Director, Procurement – FIFA World Cup 26

Who We Are

On Location is a global leader in premium experiential hospitality, offering ticketing, curated guest experiences, live event production and travel management across sports, entertainment, fashion and culture. On Location provides unrivaled access for corporate clients and fans looking for official, immersive experiences at marquee events, including the Olympic and Paralympic Games, FIFA World Cup 2026, Super Bowl, NCAA Final Four, and more. An official partner and/or service provider to over 150 iconic rights holders, such as the IOC (the Milano Cortina 2026 and Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games), FIFA, NFL, NCAA, UFC, WWE, and PGA of America, the company also owns and operates a number of its own unique experiences. On Location is a subsidiary of TKO Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: TKO), a premium sports and entertainment company.

Position Overview

On Location is the Official Hospitality Provider for the FIFA World Cup 2026TM. The Director of Procurement will lead the end-to-end procurement strategy, planning, and execution for the official hospitality offerings of the tournament. This position will oversee all sourcing activities related to premium guest experiences, including venue services, F&B, décor, AV, temporary structures, logistics, and more. The successful candidate will ensure all goods and services meet On Location’s and FIFA’s global standards, are delivered on time, and within budget, all while ensuring legal compliance and sustainable procurement practices.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Implementation

• Develop and lead the procurement strategy in alignment with the broader goals of the hospitality program, On Location and FIFA’s organizational and event objectives.
• Oversee sourcing and acquisition of goods and services across all hospitality categories (e.g., F&B, décor, temporary structures, AV, waste management, marketing).
• Build and manage strong relationships with key suppliers, vendors, and strategic partners to ensure long-term value and reliability.
  
  

Stakeholder Collaboration

• Partner with internal departments— Delivery/Operations, Finance, Legal, and Sustainability—to ensure alignment of procurement activities with functional business and event needs and requirements.
• Serve as a key member of cross-functional planning and execution teams, ensuring seamless delivery of hospitality services and vendors across all venues.
  
  

Supplier Negotiations

• Lead high-value, complex negotiations with suppliers to secure optimal pricing, contract terms, and service levels.
• Working with Legal, ensure all contracts are legally sound, risk-mitigated, and include key requirements to ensure vendor obligations are me.
• Work with functional areas to include SLAs and KPIs to ensure performance accountability and reflect the organization’s strategic and operational priorities.
  
  

Budget Oversight and Cost Control

• Manage multi-million-dollar vendor budgets across multiple markets (USA, Canada, Mexico), identifying cost-saving opportunities while maintaining the highest quality standards for the guest experience.
• Collaborate with Finance and the Operations teams to ensure vendors are selected with and maintain strict adherence to the budget and manage costs and changes through planning and event execution and closeout.
  
  

Sustainable Procurement

• Champion FIFA’s commitment to sustainable, ethical, and socially responsible procurement practices.
• Embed standards into supplier evaluations and contracting processes to promote environmental stewardship and human rights across the supply chain.
  
  

Risk Management

• Proactively identify and mitigate supply chain risks, vendor performance issues, and market fluctuations.
• Develop contingency plans for supply disruptions, vendor challenges and critical path delays, always ensuring event readiness.
  
  

Compliance and Reporting

• Ensure strict compliance with FIFA and On Location procurement policies, local laws, and international procurement regulations.
• Manage vendors from early procurement and contracting through event build and operations, to include dashboards and KPIs for transparency and audit-readiness.
• Deliver regular updates and insights to senior leadership regarding procurement process and vendor performance, supplier evaluations, and financial impact.
  
  

Continuous Improvement

• Leverage data and procurement analytics to identify areas for continuous improvement and operational efficiencies.
• Lead the implementation of procurement technologies and systems that improve automation, reporting accuracy, and stakeholder collaboration.
  
  

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Hospitality or Event Management, or related field.
• 10+ years of experience in procurement leadership, preferably in large-scale events, hospitality, sports, or entertainment.
• Proven track record of managing complex procurement projects across international markets.
• Deep knowledge of event-related hospitality goods and services and their operational requirements.
• Expertise in supplier negotiations, budget oversight, and contract lifecycle management.
• Strong command of procurement and related platforms (e.g., Jaggaer, Airtable, Smartsheet) and full suite of Microsoft Office tools.
• Willingness to travel across North America.
• Fluency in English required; Spanish and/or French preferred.