insights will empower the team to anticipate market shifts and proactively manage supply chain risks. As the Senior Manager, you will oversee digital initiatives, establish a technology-driven procurement framework, and lead a dedicated team of project managers and digital transformation experts. Reporting to the Head of Procurement Excellence, you will play a central role in shaping digital milestones, refining business processes, and positioning procurement as a digital leader within the organization.

Your Team
You will lead a team of 2-3 direct reports, providing both functional and disciplinary guidance in a global setting. Your leadership will foster a results-driven and innovative team culture that prioritizes excellence in digital transformation.

Key Responsibilities

Procurement Technology Framework & Digitalization Roadmap

• Ownership of Digital Solutions: Lead, manage, and refine all procurement-related digital frameworks and technology solutions, proactively addressing problem-solving, improvement, and escalation needs.
• Strategic Roadmap Leadership: Define, implement, and continuously improve the procurement digitalization roadmap, ensuring alignment with the organization’s digital transformation strategy.
• Process Innovation: Drive initiatives to optimize procurement processes, systems, and automation capabilities, ensuring compliance and annual efficiency improvements.
• Technology Trends Monitoring: Stay at the forefront of digital and automation trends, evaluating their relevance to enhance procurement technology strategies.

Team Leadership & Strategic Decision Making

• Global Team Leadership: Guide a team of procurement specialists and digital transformation experts, overseeing multiple digitalization projects, policies, and quality initiatives.
• Mentorship and Support: Provide functional and strategic guidance to team members, offering support on critical project decisions and fostering team alignment with technology goals.
• Cultural Development: Build and sustain a high-performing team culture that emphasizes technology innovation and digitalization.

Execution of Digitalization and Automation Projects

• Project Management: Oversee the successful planning and execution of concurrent digitalization projects, managing timelines, budgets, and resource allocation.
• Quality and Performance Standards: Establish high standards for project outcomes, ensuring quality assurance and providing escalation support as needed.

Cross-Functional Digital Leadership and Alignment

• Executive Representation: Act as a key representative for procurement technology initiatives in senior management meetings and cross-functional digital forums.
• Alignment Building: Champion procurement technology alignment across all levels of management, contributing to enterprise-wide digital transformation objectives.

Stakeholder Engagement and Digital Communication

• Stakeholder Buy-In: Effectively communicate the impact of digital initiatives to secure buy-in from stakeholders within and beyond the procurement team.
• Executive Reporting: Deliver regular updates on project progress, risk assessments, and mitigation strategies to executive leadership.
• Digital Strategy Engagement: Engage directly with executive stakeholders to align on strategic priorities and ensure project delivery within defined timelines.

Required Qualifications

• Education: University degree in business, digital technology, or a related field; an advanced degree is a plus.
• Experience: Minimum of 5 years in procurement technology, digital transformation, or consulting with a focus on digitalization.
• Expertise: Deep knowledge of digital transformation in procurement, including process automation, data analytics, and emerging technologies.
• Leadership: Proven experience leading high-performing teams, with a strong focus on digital project implementation and process optimization.
• Strategic and Analytical Skills: Strong strategic thinking, decision-making, and problem-solving abilities in a technology-driven context.
• Communication and Presentation: Ability to communicate complex digital initiatives effectively, fostering engagement at all levels.
• Organizational and Project Management: Exceptional organizational skills with expertise in project and change management.
• Global Experience: Experience managing cross-cultural teams and global projects.
• Stakeholder Management: Skilled in stakeholder engagement and mediation.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced Degree: MBA or Master’s degree in a relevant field.
• Experience in Automation and Digital Implementation: Proven success in implementing digital roadmaps and automation projects.
• Change Management Expertise: Background in managing complex change management projects with cross-functional impact.

Eligibility Criteria

• Travel: Willingness to travel up to 30% domestically and internationally.

H.B. Fuller is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and proud to have created a collaborative culture where employees around the world are seen, heard, and respected. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability, or marital status or status as a protected veteran, or any other legally protected classification.

H.B. Fuller does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters, employment agencies, or staffing firms. To conduct business with H.B. Fuller, a written service agreement must be executed by Human Resources prior to submitting any information relating to a potential candidate. Without a signed service agreement, H.B. Fuller shall not be obligated for payment of any fee or compensation.