"Director of Procurement, Yale Hospitality"

Overview

The Director of Procurement provides strategic leadership and oversight for all food, beverage, and non-food purchasing supporting Yale Hospitality’s residential, retail, and catering operations-totaling approximately >$20 million in annual spend. This role ensures Yale Hospitality secures high-quality, responsibly sourced products at optimal value while upholding the University’s standards for fiscal stewardship, sustainability, social responsibility, supplier standards, and risk management.

The Director serves as Yale Hospitality’s chief procurement strategist, responsible for supplier partnerships, contract and category management, strategic sourcing, cost optimization, value engineering, and the integrity of procurement and distribution operations that support more than 14 residential colleges and numerous campus dining venues, including retail and catering operations. The successful candidate must demonstrate confidence and executive presence in business situations and be able to influence, persuade, demonstrate domain expertise, and have depth of strategic thought. This is a pivotal leadership role that works closely with campus partners-including the Hospitality Senior Leadership Team, Finance, Culinary, Supply Chain & Sustainability, Operations, IT, and the Yale Central Procurement-to drive efficiencies, enhance service delivery, and elevate the campus dining experience.

While this role is embedded within Yale Hospitality, it is also formally connected to Yale Procurement, whose mission is to lead and provide stewardship to the Yale community in sourcing the right products and services, at the right price, on-time, in support of the University’s Mission and Policies. As a strategic partner, Yale Procurement collaborates and provides leading practices in order to deliver high quality expertise, significant value, and excellent customer service.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Category Management

• Develop and execute a comprehensive sourcing and procurement strategy for all food, beverage, and related goods, aligning with Yale Hospitality’s culinary, operational, financial, and sustainability priorities; as well as Yale procurement/supplier standards.
• Manages the activities of the Sourcing and Procurement Manager in routine sourcing, ordering, and logistical coordination in support of Yale Hospitality Operations. Provide strategic direction for category management initiatives, including supplier rationalization, competitive bidding, long-term contracting, and total cost of ownership (TCO) optimization.
• Stay attuned to market trends, emerging products, inflationary pressures, risk factors, supply chain disruptions, and evolving industry best practices to inform proactive decision-making. Partner with operations to proactively socialize and generate action plans across units to mitigate risk.
• Lead cross-functional project teams to evaluate, design, and implement sourcing solutions that enhance quality, service, and operational efficiency.

Supplier & Contract Management

• Oversee the full contract life cycle for all food and beverage purchasing-including drafting, redlining, negotiation, execution, and compliance monitoring-in partnership with Procurement, OGC, Enterprise Risk Management, and other campus stakeholders.
• Build and maintain strong supplier relationships, ensuring performance, accountability, transparency, and partnership in sustainability and responsible sourcing commitments.
• Implement robust supplier management processes, including KPIs, quarterly business reviews (QBRs), and corrective action plans where needed.
• Serve as Yale Hospitality’s primary escalation point for supplier performance issues, pursuing timely resolution and protecting Yale’s operational interests.

Financial Stewardship & Operational Performance

• Oversee Yale Hospitality procurement analytics-including pricing reviews, forecasting, cost modeling, and spend analysis-to support budget planning and organizational decision-making.
• Identify and deliver cost savings, value enhancements, and efficiency gains while ensuring product quality and service reliability.
• Partner with Culinary and Operations to ensure that product specifications, pricing structures, and distribution models support menu strategy, production needs, and service expectations.
• Regularly communicate and work with managers/units and culinary to increase purchasing compliance levels.
• Monitor and enforce compliance with university Procurement policies, sustainability standards, and third-party reporting requirements.

Collaboration, Leadership & Stakeholder Engagement

• Work closely with Culinary, Sustainability, Residential Dining, Retail, Finance, IT, and other partners to ensure Yale Hospitality procurement strategies advance broader institutional goals.
• Serve as a trusted advisor and subject-matter expert for leadership, providing insights and recommendations on sourcing trends, risk mitigation, responsible purchasing, best-in-class approach, and supply chain resilience.
• Support the development of robust systems, processes, and reporting tools that strengthen transparency, decision support, and operational excellence across the hospitality portfolio.
• Represent Yale Hospitality in cross-campus committees, vendor meetings, and professional networks.
• Engage with Procurement counterparts at peer institutions for best practice sharing and collaborative purchasing opportunities.
• Promote a positive work environment, spirit of cooperation, and support of coworkers.

Ethical, Sustainable & Responsible Sourcing

• Ensure the Yale Hospitality procurement program reinforces Yale’s commitments to sustainability, social equity, fair labor practices, local partnerships, and alignment with ethical sourcing frameworks.
• Maintain familiarity with third-party accreditation, sustainable purchasing programs (e.g., AASHE STARS), and evolving industry standards.
• Guide internal and external stakeholders in understanding Yale’s supply chain structure and responsible sourcing practices.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business Administration, Hospitality Management, or related field; master’s degree preferred.
• 8-10+ years of progressive procurement, sourcing, or supply chain leadership experience, preferably within hospitality, higher education, large multi-unit dining, or similarly complex environments.
• Demonstrated success managing $10M+ in spend, with strong expertise in food and beverage procurement.
• Proven experience drafting, negotiating, and administering complex contracts; familiarity with legal, regulatory, and compliance frameworks.
• Strong analytical and financial skills, with fluency in forecasting, modeling, cost control, and data-driven decision-making.
• Exceptional communication, stakeholder management, and relationship-building skills with demonstrated success influencing in a matrixed environment.
• Leadership experience working with cross-functional teams and external partners.
• Familiarity with e-procurement platforms, ERP systems, and category management methodologies.
• Commitment to sustainability, equity, inclusion, and ethical supply chain practices.
• Experience with applicable state & federal laws & regulations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a unionized environment and/or large-scale foodservice or hospitality operations.
• Knowledge of higher education procurement practices, sustainability standards, and campus dining operational models.
• Prior category leadership in produce, proteins, grocery, beverages, sustainable sourcing, or broadline distribution.

Salary Range: $92,000.00 - $146,750.00

Posted: 03-Dec-25

Location: New Haven, Connecticut

Categories: Staff/Administrative