Manager, Strategic Sourcing and Planning

We are seeking a forward thinkering and results-driven Manager, Strategic Sourcing & Planning to play a critical leadership role within the NASC Strategic Sourcing Food & Beverage organization. In this highly visible role, you will shape and advance sourcing strategies that support Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruise Line, Holland America Line, and Seabourn, with a particular focus on high-impact protein categories. As a strategic leader, you will partner closely with executive-level stakeholders across Supply Chain, Culinary Operations, Finance, and Sustainability teams to build multiyear category strategies, unlock enterprise value, and safeguard supply continuity across the fleet. You will interpret business needs, translate insights into actionable sourcing plans, and drive initiatives that elevate cost competitiveness, quality, innovation, and supplier performance. In this role, you will serve as the category leader, responsible for influencing key decisions, strengthening supplier partnerships, anticipating risk, and ensuring strategic alignment with brand and corporate priorities. You will be accountable for managing complex project pipelines, communicating progress and impacts, and consistently delivering favorable outcomes that support long-term business objectives. As a people leader, you will manage and develop a team of 2–5 sourcing professionals, ensuring consistent application of best-in-class procurement methodologies including the 7 Step Strategic Sourcing Process to drive breakthrough value creation. You will coach the team to think strategically, proactively identify opportunities, and execute with discipline and clarity. This role requires a blend of strategic mindset, strong analytical capability, supplier relationship acumen, managing a sourcing team, and the ability to influence senior stakeholders in a dynamic operating environment. Essential Functions Strategic Sourcing Strategy & Stakeholder Alignment Development of an effective long-term strategic sourcing plan for highly complex categories and projects that create long term value while meeting brand objectives, including value creation, supply continuity, risk mitigation, and innovation. Effective collaboration on strategic sourcing categories and projects within the organization and stakeholders; developing relationships to become a trusted sourcing partner. Ensuring cross-functional engagement and support of category projects and initiatives. Remains connected to key stakeholders and solicits input from them at appropriate times to stay aligned with the needs of the business, as well as run meetings providing key supplier and product updates and addressing specific needs of key stakeholders. Category Management, Planning & Financial Alignment Apply spend category management best practices, tools and techniques in the development and implementation of an integrated strategic sourcing strategy to assess the overall opportunity within the categories for projects. Serve as a subject matter expert on strategic sourcing categories with stakeholders and foster effective relationships. Maintain focus on project timelines and deliverables to ensure business goals and objectives are met. Strong partnership with Finance team to accurately forecast impacts of category strategy, including scenario modeling. Manage annual initiative plan by creating realistic timelines and meeting contracting deadlines, and communicating initiative status. Team Leadership & Development Provide oversight, performance manage, coach, and develop a highly skilled team of 2–5 category leaders able to drive strategic approaches and cultivate strong business relationships with internal stakeholders and external partners. Market Intelligence, Supplier Qualification & Relationship Management Research best practices and conduct baseline due diligence to understand opportunities for savings, reduce TCO, improve efficiencies, quality improvement, and service of the sourcing teams. Lead supplier qualification, segmentation and certification programs. Be well-informed about commodity markets and use information to report trends, pricing fluctuations, provide forecast detail and product cost shifts to brands. Effectively manage supplier relationships; leverage data, metrics, and internal feedback. Provide and review scorecards to improve supplier results. Develop early supplier involvement to ensure suppliers are utilized to their full capabilities and proactively provide input to ensure low cost, efficient, and quality goods and services. Effectively influence change and obtain buy-in across the stakeholder group and leadership. Oversee a portfolio of contracts, build and maintain supplier relationships, hold suppliers accountable to deliver contractual requirements. Contracting, Negotiation & Sourcing Execution Implement gold-standard contracts across the strategic supplier base. Negotiate strategic supplier contracts, develop innovative pricing models and agreements to deliver value to brands. Lead supplier negotiations, manage RFP/RFQs, utilize the 7-step sourcing process where applicable, and execute the category strategy. Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Scope: Oversee complex, enterprise-level strategic sourcing categories and long-term category strategies that drive value creation, supply continuity, risk mitigation, and innovation. Span cross-functional collaboration, stakeholder alignment, supplier relationship management, contract execution, financial forecasting, and leading a team of category managers. End-to-end ownership of category strategy development, execution, and performance across multiple brands. Problem solving: Navigate highly complex sourcing challenges by applying category management best practices, conducting due diligence, analyzing commodity markets, and identifying opportunities to reduce total cost of ownership, improve efficiencies, and enhance quality. Resolve supplier performance issues, manage competing priorities, maintain project timelines, and develop innovative pricing models and negotiation strategies. Scenario modeling with Finance and proactive risk mitigation are central to problem-solving expectations. Impact: Directly influence long-term business value by delivering cost savings, improving supplier performance, strengthening supply continuity, and enabling strategic business objectives. Effective category strategies and supplier partnerships drive measurable financial outcomes, operational efficiencies, and improved service levels. Enhance organizational resilience through strong contract management, risk mitigation, data-driven decision making, supporting brand performance and enterprise-wide goals. Leadership: Provide strategic leadership to a team of 2–5 category managers, coach and develop them to build strong internal and external partnerships, and execute category strategies effectively. Influence stakeholders, secure cross-functional buy-in, and serve as a trusted sourcing partner. Manage supplier negotiations, oversee supplier qualification programs, hold suppliers accountable to contractual commitments, and model collaboration, strategic thinking, and accountability. Qualifications 7-10 years of experience in strategic sourcing, procurement, contracting, supply chain, and/or category management. Strong Microsoft Office skills (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook). Experience with sourcing tools (Ariba, Coupa, CrunchTime, MXP). Category-level commodity sourcing experience. 3-5 years of leadership experience managing 2-5 team members. Strong people management skills: clear expectations, feedback, consistent coaching, development; ability to lead in a cross-functional team and manage multiple priorities; identify and resolve problems efficiently. Well-developed influencing skills and stakeholder management; experience with supplier relationship management. Mastery of specific categories and/or ability to develop knowledge in new categories. Master negotiation skills and solid business judgment. Master leadership and organizational management skills. Courage and conviction to hold suppliers and distributors accountable during challenging periods of change. Master technical sourcing process knowledge. Ability to conduct analysis required during a sourcing initiative. Ability to build strong relationships with suppliers. Ability to perform analysis and interpret results into actionable steps. Ability to manage multiple initiatives and priorities at once. Strong attention to detail and process orientation. Excellent written, verbal communication and presentation skills. Travel Less than 25% with shipboard travel likely. Work Conditions Work primarily in a climate-controlled environment with minimal safety/health hazard potential. Physical Demands Work primarily in a climate-controlled environment with minimal safety/health hazard potential. Work Location This position is classified as “in-office.” Employees may work from the designated Carnival office in South Florida Monday through Thursday each week, with the option to work from home on Fridays. Candidates must be located in (or willing to relocate to) the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale area. Benefits Health Benefits: Cost-effective medical, dental and vision plans. Employee Assistance Program and other mental health resources. Company paid term life insurance and disability coverage. Financial Benefits: 401(k) plan that includes a company match. Employee Stock Purchase plan. Paid Time Off: Holidays – All full-time and part-time with benefits employees receive days off for 8 company-wide holidays, plus 2 additional floating holidays. Vacation Time – All full-time employees at the manager and below level start with 14 days/year; director and above level start with 19 days/year. Part-time with benefits employees receive time off based on the number of hours they work, with a minimum of 84 hours/year; all employees gain additional vacation time with further tenure. Sick Time – All full-time employees receive 80 hours of sick time each year. Part-time with benefits employees receive time off based on the number of hours they work, with a minimum of 60 hours each year. Other Benefits: Complementary stand‑by cruises, employee discounts on confirmed cruises, plus special rates for family and friends. Personal and professional learning and development resources including tuition reimbursement. On‑site fitness center at our Miami campus. Equal Employment Opportunity Statement Carnival Corporation & plc and Carnival Cruise Line is an equal employment opportunity/affirmative action employer. We do not discriminate against any qualified individual on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, mental, physical or sensory disability, or any other classification protected by applicable local, state, federal, and/or international law. #J-18808-Ljbffr