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Job Title: Director of Procurement

Posting Date: November 2026

Job Department: Finance

Schedule: Full Time

Job Type: On-site/Hybrid

Location: Candler 111 Market Pl Suite 800 Baltimore MD 21202

JOB SUMMARY:

The National Aquarium is seeking a Director of Procurement responsible for developing and leading the National Aquarium’s centralized procurement function. Reporting to the Vice President of Finance, this position will establish organization-wide procurement strategies, policies, and processes that strengthen financial stewardship, leverage purchasing power, improve vendor management, and provide greater visibility into organizational spending. 

The Director will lead strategic sourcing, competitive bidding, vendor negotiations, and procurement standards while partnering with departments to understand operational needs. Departments will continue to initiate routine purchases within established guidelines, with Procurement providing centralized oversight of significant, strategic, and higher-risk purchases. 

The Director also provides leadership oversight of the Accounts Payable Manager, ensuring effective coordination between procurement and payment processes while maintaining appropriate accounting controls, policies, and segregation of duties as directed by the Controller. 

KEY REQUIREMENTS:

Essential responsibilities include:

Procurement Strategy & Operations 

  • Develop and implement a centralized procurement model across the organization. 
  • Establish procurement policies, purchasing thresholds, competitive bidding requirements, approval processes, and internal controls. 
  • Lead strategic sourcing, RFP/RFQ processes, vendor selection, and commercial negotiations for significant purchases. 
  • Establish preferred vendors and organization-wide purchasing agreements to leverage the Aquarium’s purchasing power. 
  • Develop efficient processes that allow departments to execute routine purchases while ensuring appropriate Procurement involvement in significant or strategic purchases. 
  • Lead organizational adoption of centralized procurement practices through communication, training, and partnership with departments. 
  • Establish and oversee purchasing standards for purchasing cards, online marketplaces, and departmental purchasing accounts, including authorized access, spending limits, documentation, and compliance monitoring.  

Spend, Vendor & Contract Management 

  • Analyze organization-wide spending to identify opportunities for savings, vendor consolidation, standardization, and improved purchasing terms. 
  • Develop visibility into significant vendor relationships and contractual commitments. 
  • Create and maintain vendor evaluations that include quality, service reliability, animal welfare, and safety metrics. 
  • Lead or support negotiations of significant vendor agreements and renewals. 
  • Establish consistent processes for vendor selection, onboarding, performance management, and evaluation. 
  • Track and report procurement savings, cost avoidance, managed spend, and other key performance indicators. 
  • Partner with Finance leadership during budgeting and forecasting to identify procurement opportunities and contractual commitments. 
  • Continue to streamline our database of vendor agreements, including contract owners, financial commitments, renewal dates, termination notice deadlines, and key obligations. 

Cross-Functional Partnership 

  • Partner with department leaders to understand operational requirements and upcoming purchasing needs. 
  • Maintain clear accountability between department ownership of operational and technical requirements and Procurement ownership of sourcing and commercial processes. 
  • Develop procurement practices that balance financial controls, competitive sourcing, and operational efficiency. 
  • Serve as the organization’s primary resource for procurement, sourcing, vendor negotiations, and purchasing best practices. 

Accounts Payable Oversight 

  • Provide leadership and supervision to the Accounts Payable Manager. 
  • Ensure effective coordination across the procure-to-pay process while maintaining appropriate separation between procurement and accounting responsibilities. 
  • Partner with the Controller and Accounts Payable Manager to maintain strong controls over vendor setup, invoice processing, approvals, and payments. 
  • Identify opportunities to improve efficiency and controls across purchasing and payment processes. 
  • Support company mission.
  • Adhere to all organizational and departmental policies and procedures.
  • Other duties as assigned or required.

QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, Supply Chain Management, Procurement, or a related field required. 
  • Minimum of 7 years of progressively responsible experience in procurement, strategic sourcing, including responsibility for competitive bidding, vendor negotiations, and contract management. 
  • Experience developing, implementing, or improving a centralized procurement function strongly preferred. 
  • Demonstrated experience with competitive sourcing, vendor negotiations, contract management, and spend analysis. 
  • Experience developing procurement policies, processes, and internal controls. 
  • Experience directly supervising staff and managing performance required.  
  • Experience in a nonprofit, cultural institution, attraction, hospitality, facilities-intensive, or similarly complex operating environment preferred. 

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities 

  • Strong strategic sourcing, negotiation, analytical, and financial skills. 
  • Ability to identify and execute cost-saving and vendor consolidation opportunities. 
  • Strong understanding of procurement, vendor management, contracting, and the procure-to-pay lifecycle. 
  • Demonstrated ability to establish new processes and lead organizational change. 
  • Ability to balance strong financial controls with practical operational needs. 
  • Strong interpersonal skills and ability to build effective relationships across departments. 
  • Excellent project management, communication, and organizational skills. 
  • High degree of integrity, judgment, accountability, and professionalism. 
  • Strong proficiency with Microsoft Excel and financial/procurement systems. 

TOTAL COMPENSATION INFORMATION

Salary range ($71,000-$92,399 annual). National Aquarium provides an excellent benefits package, including flexible paid leave and up to four weeks of paid family leave. Employees are eligible for health care (single and family) after 30 days of full-time work. Conservation day leave and 401(k) plan with employer match available.

About the National Aquarium

Established in 1981, the National Aquarium in Baltimore, Maryland, is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to connect people with nature to inspire compassion and care for our ocean planet. The Aquarium’s award-winning habitats are home to thousands of animals representing hundreds of species of fish, birds, amphibians, reptiles and mammals. We are proud to be accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and exceed industry standards in all aspects of animal care and welfare.

More than 1.2 million people visit the Aquarium each year to experience our immersive exhibits, and we reach far more through our science-based education programs and hands-on field conservation work. The National Aquarium is one of the top three aquariums in the United States and the largest paid cultural attraction in Maryland.

Our Mission and Goals

The Aquarium’s mission—to connect people with nature to inspire compassion and care for our ocean planet—begins within the walls of its buildings, but it does not end there. The Aquarium protects, enhances and restores natural resources through education and engagement, habitat restoration, animal rescue and sustainable business practices, with its conservation work guided by three overarching goals—to combat climate change, save wildlife and habitats, and stop plastic pollution.

Our Values

At the National Aquarium, our core values form the basis for our beliefs about our organization, our colleagues and ourselves, and serve as the framework to guide our behaviors and actions to achieve our mission.

Connection: We take the time to build lasting connections with each other, our guests, the animals in our care and the nature that surrounds us. We communicate clearly and collaborate readily within and across teams. We engage thoughtfully with our partners. We practice shared accountability.

Curiosity: We center learning and growth in all that we do. Our people are empowered to explore new approaches. We support taking risks. We value diverse perspectives and bold ideas. We embrace change.

Optimism: We celebrate the power of positive moments and shared experiences. We seek out opportunities to have fun. We reconnect with our purpose through sharing successes with our colleagues.

Service: We are in service to each other, our guests and our communities. We make intentional decisions and actions for the benefit of the people and animals within our organization.

Wellbeing: We ensure our people and animals have what they need mentally and physically to thrive. We are committed to improving the wellbeing of communities and sharing the healing power of natural for all.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice

National Aquarium values an inclusive and diverse environment for all employees, volunteers, and interns. Our goal is to recruit, develop, and retain the most talented people from a candidate pool representative of the variety of communities we serve. With a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice, the Aquarium is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and promotes an environment free from all discrimination and harassment.

In the selection and retention of employees, volunteers, and interns, we do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion or belief, national, social, or ethnic origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, physical, mental, or sensory disability, sex (including pregnancy or childbirth), marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, arrest record, family or caregiver status, HIV status, socioeconomic status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Our organization is dedicated to this policy with respect to all terms and conditions of employment, including but not limited to recruitment, training, promotions, performance management, and separation, and general treatment during time of employment.