Chief Procurement Officer

Job description

Overview: Leads and redefines procurement as a strategic business partner, driving growth, operational excellence, innovation, risk management, and enterprise value realization. Oversees third-party spend, leads enterprise sourcing and supplier strategy, strengthens governance and risk management, and accelerates the modernization of procurement through digital, analytics, and AI (Artificial Intelligence)-enabled capabilities. Primary Responsibilities: Oversee the development and execution of a forward-looking procurement strategy that drives enterprise value, operational efficiency, innovation, and risk mitigation. Create a procurement organization recognized as a strategic partner and business enabler across the Bank. Lead sourcing strategy and governance while negotiating and managing complex, high-value supplier relationships. Drive greater commercial value, innovation, service excellence, and supplier collaboration across the enterprise. Champion the next generation of procurement capabilities through AI, intelligent automation, advanced analytics, category intelligence, and modern source-to-pay technologies. Establish disciplined governance and accountability for enterprise spending. Leverage data and market intelligence to improve transparency, increase operating leverage, and enable smarter investment decisions. Lead a best-in-class third-party risk program aligned with regulatory expectations and the organization's risk appetite. Strengthen supplier oversight, resiliency, compliance, and risk mitigation practices across the vendor ecosystem. Provide leadership and expertise during acquisitions and strategic transactions, identifying synergies, mitigating contractual risk, and maximizing value realization opportunities. Build, inspire, and develop a high-performing team known for innovation, partnership, accountability, and results. Foster a culture that embraces continuous improvement, diversity of thought, and enterprise collaboration. Exercise usual authority of a manager concerning staffing, performance appraisals, promotions, salary recommendations, performance management and terminations. Understand and adhere to the Company’s risk and regulatory standards, policies and controls in accordance with the Company’s Risk Appetite. Design, implement, maintain and enhance internal controls to mitigate risk on an ongoing basis. Identify risk-related issues needing escalation to management. Promote an environment that supports a culture of belonging and reflects the M&T Bank brand. Maintain M&T internal control standards, including timely implementation of internal and external audit points together with any issues raised by external regulators as applicable. Complete other related duties as assigned. Scope of Responsibilities: The organization is embarking on a significant modernization and growth agenda. Procurement sits at the center of that transformation, influencing how capital is deployed, how innovation is sourced, how risk is managed, and how strategic partnerships create value. The position serves as trusted advisor to executive leadership and key governance committees, bringing together commercial insight, supplier intelligence, technology enablement, and disciplined risk management to improve performance across the enterprise. Success in the role is measured not only by savings, but by the ability to drive innovation, optimize supplier ecosystems, strengthen resiliency, enable growth, and position Procurement as a recognized strategic differentiator. This position is expected to redefine procurement as a strategic business partner, driving growth, operational excellence, innovation, risk management, and enterprise value realization. With this the position influences enterprise strategy, shapes key investment decisions, builds executive-level partnerships, and creates sustainable competitive advantage across a complex and highly regulated organization. Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: No. of Staff – 52 Annual Third-Part Spend - $2 billion Education and Experience Required: Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Supply Chain or related field and a minimum of 13 years’ progressive procurement, sourcing, and/or supplier management experience, or in lieu of a degree, a combined minimum of 17 years’ higher education and/or work experience, including a minimum of 13 years’ progressive procurement, sourcing, and/or supplier management experience Minimum of 6 years’ proven managerial experience Significant experience leading enterprise procurement organizations with large-scale spend responsibility Proven track record of procurement transformation and enterprise change leadership Deep expertise in strategic sourcing, supplier negotiations, category management, and value realization Demonstrated success leveraging technology, analytics, automation, and AI to modernize procurement operations Strong knowledge of third-party risk management, governance, and regulatory expectations Executive presence with ability to influence senior leaders, boards, regulators, and external partners Outstanding financial skills Outstanding analytical skills Outstanding business case development capabilities Experience supporting mergers, acquisitions, and complex integration initiatives Reputation for developing high-performing teams Reputation for building strong stakeholder relationships Education and Experience Preferred: MBA (Master in Business Administration) or other advanced business degree CPSM Certified Professional in Supply Management), CIPS (Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply), CPM, and/or related professional certifications Prior Financial services, banking, and/or other highly regulated industry experience Experience leading enterprise procurement modernization and platform transformation initiatives M&T Bank is committed to fair, competitive, and market-informed pay for our employees. The pay range for this position is $157,500.00 - $292,500.00 Annual (USD). The successful candidate’s particular combination of knowledge, skills, and experience will inform their specific compensation. Location Buffalo, New York, United States of America