AVP, Technology Procurement

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES The Associate Vice President (AVP), Technology Procurement serves as a strategic leader responsible for developing and executing procurement strategies for technology-related goods and services. This role ensures cost optimization, supplier innovation, and risk management while aligning with Royal Caribbean Group’s strategic objectives. The AVP will oversee all aspects of sourcing and supplier relationship management (SRM) within technology, fostering partnerships that deliver value and support the organization's goals for digital transformation and operational efficiency. The AVP, Technology Procurement is responsible for leading the enterprise-wide procurement strategy for technology-related spend, including software, hardware, cloud services, telecommunications, cybersecurity, AI solutions, technology professional services, and digital transformation initiatives. This executive partners closely with the CTO / CIO, CAIO, CISO, Global Technology senior leaders, Legal, and other business leaders to optimize technology investments using procurement best practice techniques, mitigate supplier risk, accelerate innovation, and maximize value creation. The AVP Technology Procurement develops long-term sourcing strategies, leads high-value negotiations, manages strategic supplier relationships, and ensures procurement delivers measurable financial, operational, and strategic outcomes. This strategic position involves leading an experienced team of technology procurement professionals, collaborating closely with technology leaders across the various disciplines. This key leadership role acts as a thought leader for the function and critical advisor who collaborates with senior leadership to influence and shape the suppliers of choice, total cost of ownership (TCO) and On Time in Full (OTIF) service for a procured annual spend under management of over $500m+ across OPEX and CAPEX in a rapidly evolving pace supporting new builds and private destinations.   Essential Duties and Responsibilities •    Lead negotiations for complex multi-million-dollar technology agreements across: Enterprise Software (ERP, CRM, SaaS), Cloud Services (AWS, Azure), AI platforms and solutions, Cybersecurity, Hardware and Infrastructure, Telecommunications, Data Centers, Professional and Consulting Services, Transformation programs to achieve optimal cost, pricing models, quality, licensing structures, commercial terms, service levels, and contractual protections with a TCO perspective. •    Formulate and execute procurement category strategies aligned with organizational goals and industry best practices and based on market intelligence, supplier capabilities, and business priorities. •    Establishes governance processes, risk mitigation strategies, and ensures compliance across all technology-related procurement activities. •    Partners with internal business technology teams to understand technical requirements and operational priorities and with external procurement partners to stay abreast of emerging changes in evolving contracting and billing vendor practices. •    Partners with stakeholders and finance teams to forecast technology needs, participate in budget tradeoffs, and deliver value creation in the range of 5-10% of annual spend under management (est. $500m) •    Serve as a trusted advisor to executive leadership on technology sourcing, supplier strategy, and commercial optimization. •    Lead and develop a high-performing Global Technology Procurement team of 20 people (10 FTEs and 10 Offshore contractors) through coaching, mentoring, and talent development. •    Develops KPIs and dashboards to monitor category performance, supplier compliance, and operational effectiveness. •    Drive continuous improvement initiatives to optimize procurement processes, reduce costs, and enhance service levels. •    Performs and implements SRM establishing executive governance with