Senior Procurement Specialist - Ingredients

Business Unit Overview

Feeding the world is what we do - how we do it is unique. We are not your textbook consumer packaged goods company. While others may be slow to make change happen, Post continuously drives both inorganic and organic growth. Our history is evidence of that fact with over 100 years of heritage and growth from brands that transcend generations like Honey Bunches of Oats, Fruity Pebbles, Malt-O-Meal, Bob Evans, Kibbles 'n Bits, Egg Beaters, Peter Pan peanut butter and more. Our foodservice and ingredient businesses supply other products you love for brands, restaurants and stores.

We have more than 55 offices and manufacturing sites and approximately 13,000 employees. Over the past 13 years, Post has made 28+ acquisitions and innovative financial transactions and reached $8.2 billion in net sales in fiscal 2025. During turbulent times of market uncertainty, the food industry has provided a level of stability unlike other industries

Post Holdings, Inc. is a Fortune 500® company headquartered in Brentwood, a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. Our casual professional atmosphere encourages team members to collaborate, innovate and support our operating companies. Our passion and drive advance the reputation of our operating companies and brands-together, we make a difference.


Responsibilities

KEY RESULT AREAS:

The role of the Sr. Procurement Specialist is to execute sourcing strategies for the procurement of various ingredients to maintain production, minimize costs, maximize sales values, and ensure trade and regulatory compliance for this essential business process. This includes generating purchasing recommendations to support business goals in collaboration with the Director, Ingredients and Commodity Risk Management and business unit stakeholders and driving continuous improvements throughout the function to increase efficiency and/or reduce overall total cost of ownership for the business units.

This role will be responsible for Vegetables and other ingredient categories across multiple Post Holdings Business Units with a spend totaling ~$125 million +/-.

Responsibilities and essential job functions include but are not limited to the following:

Leadership - Development and implementation of strategic goals for the work group, improving organizational capability, and modeling how to work together

• Identifies and communicates key responsibilities and practices to promote a successful approach and attitude, confidence in leadership and teamwork to achieve business results
• As Project Manager for critical Ingredient initiatives, provides leadership and exerts positive influence while working toward solutions involving cross functional teams, across all PHI subsidiaries
• Builds relationships to facilitate effective communication to leadership with cross-divisional leaders
• Supports the implementation of company programs to ensure the success of Post Holdings businesses and programs.

Planning and Execution - Aid in development of operational plans, manage execution and measure results:

• Develops individual goals to support all business units
• Maintains an entrepreneurial approach to commodity and ingredient procurement, while planning, controlling, and reporting bought positions, future demand, market activity etc. so that opportunities and risks are clearly articulated to stakeholders within the business units and PHI as needed
• Recommends strategies, schedules and work requirements to Director, Ingredients & Commodity Risk Management to ensure that business activities meet time and budget goals
• Manages activities within all business units and across PHI as needed to ensure long-term supply and cost savings
• Oversees the implementation and utilization of measurement tools to evaluate business process effectiveness and supplier performance
• Plans and manages logistical requirements for inbound commodity and ingredients and ensures that programs are aligned with business goals and objectives
• Prepares, communicates, and educates business partners (including customers) and team members on procurement policies and practices

Business Requirements - Providing functional expertise and executing functional responsibilities:

• Assesses critical information required to make effective decisions or recommendations
• Manages reporting processes to communicate activity status and weekly procurement update and risk management projections to the business units and PHI as needed
• Recommends modifications to buying strategy and risk management protocol as needed to achieve superior financial results.
• Provides periodic market updates as needed
• Manages position in compliance with company risk management policies
• Ensures that processes and systems improve service, gain efficiencies, or improve quality and reduce costs
• Administers approved strategies, tools, and metrics to support PHI business requirements including:
• Sourcing
• Commodity Management
• Risk Management
• Negotiation
• Contracting
• Inventory Control
• Cost and Capacity Analysis
• Corporate Sustainability/Social Responsibility Initiatives
• Cost Control - including Total Cost of Ownership
• Cost Improvement
• Procure-to-Pay
• Maintains relationships with other business units, functional areas, and suppliers to support overall business requirements
• Manages the process for evaluating bids, negotiating contracts and monitoring supplier performance
• Provides technical or product expertise to suppliers and internal customers regarding related markets
• Using problem solving and analysis to assess the financial impact of business initiatives

Qualifications

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:

• Minimum of a Bachelor's degree
• 2-5 years' Buying experience to include sourcing strategy and like ingredients
• 2-5 years' Performance metrics, development, and root cause analysis
• 2-5 years' Project management, including project budget management
• 2-5 years' Supply chain management fundamentals
• Annual Managed Expenses: ~$125 million (Ingredients, Packaging and/or Indirect Spend)

• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing. Planning and executing communications strategy to ensure accurate and timely flow of information to internal customers and stakeholders and externally to vendors
• Capacity to work independently and as part of a team
• Aptitude for applying knowledge of multidisciplinary business principles and practices to achieve successful outcomes in cross-functional projects and activities
• Capable of setting priorities, manage multiple projects and meet deadlines in a fast-paced and changing environment
• Ability to apply supply chain operations methodology to optimize impact of procurement on the supply chain
• Proficient in developing and implementing strategies, plans and sourcing activities at the lowest total cost of ownership
• Ability to negotiate and influence
• Skill in managing supplier performance and driving continuous improvements with existing suppliers
• Competent in analyzing and creating a positive impact to the direct and indirect costs and benefits of any good or service
• Ability to educate partners on cost, service and quality drivers, market and technology factors, and their impact on commodities, products, and services
• Ability to trouble-shoot data integrity issues within a procurement system
• Capable of acting as a subject matter expert in applying broad business disciplines/knowledge to support procurement activities
• Ability to lead complex program and project efforts to completion
• High degree of problem solving and decision-making ability
• Knowledge of purchasing regulations, laws and accounting standards including SOX, FASB, and process controls
• Ability to conform to shifting priorities in spending strategies, product demands and purchasing timelines through analytical capabilities
• Handle complex and diverse customer, supplier, or operational issues where analysis of situation or data requires evaluation of identifiable factors. Ability to exercise judgment and handle ambiguity within generally defined practices and policies selecting methods and techniques for obtaining solutions

Travel

10%-20%

This is a hybrid role located in St. Louis, Missouri. In-office days are Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. #LI-hybrid