Exciting opportunity with our client to help build the Travel & MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Events) procurement category from the ground up. What makes this especially compelling is that you're not just stepping into a role—you're helping shape how the business operates moving forward, with real visibility and impact. It's a chance to be part of a well-known global brand at a pivotal moment of transformation and growth.
About the Role
Owns the end-to-end Travel & MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Events) procurement category, including strategy development, sourcing, contracting, and ongoing supplier management across key spend areas (e.g., air, hotel, ground transportation, online booking tools, TMCs, event agencies, venues, production).
Responsibilities
- Acts as the primary commercial partner to HR, Finance, business units, and senior leadership, translating traveler, meeting, and event requirements into effective category and sourcing strategies and contract structures.
- Leads commercial negotiations with travel management companies, airlines, hotel chains, ground providers, and MICE/event agencies to deliver cost savings and avoidance, duty-of-care support, policy compliance, and traveler/attendee experience improvements.
- Plays a critical role in standing up and maturing the indirect procurement function, with specific focus on vendor selection and contract execution.
- Ensures all travel and MICE providers, their selection, and contracts comply with company code of conduct, internal procurement and travel policies, traveler safety and duty-of-care standards, and applicable regulations.
- Participates in key stakeholder forums (e.g., HR, Finance, Safety/Compliance), acting as the bridge between business leadership and procurement while providing commercial input and ensuring strategic alignment of travel and MICE activities with business priorities.
Qualifications
- 8–10+ years of experience in procurement, category management, strategic sourcing, or travel/MICE program management, with direct experience managing Travel and/or MICE categories.
- Proven track record of leading complex negotiations and managing strategic relationships with TMCs, airlines, hotel groups, and/or event agencies in a matrixed environment.
- Strong understanding of corporate travel and MICE market models, including TMC service models, airline and hotel corporate programs, dynamic and negotiated pricing, and event agency/production fee structures.
- Experience supporting organizational change, separations/carve‑outs, or procurement function stand‑ups is strongly preferred.
- Strong analytical skills, including comfort with spend, rate, utilization, and savings analyses, and the ability to translate data into actionable sourcing and policy recommendations.
- Excellent stakeholder management, communication, and influencing skills, with the ability to work effectively across HR, Finance, business units, and senior leadership.
- Familiarity with online booking tools, expense platforms, and travel technology ecosystems is highly desirable.
What Makes This Opportunity Unique: Shape and build a new indirect procurement organization from the ground up, including stand‑up of a unified Travel & MICE program and establishment of foundational supplier relationships and policies. Play a visible, strategic role at a pivotal moment for the business, ensuring that travel and events enable growth, collaboration, and culture-building while controlling cost and risks.
