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Who We Are

Applied Materials is a global leader in materials engineering solutions used to produce virtually every new chip and advanced display in the world. We design, build and service cutting-edge equipment that helps our customers manufacture display and semiconductor chips – the brains of devices we use every day. As the foundation of the global electronics industry, Applied enables the exciting technologies that literally connect our world – like AI and IoT. If you want to push the boundaries of materials science and engineering to create next generation technology, join us to deliver material innovation that changes the world.

What We Offer

Salary:

$160,000.00 - $220,000.00

Location:

Austin,TX, Gloucester,MA, Home / Mobile,ID-001, San Jose,CA, Santa Clara,CA

You’ll benefit from a supportive work culture that encourages you to learn, develop, and grow your career as you take on challenges and drive innovative solutions for our customers. We empower our team to push the boundaries of what is possible—while learning every day in a supportive leading global company. Visit our Careers website to learn more.

At Applied Materials, we care about the health and wellbeing of our employees. We’re committed to providing programs and support that encourage personal and professional growth and care for you at work, at home, or wherever you may go. Learn more about our benefits (https://hrportal.ehr.com/applied/) .

Job Summary: The Director of the Sourcing Center of Excellence (SCoE) is a strategic enabler responsible for architecting and leading a center-led, globally harmonized sourcing operating model. In this role, the Director ensures “One Voice” to stakeholders across all regions and categories, driving consistent standards, end-to-end process oversight, and continuous improvement aligned to Global Sourcing & Procurement’s Definition of Winning (value capture, client experience, risk management, capability building). This leader will deliver value-driven, efficient, and scalable sourcing execution worldwide.

The Director will champion standardization and smart segmentation of work while respecting “regional nuance” in execution, embed an enterprise value capture discipline, and elevate sourcing execution maturity from a reactive, fragmented state to a proactive, world-class operation. As a key architect of our new operating model, the Director SCoE ensures the sourcing function contributes measurably to GSP’s strategic outcomes – “One Voice” stakeholder alignment, global process execution excellence, and accelerated value capture. This role also focuses on talent and capability development for the sourcing community, building an intentional global talent pipeline and culture of continuous learning that underpins sustained success in partnership with our GSP Talent & Development teams.

Key Responsibilities

Global Process & Standardization

+ End-to-End Process Execution: Drive the global sourcing process from intake to contract, continuously refining workflows that are standardized yet adaptable to local requirements. Ensure a single set of business rules, tiering criteria, and policies governs sourcing execution enterprise-wide.

+ Process Harmonization: Harmonize global and regional practices, eliminating silos so that all categories and regions operate under a unified methodology with “globally scoped, locally nuanced” execution. Champion process simplification, automation, and scalability in partnership with Solutions & Technology teams (e.g. ServiceNow intake, eRFx platforms).

+ Center of Excellence Enablement: Serve as the enterprise owner for sourcing – partnering with category in developing and executing against category playbooks, templates, and standard operating procedures. Lead the SCoE team in providing process training and support to category and regional teams to drive adoption of best practices.

Value Capture, Performance & Continuous Improvement

+ Value Capture Integration: Embed the enterprise’s Value Capture framework into all sourcing activities. Ensure sourcing projects explicitly track savings, cost avoidance, risk mitigation, and other value levers (e.g. innovation, sustainability) from planning through realization.

+ Performance Analytics: Define and operationalize KPIs and dashboards to provide real-time visibility into sourcing performance – cycle times, throughput, savings, compliance, customer satisfaction, etc. Use data to identify gaps and drive a continuous improvement pipeline for process and policy enhancements.

+ Continuous Improvement & Innovation: Establish a governance rhythm (e.g. quarterly value reviews, process kaizens) to review outcomes and identify improvement opportunities. Leverage benchmarks (e.g. Hackett) and best practices to elevate sourcing execution maturity over time. Drive pilots of new technologies (AI tools, automation) to further improve efficiency and outcomes.

Stakeholder Partnership & “One Voice” Alignment

+ Unified Stakeholder Engagement: Act as the single point of contact (“One Voice”) for sourcing process and execution standards across all business units. Partner with Category Management leaders to ensure sourcing delivery is seamlessly aligned to category strategies and business objectives, presenting a unified front to internal stakeholders and suppliers.

+ Business Alignment & Intake: Collaborate with category teams and Procurement Business Partners (BRMs) to shape demand and funnel sourcing needs appropriately. Partner with the Global Operations Teams and the Solutions and Technology team to ensure streamlined process experience from source to order. Ensure clear intake and triage mechanisms so that each project is routed to the right team (category strategic vs. CoE functional) per agreed criteria, enabling speed and strategic focus.

+ Center-Led Operating Model: Reinforce a center-led execution model by providing guidance and support to regional sourcing teams. Ensure that regional leads and any outsourced partners operate under SCoE governance and escalation paths, so stakeholder queries or issues are addressed with clarity and accountability. This role drives “one GSP” experience for stakeholders – globally consistent service with room for regional flexibility.

Talent Development & Capability Building

+ Global Talent Pipeline: Build and nurture a “talent bench” of sourcing professionals across the globe. Define career pathways and competency frameworks that encourage rotation and growth – enabling generalist Sourcing Analysts to progress into Category-aligned strategic Sourcing Managers over time.

+ Training & Mentorship: Implement robust training programs and mentorship initiatives in partnership with GSP Talent & Development. Equip sourcing staff with advanced skills in negotiation, market analysis, should-cost modeling, and the use of digital tools. Foster a culture of knowledge sharing and replication (playbooks, lessons learned) to build depth and consistency in capabilities worldwide.

+ Org Design & Workforce Strategy: Work with Category leadership to continually refine the operating model split between category teams and SCoE (e.g. which sourcing roles reside in CoE vs in Category). Align on a sustainable “hub-and-spoke” resourcing model, including location strategy for low-cost hubs and insourcing plans for critical roles, to ensure an agile and cost-effective sourcing organization.

Governance, Transformation Leadership & Change Management

+ Operating Model Leadership: Serve as a change agent for GSP’s operating model transformation. Translate high-level org design decisions into practical implementation within the SCoE – defining clear RACI between Category teams, SCoE, and other stakeholders. Update RACI charts and accountability matrices to clarify “who does what” in the new model.

+ Cross-Functional Alignment: Coordinate with peer leaders in Procurement Operations, Supplier Management, Finance, Legal, and IT to ensure sourcing process changes and improvements are aligned with upstream (demand planning, budgeting) and downstream (P2P operations, contract management) activities. Align global policy and compliance requirements (e.g. competitive bidding thresholds, approval workflows) with process design to ensure no gaps.

+ Change Management & Communication: Drive adoption of new ways of working through structured change management – comprehensive communication plans, training, and stakeholder engagement. Act as a spokesperson for the new SCoE model in GSP All-Hands and stakeholder forums, consistently messaging the benefits (speed, consistency, value) and progress. Monitor feedback loops (surveys, stakeholder interviews) and address concerns to achieve buy-in across regions.

Qualifications & Experience

+ Leadership & Transformation: 12+ years in strategic sourcing/procurement, including leading a major transformation or Center of Excellence build-out across regions. Proven ability to implement operating model changes and deliver measurable improvements. Seasoned leader with the ability to attract, develop and retain key talent constantly improving the capabilities of sourcing professionals to be future – ready for Applied Materials.

+ Strategic Procurement Expertise: Deep knowledge of strategic sourcing and category management processes. Track record of driving value (savings, risk reduction, innovation) through procurement initiatives at a global scale. Familiarity with industry benchmarks and world-class practices in sourcing (e.g. Hackett metrics) is a plus.

Process & Technology Acumen: Proven ability to collaborate with process engineering teams to maintain alignment with core design principles and promote a culture focused on continuous improvement. Extensive hands-on experience in optimizing source-to-contract operations while upholding standards of efficiency and robust quality control. Skilled in supporting the implementation of procurement technologies, including e-sourcing platforms, contract management systems, and analytics solutions. Demonstrates an early adopter mindset, with proficiency or strong interest in utilizing AI-driven and digital innovations in sourcing considered highly advantageous.

+ Global & Cross-Functional Collaboration: Experience managing global teams or programs, with cultural agility to harmonize practices across Americas, EMEA, and APAC. Strong cross-functional collaborator able to partner with IT, Finance, Legal, and Business Unit leaders to align procurement strategies.

+ Change Agent & Communicator: Exceptional change management skills – able to articulate a vision, energize teams, and influence at all levels to adopt new processes. Excellent communication skills with the executive presence to report out to senior leadership and the interpersonal skills to coach teams through change.

+ Education: Bachelor’s degree required; MBA or relevant Master’s preferred. Professional certifications (e.g. CPSM, CSCP) or formal training in Lean/Six Sigma or change management are a plus.

Key Competencies & Attributes

+ Strategic Vision & Execution Bias: Able to see the big picture of where sourcing needs to go (strategic outcomes, “definition of winning”) and translate that into concrete frameworks and action plans. Balances visionary thinking with disciplined execution and follow-through.

+ Global Mindset with Regional Sensitivity: Genuinely global outlook – thinks and acts across boundaries. Appreciates regional differences in business culture or regulations and adapts solutions appropriately without compromising global standards.

+ Influential Leadership: A collaborative leader who can drive consensus and motivate others without direct authority. Skilled at leading through influence, coaching, and example – from analysts up to senior executives. Builds trust and credibility as a process and domain expert.

+ People Developer & Team Builder: Passion for mentoring and developing talent. Invested in building a strong community of practice in sourcing. Fosters an inclusive, growth-oriented team culture that celebrates continuous improvement, innovation, and knowledge sharing.

+ Analytical & Data-Driven: Highly analytical mindset; uses data to tell a story and support decisions. Adept at interpreting performance metrics and deriving insights. Advocates for fact-based decision-making within the team (e.g. deciding improvement priorities based on data).

+ Change Champion & Resilience: Embraces change with a positive attitude and helps others navigate ambiguity. Resilient and adaptable, able to course-correct and remain focused on long-term goals amid organizational change. Acts as the voice of stability and forward momentum for the team during transformation.

Position requires understanding of Applied Materials global Standards of Business Conduct and compliance with these standards at all times. This includes demonstrating the highest level of ethical conduct reflecting Applied Materials' core values.

Additional Information

Time Type:

Full time

Employee Type:

Assignee / Regular

Travel:

Yes, 25% of the Time

Relocation Eligible:

No

The salary offered to a selected candidate will be based on multiple factors including location, hire grade, job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and with consideration of internal equity of our current team members. In addition to a comprehensive benefits package, candidates may be eligible for other forms of compensation such as participation in a bonus and a stock award program, as applicable.

For all sales roles, the posted salary range is the Target Total Cash (TTC) range for the role, which is the sum of base salary and target bonus amount at 100% goal achievement.

Applied Materials is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, citizenship, ancestry, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law.

In addition, Applied endeavors to make our careers site (https://www.appliedmaterials.com/us/en/careers.html) accessible to all users. If you would like to contact us regarding accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process, please contact us via e-mail at [email protected], or by calling our HR Direct Help Line at 877-612-7547, option 1, and following the prompts to speak to an HR Advisor. This contact is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.