Procurement/Purchasing Director - Chemicals

A growing supplier within the fragrance, essential oils, and aroma chemicals space is looking to bring on a senior-level procurement specialist to take ownership of sourcing strategy and supplier relationships. The business operates in a fast-moving global market where access to reliable raw materials, particularly fragrance chemicals and essential oils, directly impacts growth, margins, and product quality. Procurement has become a key operational bottleneck, and the company is now prioritizing someone who can step in with immediate credibility in the space and stabilize the entire sourcing function. This is not a back-office purchasing role. It is a full-time, hands-on relationship-driven position focused on cultivating and managing supplier networks at a high level. The ideal candidate already has a meaningful footprint in the fragrance or chemical sourcing industry, ideally with an established “rolodex” of suppliers, manufacturers, or trading partners they can immediately engage. The expectation is that this person understands how this market works at a practical level and can bring forward a clear, proven game plan for improving procurement outcomes from day one. There is flexibility for this to be remote or structured as a consultant arrangement, depending on experience and availability. This role is best suited for a high-level buyer or procurement professional within chemicals who is either already operating at a director level or a strong rising operator looking to step into a more strategic, high-impact seat. The organization is open to candidates who are still building their seniority, provided they have deep practical knowledge of sourcing in this niche and can operate with confidence and independence. This is a roll-up-your-sleeves environment with no internal procurement team underneath—success comes from direct execution, not delegation. The right person will be someone who is comfortable owning the entire supplier lifecycle personally, from sourcing and negotiation through relationship management and ongoing performance oversight. They should be willing to share proprietary knowledge, strategies, and market insights to strengthen the company’s procurement infrastructure. Just as important, they need to be hands-on and execution-focused—someone who understands that in this space, relationships and responsiveness matter as much as strategy, and who is willing to actively work the market rather than simply oversee it. Responsibilities: Own end-to-end procurement of fragrance oils, aroma chemicals, essential oils, and related raw materials Develop and maintain strong relationships with domestic and international suppliers, manufacturers, and distributors Leverage existing industry relationships (or rapidly build them) to improve pricing, reliability, and supply continuity Identify and qualify new sourcing partners to expand the supply base and reduce risk concentration Negotiate pricing, contracts, lead times, and supply agreements with vendors Continuously evaluate supplier performance across cost, quality, consistency, and compliance Act as the internal subject matter expert on procurement strategy within the fragrance/chemical space Recommend and implement a clear sourcing roadmap and procurement best practices Navigate proprietary and sensitive supplier relationships with discretion and professionalism Work closely with leadership to align procurement decisions with growth and margin goals Qualifications: Strong background in procurement, sourcing, or purchasing within fragrance chemicals, aroma chemicals, essential oils, or adjacent chemical industries Proven experience managing supplier relationships directly (not purely operational purchasing roles) Existing network or “rolodex” of suppliers, manufacturers, or brokers in the fragrance/chemical market strongly preferred Deep understanding of how the fragrance/raw materials supply chain works (global sourcing, pricing dynamics, quality standards, etc.) Ability to operate independently without a large team or structured procurement department Strong negotiation skills with experience managing complex supplier agreements Strategic mindset combined with willingness to execute day-to-day procurement work Comfortable in a high-ownership role where building the function is part of the job Open to both senior-level professionals (Procurement Director level) or strong rising buyers looking to step into a higher-impact role Compensation: $120,000 – $150,000 base salary, with flexibility depending on experience and network strength Strong performance-based bonus structure with meaningful upside tied directly to procurement performance, cost savings, and supplier optimization impact Additional bonus and incentive opportunities available for candidates who bring immediate supplier relationships, pricing advantages, or proprietary sourcing channels Highly open to discussion overall—this is a priority hire, and compensation is intentionally flexible to attract top-tier talent from within the fragrance and chemical sourcing industry The goal is to engage the strongest possible operators in the market, and the package can be shaped to reflect the value and immediate impact the right person brings into the business