Associate Director, Procurement - US Federal

Job description

Who We Are At Kyndryl, we design, build, manage and modernize the mission-critical technology systems that the world depends on every day. So why work at Kyndryl? We are always moving forward – always pushing ourselves to go further in our efforts to build a more equitable, inclusive world for our employees, our customers and our communities. The Role At Kyndryl, we design, build, manage, and modernize the mission-critical technology systems the world depends on every day. Our Federal practice partners directly with government agencies to accelerate digital modernization, strengthen cybersecurity, and deploy resilient enterprise cloud environments that power public service and national readiness. Kyndryl Federal is looking for an experienced procurement leader to build, lead, and scale our procurement capabilities as our U.S. Federal presence expands. In this role, you will own the overarching procurement strategy and operational execution across customer programs, capture and proposal activities, strategic subcontractors, OEMs, key technology partners, and internal operations. As Associate Director, Procurement – U.S. Federal, you will serve as a vital business partner across the entire opportunity lifecycle—from early capture and solution shaping through contract award, program delivery, and closeout. You will balance speed, rock-solid compliance, commercial judgment, supplier performance, and risk management across highly regulated agency and defense environments, building a disciplined, audit-ready procurement function that enables mission success. What You Will Do: Lead and scale procurement strategy and execution for federal captures, contracts, programs, and business operations. Oversee the full procurement lifecycle, including acquisition planning, solicitation, supplier and subcontractor evaluation, negotiation, award, onboarding, contract administration, performance management, and closeout. Engage early in capture, solution development, and proposal activities to develop sourcing strategies, identify qualified suppliers and subcontractors, validate pricing and lead times, and identify procurement risks before customer commitments are made. Support proposal development by obtaining and validating supplier and subcontractor quotations, pricing assumptions, terms, representations, certifications, and other procurement inputs required for compliant and executable proposals. Ensure procurement activity aligns with applicable Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS), company policies, customer requirements, delegated authorities, and ethical standards. Lead RFx activities, including RFI, RFQ, and RFP development, supplier communications, proposal evaluation, source selection support, price reasonableness, and award documentation. Develop and administer federal subcontracts, purchase orders, and supplier agreements, including appropriate FAR/DFARS clauses, mandatory flow-down requirements, representations and certifications, and customer-specific contractual requirements. Partner with Capture, Contracts, Legal, Security, Finance, Solutioning, Program Management and Delivery to identify resolve gaps between prime contract obligations and supplier or subcontractor commitments, including schedule, acceptance, security, intellectual property, warranty, indemnification, limitation of liability, and termination requirements. Direct supplier selection, commercial negotiations, contract development, and ongoing performance management, balancing price, margin, cash flow, schedule, contractual exposure, supplier risk, and long-term strategic value. Establish and continuously improve federal procurement policies, procedures, approval workflows, delegated authorities, procurement file standards, and internal controls appropriate for Kyndryl Federal. Provide cost and price analysis, market insight, negotiation strategy, and fact-based recommendations to support capture, program, and business decisions. Establish a risk-based supplier management approach addressing financial, operational, cybersecurity, supply-chain, geopolitical, performance, and concentration risks, with appropriate escalation and mitigation plans for critical suppliers. Monitor critical supplier commitments, lead times, dependencies, and performance to identify risks that could affect customer delivery, revenue, margin, or contractual compliance. Advise and influence senior stakeholders on procurement strategy, supplier risk, compliance considerations, and value opportunities. Lead, coach, and develop procurement team members and help build a scalable Kyndryl Federal procurement capability. Kyndryl currently does not require employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, however, if you are hired to work at a client, customer, or partner location, you may be required to show proof of vaccination to align with their respective COVID-19 vaccination policies.  Those who believe they are eligible may apply for a medical or religious accommodation prior to the start of employment. Who You Are You are an entrepreneurial federal procurement strategist and dealmaker who thrives at the intersection of public-sector rigor and commercial speed. You know that world-class procurement is not a back-office checkpoint—it is an engine of competitive advantage that wins bids, protects margins, and strengthens client trust. Required Skills and Experience 10 or more years of progressive experience in procurement, subcontract management,  sourcing, supply chain, government contracting experience, or a related discipline, including significant experience supporting a U.S. Federal prime contractor or major subcontractor environment. Demonstrated knowledge of FAR and DFARS requirements applicable to federal prime contractors and subcontractors, including subcontracting, competition, cost and price analysis, commercial products and services, representations and certifications, mandatory flow-downs, and procurement file documentation. Experience leading complex procurement activities across the full lifecycle, including solicitations, supplier evaluations, negotiations, awards, and contract administration. Experience with federal contract types and vehicles, such as fixed-price, cost-reimbursement, IDIQ, and BPA arrangements. Experience supporting DoD/DOW or Defense Industrial Base programs involving CUI, cybersecurity requirements, supply-chain security, priority-rated orders/DPAS, and other defense-specific procurement requirements. Strong supplier and subcontractor negotiation, contract interpretation, cost and price analysis, risk assessment, and decision-making skills. Demonstrated ability to evaluate procurement decisions based on total business impact—including price, margin, cash flow, schedule, contractual exposure, supplier risk, customer commitments, and long-term strategic value—rather than price alone. Proven ability to establish compliant processes and internal controls, maintain audit-ready documentation, and manage multiple high-priority procurement activities in a fast-moving environment. Ability to advise, influence, and collaborate with senior leaders and cross-functional stakeholders. Strong written and verbal communication skills, including clear documentation and executive-level recommendations. Preferred Skills and Experience Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Finance, Public Administration, Law, or a related field. Advanced degree or specialized training in government contracting or federal procurement. Professional certification such as CFCM, CPCM, CPSM, or comparable federal procurement or contracting credential. Experience supporting Department of Defense/Department of War or Defense Industrial Base customers or programs. Experience with defense-specific procurement requirements involving controlled information, cybersecurity and supply-chain requirements, priority-rated orders/DPAS, or