Head of Dept, North America

We're looking for motivated, engaged people to help make everyone's journeys better.

The Head of Procurement, North America, is responsible for designing and leading the company's sourcing, supplier management, and procurement strategy. This role ensures cost efficiency, supply chain resilience, and alignment with corporate objectives (financial, operational, sustainability, and compliance). This role reports to the COO of gategroup NA and partners with cross-functional leadership (Operations, Finance, Legal, IT, HR) to maximize value from supplier relationships while maintaining quality, safety, and ethical standards.

The Head of Procurement, North America is expected to achieve year-over-year improvement in total cost of management, quality, and service. Additionally, this role holds strategic leadership responsibilities, including, but not limited to, strategic planning, team goal setting, and aligning enterprise savings.

Annual Hiring Range:

$165,000 - $185,000 /Per Year

This position is eligible for incentive pay of 20% of the annual base salary, dependent upon successful attainment of company, team, and individual goals.

Benefits

Paid time off

401k, with company match

Company sponsored life insurance

Medical, dental, vision plans

Voluntary short-term/long-term disability insurance

Voluntary life, accident, and hospital plans

Employee Assistance Program

Commuter benefits

Employee Discounts

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

• Develops an annual strategic plan supporting the Regional and Corporate plans, both financial and operational.

• Develop and execute region-wide procurement strategies aligned with operational, financial, compliance, and sustainability goals.

• Establish and maintain strategic relationships with key suppliers in food, packaging, equipment, logistics, and services.

• Lead contract negotiations, ensuring optimal terms on cost, quality, and service.

• Monitor supplier performance through KPIs, SLAs, and corrective action plans.

• Drive cost savings through strategic sourcing, bulk purchasing, and supplier consolidation.

• Identify and mitigate risks related to supply disruption, regulatory compliance, and commodity price fluctuations.

• Ensure compliance with all food safety, aviation, and international trade regulations.

• Advance sustainable sourcing initiatives, ethical supply chain practices, and carbon footprint reduction.

• Partner with culinary and operations teams to introduce innovative packaging and sourcing solutions.

• Directs and coordinates the Pourshins distribution business.

• Oversees the lease relationship with Airport authorities, landlords, and fleet companies.

• Ensures adherence to internal controls in the procurement and contract management.

• Represents the Region at Global business meetings on Procurement functions.

• Lead a high-performing Procurement team, fostering a culture that embodies gategroup's core values

• Responsible for developing team members in key areas, including systems, process knowledge, and project management.

• Promote collaboration across all operations and functional teams to enhance performance.

• Ad hoc projects to drive Continuous Improvement.

Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, or related field; MBA preferred.

Work Experience:

• 15+ years of procurement/supply chain experience, with at least 7 years in a senior leadership role, preferably in airline catering, aviation, foodservice, or logistics.

• Strong track record of negotiating large-scale contracts and delivering measurable cost savings.

• Deep knowledge of food and packaging procurement, international supply chains, and vendor management.

• Proven ability to lead diverse teams across multiple geographies.

• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and leadership skills.

• Commitment to innovation and sustainability in procurement.

Competencies:

• Strategic thinker with operational execution focus.

• Strong financial and commercial acumen.

• Relationship builder and influencer at senior levels.

• Resilient, adaptable, and able to thrive in a fast-paced, regulated environment.

Language / Communication Skills:

• Ability to communicate effectively with internal and external customers, both verbally and in writing.

• Ability to manage, lead, and collaborate with multiple managers and project team members.

Job Dimensions

Geographic Responsibility: North America (US and Canada)
Type of Employment: Full Time
Travel %: up to 25%
Exemption Classification: Exempt
Internal Relationships: All internal customers
External Relationships: Customers, regulatory bodies, Airport Authorities, facility lessors, suppliers, and internal stakeholders
Work Environment / Requirements of the Job: Regular office work environment

Budget / Revenue Responsibility: Cost center (Local Currency)

Organization Structure

Direct Line Manager (Title): COO, gategroup NA

Dotted Line Manager (Title, if applicable):  N/A

Number of Direct Reports: 4 to 6

Number of Dotted Line Reports: 0

Estimated Total Size of Team: up to 25

gategroup Competencies Required to be Successful in the Job:

• Thinking – Information Search and analysis & problem resolution skills
• Engaging – Understanding others, Team Leadership and Developing People
• Inspiring – Influencing and building relationships, Motivating and Inspiring, Communicating effectively
• Achieving – Delivering business results under pressure, Championing Performance Improvement and Customer Focus

Demonstrated Values to be Successful in the Position  

Employees at gategroup are expected to live our Values of Excellence, Passion, Responsibility and Respect. To demonstrate these Values, we expect to observe the following from everyone:  
 

Excellence 

• We put the customer at the forefront of everything we do, taking time to understand their needs, wishes and desires. 
• We constantly learn by giving and receiving feedback, improving from our mistakes and bettering ourselves. 

Passion 

• Hospitality, in its purest form, comes down to a single, core principle: care. We do everything with thoughtfulness, attention, and care. 
• We have a growth mindset, a resilience that makes us determined to bounce back from failures and setbacks. 

Responsibility 

• We care about what we do, and we understand the impact we have on others and the planet. 
• We always look out for each other –creating a safe workplace environment is everyone's responsibility. 

Respect 

• Every job matters. We each do our part to ensure our colleagues and our customers succeed in their goals. 
• We respect each other's voices and foster a workplace that supports inclusion and belonging. We are all one gategroup. 

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the individual(s) assigned to this position.  They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and skills required.  Management reserves the right to modify, add, or remove duties and to assign other duties as necessary.  In addition, reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.

gategroup is an equal opportunity employer committed to workforce diversity.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, disability status or other category under applicable law.

For further information regarding Equal Employment Opportunity, copy and paste the following URL into your web browser:

We anticipate that this job will close on:

01/07/2026For California Residents, please click here to view our California privacy notice.

If you want to be part of a team that helps make travel and culinary memories, join us

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