Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed deep-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include the V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, Hivemind Enterprise, and the Hivemind Vision product lines. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide. For more information, visit www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube.
Job Description:
The Director of Indirect Procurement is a senior leadership role responsible for defining and executing the enterprise-wide strategy for indirect spend categories, including IT, software, professional services, facilities, travel, marketing, and other non-production goods and services. This role provides strategic direction, governance, and oversight to ensure cost optimization, risk mitigation, supplier performance excellence, and alignment with corporate objectives.
As a key business partner, the Director collaborates closely with executive leadership, Finance, Legal, IT, and functional leaders to influence decision-making, drive value creation, and continuously mature procurement capabilities across the organization.
What you'll do:
Strategic Sourcing & Category Leadership
Own and lead the enterprise indirect procurement strategy, aligning category roadmaps with business priorities and long-term growth plans
Provide executive oversight for complex, high-value sourcing initiatives across all indirect spend categories
Establish and govern category strategies, including demand management, supplier consolidation, and innovation partnerships
Sponsor and oversee RFx processes (RFI, RFP, RFQ) for mission-critical goods and services
Lead or approve negotiations for major contracts, including pricing models, SLAs, risk allocation, and long-term agreements
Drive enterprise-level cost savings, cost avoidance, and value realization initiatives
Supplier & Contract Governance
Set the strategic framework for supplier relationship management, performance management, and risk mitigation
Build and maintain executive-level relationships with key strategic suppliers
Partner with Legal and Compliance to oversee contract standards, negotiation strategy, and approval authority
Ensure governance over contract lifecycle management, renewals, and commercial obligations
Resolve escalated supplier issues and lead remediation or exit strategies as needed
Executive Stakeholder Partnership
Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leaders and executives across the organization
Translate business strategy into procurement-led solutions that balance cost, risk, speed, and innovation
Influence stakeholders on sourcing decisions, demand planning, and total cost of ownership considerations
Champion procurement best practices, governance, and policy adherence at the leadership level
Procurement Operations & Organizational Leadership
Provide leadership and direction to indirect procurement teams, including coaching, performance management, and capability development
Establish scalable procurement operating models, policies, and approval frameworks
Oversee procurement execution, including requisitions, purchase orders, vendor onboarding, and invoice resolution
Ensure robust documentation, audit readiness, and process discipline across procurement operations
Compliance, Risk & Ethics
Ensure enterprise compliance with procurement policies, approval authorities, and internal controls
Provide oversight for SOX, FAR/DFARS, cybersecurity, and regulatory compliance as applicable
Lead supplier risk management efforts, including financial, operational, cybersecurity, and regulatory risk
Promote ethical sourcing, sustainability, and supplier diversity initiatives aligned with corporate values
Reporting, Analytics & Continuous Improvement
Define and monitor KPIs for spend visibility, savings, supplier performance, and risk
Present procurement performance and insights to executive leadership
Sponsor enhancements to procurement systems and tools (ERP, P2P, contract lifecycle management)
Lead continuous improvement, automation, and digital transformation initiatives across procurement
Contribute to enterprise governance, policy development, and long-range procurement planning
Required qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, Finance, or a related field (MBA or advanced degree preferred)
10+ years of progressive experience in indirect procurement, strategic sourcing, or supply chain leadership
Demonstrated experience leading enterprise-level indirect spend categories (IT, software, professional services, facilities, etc.)
Proven track record of developing and executing procurement strategies at scale
Executive-level negotiation and contract management expertise
Strong understanding of procurement governance, compliance, and risk management frameworks
Experience with ERP and P2P platforms (SAP, Oracle, Workday, Coupa, Ariba, or similar)
Advanced financial acumen, data analysis, and spend analytics capabilities
Exceptional communication, executive presence, and stakeholder influence skills
Demonstrated people leadership and organizational change management experience
Compensation range for San Mateo is $192,000 - $288,000
Compensation range for San Diego is below
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Full-time regular employee offer package:
Pay within range listed + Bonus + Benefits + Equity
Temporary employee offer package:
Pay within range listed above + temporary benefits package (applicable after 60 days of employment)
Salary compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, licenses and certifications, and specific work location. All offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check. Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits. Please speak to your talent acquisition representative for more information.
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Shield AI is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.