Procurement Category Manager

Position Description:

Responsible for sourcing Ingredients, Packaging, and Plant Supplies, and buying assigned Raw Materials, Ingredients, Packaging, and Plant Supplies. Analyzes spend, usage, inventory, supplier performance, and market data to support sourcing decisions, safety stock levels, warehouse utilization, and cost opportunities. This involves determining right price, right quality, and right quantity to commit to in order to have the right product in the right place at the right time.

Coordinates activities between sourcing decisions, PO submission, receiving, outside warehouse locations, vendors/distributors, and quality to ensure timely and accurate receipts of purchase orders. Supports Production, Receiving, and Quality as it relates to receiving to specification and supplier performance.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Lead sourcing and RFP/I activities for ingredients, packaging, and plant supplies
• Define sourcing and hedging strategies that balance fixed pricing, relating meat cost to the price of underlying markets (i.e. oil), formula-based pricing, forward contracts, financial futures, and insurance
• Identify underlying markets, news sources, forecasting, and price reporting tools to generate market analysis
• Create purchase orders in response to purchase requisitions, production needs, contract coverage, and sourcing decisions
• Reconcile and resolve purchase order and invoice discrepancies with suppliers and internal stakeholders
• Develop, track, and report on KPIs; analyze spend, inventory, supplier, and cost data to drive category decisions
• Track and analyze supplier performance, market options, and service levels and provide change recommendations
• Track PO fulfillment including verification of quantities, prices, contract terms, and on time deliveries
• Analyze inventory levels, coordinate with production and sales on adequate supplies and verify requirements for proper inventory turns in support of a well-managed inventory system
• Determine safety stocks for assigned items based upon product mix, sales forecast, supplier lead times, market conditions, and seasonality
• Generate reports and sort and analyze inventory levels in conjunction with forecasted demand, current orders, contract positions, supplier capacity, and customer needs; notifies Production and Sales of foreseeable shortfalls
• Work with R&D and Sales Teams for new product commercialization
• Conduct department audits to ensure accuracy of information between physical and electronic inventory levels; alerting appropriate individuals of issues
• Assist the QA department in addressing any product considered out of spec and compile supplier performance data to support corrective action
• Serve as a liaison between suppliers and Production in the resolution of issues and the processing of quality claims using Root Cause Failure Analysis and Corrective Actions
• Assist Receiving to ensure product arrives as intended - shortages, damage, specification, and service issues
• Prepare standard costs for assigned items, participate in month end and accounting activities related to product values and provide analysis of and explanation for variances to standard
• Forecast and adhere to Cost of Goods Sold budgets; provide category analytics to identify risks, savings, and cost avoidance opportunities
• Validate supplier price changes against market fundamentals
• Lead activities necessary to establish vendors, items, cross references, pricing, and sourcing data in the ERP system
• Other duties as assigned

Supervisory/Management Responsibilities:

• No direct reports; leads category ownership, supplier oversight, analytics, and cross-functional issue resolution

Requirements:

• 7+ years purchasing, procurement, sourcing, or category management experience
• Master's degree in business, supply chain, finance, analytics, or related field required
• Sourcing and supplier negotiation experience with ingredients, packaging, supplies, or other manufacturing inputs
• Experience in data reporting - ability to apply mathematical concepts, analytics, cost models, and supplier data
• Advanced Microsoft Office, Excel, spreadsheet, and large data set skills
• Strong communication, influence, and prioritization skills
• Strong organizational and analytical skills; high attention to detail
• ERP, inventory management, purchasing controls, and cost accounting knowledge
• Travel 15-20%, mainly to other company locations

Physical Requirements:

• Frequently operates a computer, phone, ERP systems, and other standard office equipment while performing purchasing, inventory, forecasting, and reporting activities.
• Must be able to remain stationary for extended periods while working at a computer workstation and analyzing data, reports, and documentation.
• Requires frequent communication and coordination with suppliers, production, warehouse personnel, quality, accounting, and other internal departments across multiple company locations.
• Occasionally moves throughout office, warehouse, and manufacturing environments to support inventory, receiving, quality, and operational needs.
• Occasional travel to company facilities, warehouse locations, and vendors may be required.
• May occasionally lift or move standard office materials up to 15 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required include close vision and the ability to review, analyze, and interpret data, spreadsheets, reports, and related documentation.
• May be exposed to varying temperatures within warehouse and manufacturing environments.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

Competencies:

• Interpersonal Influence: Builds trust quickly, adapts to stakeholders, and influences across functions.
• Drive for Results: Uses urgency, persistence, and metrics to achieve results.
• Analytical Thinking: Uses logical analysis to convert data into actionable category decisions.
• Action Orientation: Seeks information and acts with urgency.
• Time Management: Prioritizes work effectively and avoids unnecessary delay.
• Forward Thinking: Anticipates risks, implications, consequences, and contingencies.

Benefits for this role include: Medical, vision, dental, discretionary bonus up to 15% (50% personal performance based & 50% company performance), 401(k) with matching up to a max of 4% and 120 hours PTO in the 1st 12 months.