Director, Vendor Management & Engineering

Reports To: VP, Brand Development

Location: Remote (EU or Eastern US) or Aarhus, Denmark

We’re seeking a seasoned Director to manage our complete development and manufacturing process, overseeing multiple product categories across an established and growing vendor base and driving efficient and sustainable strategies to grow our development capabilities. The ideal candidate is analytical, process-oriented, and thrives in a fast-paced, high-accountability environment. You will lead a lean, growing team and leverage your experience to reshape and enhance our sourcing and development approach as we expand our capabilities to pursue multi-year growth across core and emerging categories.

What You’ll Do:

Vendor Management

• Develop and execute a global sourcing strategy aligned with long-term business goals and operational efficiency.
• Ensure sourcing initiatives support product innovation, sustainability, and market expansion.
• Build and manage strategic partnerships with global suppliers to ensure performance, innovation, and continuous value delivery
• Lead complex supplier negotiations to secure favorable terms and cost savings.
• Oversee governance of all supplier contracts (MSAs, LTAs, SLAs), ensuring alignment with business and legal standards.
• Implement supplier risk management strategies, including regulatory compliance, financial health monitoring, and supply chain continuity plans.
• Ensure due diligence and performance metrics are in place for all strategic vendors.
• Champion initiatives to enhance supplier performance, drive cost efficiency, and support sustainability goals.
• Identify and implement sourcing process improvements across categories.
• Conduct market analysis and use data-driven insights to inform sourcing strategies and category management.
• Lead and mentor a high-performing sourcing team; foster accountability, collaboration, and continuous development.
• Report on sourcing performance, risks, and opportunities to leadership.
• Represent the company at industry events, strengthening supplier and industry relationships.
• Champion procurement technology adoption to improve transparency, decision-making, and sourcing efficiency.
• Ensure integration and optimization of sourcing tools across systems.
• Uphold procurement policies, legal compliance, and ethical sourcing standards across the organization.

Engineering & Development

• Drive cross-functional partnership with the design team from early concepting and product specifications to prototype development and quoting across multiple vendors
• Work closely with Quality Assurance and manufacturing partners to ensure compliance with all regional testing requirements and vendor certifications.
• Partner closely with the Operations team to maximize production efficiencies and capacity planning.
• Build talent pipelines and future-ready capabilities within the team.

Key Competencies

• Strategic Thinking – Visionary planning rooted in market trends and long-term value creation.
• Team Management – Team leadership in purchasing, engineering, and quality assurance.
• Execution Excellence – Delivering results through effective planning, resource management, and operational rigor.
• Collaboration & Teamwork – Building trust and alignment across internal teams and external partners.
• Sourcing Strategy – Crafting value-driven plans that balance cost, risk, and innovation.
• Supplier Management – Cultivating strong, accountable supplier partnerships that deliver ongoing improvement.
• Negotiation – Securing win-win agreements through strategic communication and problem-solving.

Who You Are:

• Bachelor’s degree.
• Minimum 10 years of experience in Strategic Sourcing and/or Procurement.
• Extensive experience in cross-functional collaboration with Product Management, Design, and Branding teams
• Proficiency in problem-solving and decision-making techniques with a strong understanding of contracting and negotiating principles.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with constant deadlines and deliverables.
• Proficiency in computer-based development, analytical, and communication tools (CAD, Excel & PowerPoint).
• Quick learner with interest in understanding and applying supplier best practices.
• Excellent organization, communication, and presentation skills.
• Innovative, self-motivated, and able to work with minimal supervision, along with strong leadership, management, and interpersonal skills.