Director, Procurement - North America

About Körber and the Role

Körber fosters a culture where innovation and collaboration thrive, encouraging entrepreneurial spirit to develop cutting-edge technology. We are seeking a Director of Procurement for North America to lead and shape procurement strategies for automation solutions across parcels, mail, warehouses, and automation operations. This senior position is critical in aligning procurement activities with commercial, engineering, manufacturing, and supply chain functions to enhance margins, customer satisfaction, and operational effectiveness.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and implement procurement strategies for components including automation, controls, electrical/mechanical parts, conveyors, robotics, and related services across North America to support business growth and project requirements.
• Lead strategic sourcing initiatives such as category management, supplier rationalization, outsourcing, make-versus-buy analyses, and cost evaluations to ensure competitive advantage and supply continuity.
• Establish procurement policies, standards, and negotiate strategic supplier agreements focused on pricing, lead times, service quality, contractual terms, and risk mitigation.
• Oversee procurement execution for engineered and standard projects—ensuring material/service availability, supplier readiness, adherence to milestones, and budget compliance from proposal to installation.
• Build and maintain a robust supplier network that supports project delivery, manufacturing, aftermarket services, and capacity planning with emphases on collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Drive business results via cost optimization, analytics, procurement savings, inflation management, inventory reduction, lead-time improvements, and performance metrics reporting.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with engineering, project management, operations, finance, legal, sales, service, quality, and field teams to align procurement with enterprise objectives and customer needs.
• Lead and develop a high-performing procurement team fostering skills in strategic sourcing, supplier development, negotiation, project procurement, accountability, safety, and customer-centric execution.

Candidate Profile

• Outstanding communication and stakeholder engagement skills, capable of influencing executives, suppliers, customers, and cross-functional teams effectively.
• Proven leadership adept at building, mentoring, and motivating high-performing teams with a culture oriented towards collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Extensive knowledge in strategic sourcing, category management, supplier negotiation, contract oversight, and cost of ownership principles.
• Experience managing procurement within project-driven, complex environments ensuring alignment on material availability, supplier performance, risk, budgets, and project success.
• Strong analytical and financial insight to leverage data, dashboards, and metrics for informed decision-making, cost control, and sourcing ROI enhancement.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities with agility and sound judgment in dynamic settings.
• Highly collaborative with a customer-focused mindset, building strong partnerships across various business functions.
• Commitment to continuous learning, adaptability to evolving technologies, and willingness for up to 25% domestic and international travel.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience related to parcel sortation, mail and warehouse automation, conveyor and robotics technologies, and intralogistics systems.
• Familiarity with engineer-to-order procurement models, outsourced manufacturing, subcontracting installations, and lifecycle services.
• Knowledgeable in value engineering, procurement engineering, make/buy decisions, and total cost of ownership methodologies.
• MBA or certifications such as APICS, ISM, CPSM, or CSCP is advantageous.

Additional Requirements

• Willingness and capability to travel both domestically and internationally as business needs dictate.
• Must hold or obtain valid travel documentation including passports for international trips.
• Ability to legally enter/exit the United States and other necessary countries without restrictions impacting business travel.

Work Environment

This position is based in Irving, Texas, offering a primarily onsite role with hybrid flexibility. Travel commitments may reach up to 25% involving visits to customers, suppliers, conferences, and training events.

Equal Opportunity and Application Information

Körber is committed to equal employment opportunities regardless of legally protected characteristics and bases hire on merit, qualifications, and business needs. Candidates requiring accommodation in the recruitment process may confidentially notify the company.

Note: This job description outlines essential duties but is not exhaustive. Employment is at-will and subject to change at employer discretion. Compensation will depend on various factors including experience, skills, and location.