The Company
Littlejohn & Co. (“Littlejohn) has invested in the middle market for 25+ years and invests transformational capital in companies undergoing change. The firm partners with management to grow their businesses, improve operational performance, and build winning teams.
Littlejohn focuses on a limited number of opportunities and looks to develop a strong partnership with management to drive a step-change in growth, performance, and enterprise value. The firm consistently manages its investments with a long-term perspective, and the team has a simple belief that the best tactical and strategic decisions will be made based upon what is right for a company based on this long-term view. Littlejohn is led by 15 Managing Directors supported by 46 investment professionals. The company also has a Portfolio Support Group that partners with its portfolio companies on value creation initiatives. Littlejohn is headquartered in Greenwich, CT.
The Role
The Senior Director of Strategic Sourcing will act as an interim strategic sourcing leader for up to two portfolio companies in the Littlejohn & Co private equity portfolio at the same time. Portfolio company assignments and opportunities will be determined in conjunction with the Operations Consultant, Littlejohn deal team members, and portfolio company leadership. The goals of a portfolio company engagement will be to assess the current people, process, and technology regarding procurement, establish the strategic vision for the future organization, develop a multi-year savings roadmap, and execute savings opportunities in the first 100 days.
As a “hands on” leader, the Senior Director will need to shift organizations with a transactional procurement focus into a strategic sourcing mindset and approach utilizing data, analytics, and organizational/people management. The new leader will be a change agent and process improvement champion working closely with portfolio company functional leaders to create and execute plans that drive productivity and cost reductions. A player/coach mentality will be necessary in that the role will require the ability to not only develop strategy but execute tangible wins quickly.
Experience & Requirements
• 10+ years leadership in procurement and supply chain.
• Mature understanding of integrated role of people, policies, processes, and systems necessary for sustained success in delivery of strategic and operational procurement services.
• Expert understanding of, and deep experience with, multi-step strategic sourcing processes; sourcing activities measured in terms of implemented savings and always reflect TCO perspective.
• Able to drive innovation in sensitive, challenging, or long-term supply relationships through capture of new sources of value or identification/creation of alternatives and substitutes.
• Able to work up, down, and across field-based organizations; connects well at all levels, i.e., field, management, executives.
• Expert-level financial, quantitative, and analytical skills.
• Significant experience forecasting budgets and leading monthly, quarterly, and/or annual business planning processes; experience leveraging procurement data and market intelligence into strategic/corporate business planning processes.
• Performance-driven leadership style with demonstrable experience personally driving or influencing successful results.
• Demonstrated excellence managing internal customers; works well in stakeholder settings involving multiple locations/Bus.
• A broad hands-on procurement background combined with experience driving a transformational and business focused procurement strategy.
• A natural mentor and recognized thought leader; demonstrated ability to attract and develop top talent within the supply chain profession.
• Skilled at institutionalizing stakeholder communications for input and alignment; well-honed “radar” for situations requiring incremental stakeholder management.
• A flexible, dynamic, self demanding, and proactive individual.
• Easily accepts constructive input from others.
• Able to function as a working leader with the aptitude to execute as many tasks as delegated.
