About the company

Utopia is an ultra-luxury hospitality and lifestyle brand creating a global ecosystem of properties and experiences.

We develop private villa retreats in beautiful locations around the world, each with high-end service. Utopia also offers a wider ecosystem of leisure experiences and services available both to those staying on property and to external visitors.

Utopia designs and builds its properties in-house. Our projects span the full journey: from concept and architecture to construction, interiors, landscape, guest experience, and long-term operation. For architects and designers, this means contributing on properties from the ground up, with the ability to influence how each place is planned, built, and experienced. For hospitality professionals, it means collaborating with a brand where service is personal, attentive, and built around each guest’s stay.

We’re a young, ambitious team with high standards and a hands-on approach. We value strong ideas, practical thinking, attention to detail, and people who are ready to take ownership of their part of each project. If you’re interested in architecture, design, hospitality, or guest experience, we invite you to explore opportunities with Utopia.

About the role

We are looking for a strategic, hands-on Head of Procurement to lead our global procurement and supply chain function across a portfolio of boutique hospitality assets, eco-resorts, and ultra-luxury residential projects worldwide.

In this senior leadership role, you will hold ultimate accountability for Utopia’s end-to-end procurement lifecycle—spanning FF&E; (Furniture, Fixtures & Equipment), OS&E; (Operating Supplies & Equipment), Construction Materials & Packages, Specialty Trades, and Professional Consulting Services. You will direct strategic sourcing, vendor partnerships, contract negotiations, international freight logistics, import/export compliance, and on-site delivery and installation handover.

Working closely with Architecture, Interior Design, Structural Engineering, Project Management, and Site Construction teams, you will establish robust procurement governance and playbooks that safeguard design intent, secure commercial advantage, mitigate supply chain risks, and deliver projects on schedule and on budget in both urban and remote coastal/island environments.

Responsibilities

1 Strategic Sourcing & Category Leadership

- Define, implement, and oversee global procurement strategies across four primary categories:
- FF&E;: Custom millwork, bespoke loose furniture, architectural lighting, decorative textiles, and art integration.
- OS&E;: Tabletop, guestroom collateral, kitchen and culinary equipment, wellness/spa equipment, linens, and housekeeping supplies.
- Construction Materials & Packages: Structural steel, facade/glazing packages, specialized concrete additives, high-end stone/timber, and MEP systems.
- Services & Subcontracts: Specialty trades, technical consultants, testing agencies, and third-party logistics (3PL) providers.
- Build and maintain an exclusive global network of certified manufacturers, artisan fabricators, and master suppliers across Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa.
- Champion sustainable and low-carbon sourcing, ensuring materials and products align with environmental commitments, local craftsmanship integration, and ESG standards.

2. Commercial Governance, Tendering & Contracts

- Lead competitive tendering processes, commercial negotiations, and master service/purchase agreements (MSAs/POs), securing optimal pricing, warranty terms, and service levels.
- Review, negotiate, and execute vendor contracts, protecting Utopia from liability, material price volatility, and non-performance risks.
- Oversee multi-currency payment forecasting, cash-flow milestones, proforma approvals, and close alignment with the Finance Department.
- Drive structured value engineering exercises alongside Design and Engineering leadership without diluting the ultra-luxury guest experience or architectural integrity.

3. Global Supply Chain, Logistics & Remote Site Delivery

- Design and orchestrate international multimodal supply chains (sea freight, air freight, customs bonded warehousing, and last-mile land transport).
- Oversee international customs clearance, tariff classifications, tax exemptions (e.g., CONFOTUR or regional tourism incentive schemes), and import/export compliance across multiple legal jurisdictions.
- Anticipate and mitigate supply chain vulnerabilities, port bottlenecks, and lead-time risks, establishing contingency shipping routes and buffer stock strategies.
- Partner with on-site Project Managers and Site Managers to coordinate staging areas, site consolidation, delivery sequencing, White-Glove installation, and defect/punch-list closeout through final handover.

4. Team Leadership & Operational Excellence

- Lead, mentor, and expand the procurement department, including Category Managers, Procurement Coordinators, Logistics Specialists, and Quality Inspectors.
- Develop Utopia’s procurement standards, vendor scorecards, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and digital playbooks.
- Implement and optimize procurement management software, ERP workflows, tracking dashboards (Power BI / Looker Studio), and BIM-integrated asset databases.
- Provide executive-level portfolio reports covering procurement status, committed spend vs. budget, lead-time variance, and vendor risk profiles.

Requirements

Education & Credentials

- Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Procurement, Business Administration, Civil Engineering, Architecture, or a related discipline.
- Master’s degree or professional certifications (e.g., MCIPS/CIPS, CPSM, PMP) preferred.

Experience

- 12+ years of progressive procurement and supply chain experience, including at least 5 years in senior leadership directing teams and managing complex multi-million-dollar capital project packages.
- Global Luxury Hospitality & High-End Real Estate Track Record: Direct experience delivering procurement for ultra-luxury boutique hotels, 5-star resorts, private island assets, or high-end residential estates.
- Geographic Scope: Proven hands-on experience managing international sourcing and logistical delivery in Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, and/or Africa, including navigating customs clearance, local tariffs, and remote coastal/island transport logistics.
- Full-lifecycle procurement ownership spanning construction packages, MEP/materials, bespoke interior fit-out (FF&E;), and pre-opening hotel operations (OS&E;).

Technical Skills & Competencies

- Advanced knowledge of international commercial contracts, Incoterms 2020, customs compliance, and contract law.
- Deep proficiency with procurement software, ERPs, MS Excel/Google Sheets, MS Project, and project management tools.
- Demonstrated capability in data-driven reporting, budget tracking, spend analytics, and KPI dashboards (Power BI, Looker Studio, or equivalent).
- Exceptional negotiation, diplomatic stakeholder management, and cross-cultural communication skills.

Languages

- Fluent written and spoken English is strictly required.
- Professional working proficiency in Spanish or Portuguese is strongly preferred

By submitting this application, I agree that my personal data will be collected, processed, and retained by the company solely for the purposes of managing and assessing my candidacy.

Notice: This is a remote position based in Italy.

📌 Head of Procurement (Italia)
🏢 Utopia
📍 Italia