dnata is more than a global air and travel services provider. We connect people with possibilities and opportunities across 130+ airports in 34 countries through ground handling, cargo, travel, and catering & retail services. Our purpose is clear: to deliver on the promises our customers make. We are powered by a bold vision to be the world’s most admired air and travel services provider, which guides our strategy, culture, and every role across our teams. Our core values fuel everything we do: we are safe, we play to win, we respect everyone and work together as a team, and we are future thinking. At dnata we foster diversity, nurture ambition, and celebrate achievement. If you’re inspired by purpose and motivated to be part of a global team shaping the future of aviation and travel, we’d love to have you onboard.
On the ground, dnata USA keeps 27 of the country’s major airports connected – both with each other and the world – including John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City. Handling 200,000 tonnes of cargo, guiding 15,000,000 passengers and keeping 50,000 flights in the air each year, the work that the dnata USA team complete on the ground is crucial to keeping the country in the air.
The Director of Procurement is responsible for leading and professionalizing the procurement function for dnata USA across its Ground Handling, Cargo, and Logistics business lines. This role develops and executes sourcing strategies, oversees supplier and contract management, drives cost savings and operational efficiencies, and ensures procurement activities align with corporate governance requirements and business objectives.
The Director of Procurement serves as a strategic business partner to operational leaders across the U.S. network, balancing centralized procurement controls with the needs of a fast-paced, multi-station environment. The position oversees procurement systems, vendor relationships, inventory controls, contract administration, and continuous improvement initiatives that support the company’s growth, safety, and financial objectives.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Sourcing & Category Management
- Develop and execute category strategies for ground handling parts and supplies, cargo and logistics materials/equipment (excluding GSE), office and administrative supplies, and other indirect spend categories.
- Lead competitive bid processes (RFP/RFI/RFQ), vendor evaluation scorecards and contract negotiations to secure favourable pricing, terms, and service levels.
- Build and maintain a supplier segmentation strategy, distinguishing strategic, preferred, and transactional suppliers by category and station.
- Identify and deliver cost savings, cost avoidance, and working capital improvements; report results against annual procurement KPIs.
Station & Operational Support
- Partner with station managers and operations leadership across the US network to understand local sourcing needs and ensure timely fulfilment of parts and supplies.
- Balance central procurement discipline with the operational realities of station-level urgency, seasonality, and volume fluctuation.
- Establish standard purchasing catalogues and preferred vendor lists to reduce one-off spend and improve station-level compliance.
- Lead a safety centric culture through consistent execution and implementation of company programs and processes throughout the country.
Governance, Compliance & Risk
- Ensure all procurement activity complies with the Group Procurement Procedures Manual, and Local Authorities Matrix for approval thresholds.
- Maintain audit-ready documentation for sourcing decisions, contract approvals, and vendor selection rationale (bottoms-up, defensible methodology rather than flat-percentage or informal approaches).
- Partner with Finance and Legal on contract risk, insurance/indemnification requirements, and vendor financial health screening.
- Support external and internal audit requests related to procurement, contracts, and vendor spend.
Systems, Process & Data
- Own and continuously improve procurement workflows within ReQlogic and EBIS, ensuring requisition-to-PO processes are efficient and properly controlled.
- Partner with Finance/AP on invoice-matching workflows to resolve PO, receipt, and invoice discrepancies.
- Leverage Business Central data to analyse spend, identify consolidation opportunities, and track supplier performance.
- Champion the adoption of AI and automation tools (e.g., spend analytics, contract review assistance, sourcing research) to increase team efficiency and shift capacity toward higher-value negotiation and strategy work.
Leadership & Stakeholder Management
- Partner with station leadership and cross-functional departments to ensure procurement activities support business priorities and operational requirements.
- Communicate effectively across all levels of the organization regarding procurement performance, supply planning, sourcing initiatives, and risk management.
- Foster a culture of integrity, accountability, professionalism, safety, and continuous improvement.
- Lead a safety-centric culture through consistent execution and implementation of company programs and processes.
- Perform additional duties and special projects as assigned.
Qualifications
Required
- Bachelor’s degree in supply chain management, Business Administration, Finance, Logistics, or a related field.
- Seven (7) or more years of progressive procurement, sourcing, or supply chain leadership experience.
- Demonstrated experience managing strategic sourcing, vendor negotiations, contract administration, and supplier relationships.
- Experience supporting multi-site or multi-station operations within a complex operating environment.
- Strong analytical, organizational, and negotiation skills.
- Experience with procurement systems, ERP platforms, inventory management systems, and Microsoft Office applications.
- Knowledge of procurement governance, budgeting, expense management, compliance, and operational controls.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to collaborate effectively across all organizational levels.
Preferred
- Experience within aviation, airport operations, ground handling, cargo, logistics, transportation, or heavy equipment environments.
- Experience overseeing procurement activities across multiple facilities or operating locations.
- Professional procurement or supply chain certification (CPSM, CPM, CSCP, or similar).
- Experience implementing process improvement, automation, or AI-enabled procurement solutions.
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Key Relationships
Internal
- CEO
- CFO
- Finance & Accounting
- Legal
- Station Managers
- Operations Leadership
- GSE Management Teams
- Supply Chain and Logistics Stakeholders
External
- Suppliers and Vendors
- Contracted Service Providers
- Manufacturers and OEMs
- Auditors and Regulatory Representatives, as applicable
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Working Conditions
- Primarily office-based with periodic travel to stations and vendor locations throughout the United States.
- Estimated travel: 10–20%.