Director of Procurement

The Company:

Czarnowski is one of the four studios of the Czarnowski Collective. It combines operations, strategy, design, and fabrication to create exhibits and events that engage communities, generate brand enthusiasm, and educate consumers. It’s been over 75 years since we opened our doors, but we’re still not resting on our reputation or accolades. We’re wondering “what if...” anticipating what’s next and embracing our role within the Czarnowski Collective as forward-thinkers for forward-thinking brands.  

Joining the Czarnowski Collective means the opportunity to be more than a number, more than a job title, more than a spectator. We are a collective of dreamers and thinkers, doers, and makers…and we’re searching for more of the same to join the ranks.

The Purpose:

We are seeking a Director, Procurement to join our team.  In conjunction with the Chief Operating Officer, you will help execute the Company’s procurement strategy and manage day-to-day purchasing operations across our sites, including category plans, supplier relationships, procurement systems and the purchasing team. This position reports to the Chief Operating Officer (or other executive designated by the Company), with a dotted-line relationship to the Chief Financial Officer for spend reporting, savings validation and policy compliance, and supports both Production and Commercial operations.

In addition to this job description, the person in this position is responsible for operating within  Czarnowski’s standard operating procedures, supporting other functions in following  and adhering to those procedures, and escalating exceptions to the COO for prompt resolution.

The Job:

Category Strategy and Supplier Economics

• Develop, execute and manage category plans, as approved by the COO, across our major spend areas, from exhibit materials and fabrication through technology, logistics and corporate services
• Negotiate multi-year agreements covering pricing, service levels, delivery performance and commercial terms within the approval limits set by the Delegation of Authority Policy
• In conjunction with Legal, prepare and manage contract management and renewals
• Build a tiered supplier base with the regional depth and surge capacity our show schedule demands
• Establish supplier scorecards covering price, quality, on-time delivery, capacity and responsiveness
• Establish the savings baseline with Finance and report realized savings against it in terms Finance will validate, separating price, demand and mix effects

Demand, Specifications and Total Cost

• Review what is being bought before negotiating what it costs: specification, substitution, standardization, and whether the buy is needed at all
• Build a cost and parameter library that gives Sales, Design and Operations real cost visibility early in the planning cycle
• Prepare forecasting and recommend bulk positions where volume and seasonality justify them, and consolidate shipping and receiving where they do not
• Work with Field Services and Project Management to keep their buying aligned with the Spend Management Policy and purchasing processes
• Ensure stock materials are purchased to inventory rather than to projects, and set clear expectations with Project Management and Production on how to allocate to projects

Process, Controls and Systems

• Manage P2P processes and compliance with the purchasing policy and approval authority set by the COO and CFO
• Administer the Spend Management Policy, as approved by the COO and CFO, and enforce it across the Collective: competitive sourcing minimums, segregation of duties, supplier onboarding and risk tiering
• Serve as the functional leader for procurement technology within our ERP environment, partnering with IT and our implementation partner
• Manage supplier onboarding, qualification and master data
• Assess supplier risk, qualification and business continuity across the supply base

Spend Data and Reporting

• Partner with Finance on project cost performance, isolating the drivers behind variance
• Improve commercial terms and working capital performance in partnership with Finance
• Deliver clear, consistent reporting on spend, savings and supplier performance to the COO and Finance.

Team and Organization

• Supervise the purchasing team across our sites, holding one standard for how buying is done rather than letting each location run its own way
• Train the team on the policy, the systems and sourcing fundamentals, and support their professional development

The Person:

• 7+ years in procurement or strategic sourcing, including supervisory experience
• Experience implementing process, technology and category management improvements
• Strong services and subcontract sourcing background: general contracting, logistics, technology or technical services
• Experience in a multi-site, project-based or make-to-order environment where delivery dates don't move
• Hands-on with procurement modules inside a major ERP; Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations is a plus
• Comfortable and capable presenting recommendations to senior leadership
• Bachelor's degree required; MBA or CPSM/CPM certification a plus
• Willingness to travel regularly to our fabrication sites and key supplier locations ~20%
• Able to build a spend taxonomy, classify spend and defend the classification to Finance and to the business
• Able to hold a control standard with senior stakeholders

Valuable addition:

• Experience in a private equity–backed or value-creation environment
• Multi-entity or post-acquisition integration experience
• Experience bringing procurement upstream into estimating, design or product decisions

What we offer:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision benefits effective within 30 days (or less) of your start date
• 401K matching with no vesting period (you are fully vested as of day 1)
• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Paid Holidays
• Collaborative Work Environment

Collective Culture Core Values:

We recognize that the success of our business rests with the skills and efforts of our people, and in return for their contributions, our employees can expect a flexible work environment that delivers on the 10 principles that define our company culture:

• We celebrate creativity, curiosity, innovation and imagination.
• We are humble and respectful.
• We act with honesty and integrity.
• We empower and trust one another.
• We embrace individuality and an entrepreneurial spirit.
• We champion initiatives that bolster diversity, equity and inclusion.
• We prioritize safe, ethical and sustainable business practices.
• We foster a culture of meritocracy - rewarding skills and abilities, instead of influence.
• We always deliver.
• We don’t take ourselves too seriously.

Through several existing and future initiatives, Czarnowski Collective is exploring thoughtful and creative ways to embrace individuality, and more effectively champion diversity, equity and inclusion across our network.

EEO Statement

Czarnowski Collective is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We don't just accept difference – we honor, nurture, and celebrate it! All aspects of employment including the decision to hire, promote, discipline, or discharge, will be based on merit, competence, performance, and business needs. We don’t discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, sex/gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.